Comma Usage
 

I find myself struggling when it comes to proper comma use. I particularly struggle with lists and would appreciate some input.

For example, say I plan to do the following.

1. Go to the cinema
2. Then go for some food
3. Then pull a bird

There appears to be two ways to write this:

a) I plan to go to the cinema, get some food, and pull a bird
b) I plan to go to the cinema, get some food and pull a bird.

In general, b) is used more regularly. However, I can't help but feel that a) is the more accurate punctuation.

By not having the final comma in b) could it not read that getting a food and pulling a bird are related (i.e. food leads to bird, or they occur at the same time). My interpretation is as follows:

a) I am going to the cinema then I will get some food and pull a bird at that establishment or as a direct result of getting some food.
b) I am going to the cinema then I will get some food then I will go and pull a bird - 3 separate events.

What are your thoughts on this?

Finally, is there some easy to remember and implement rules for general comma usage. Perhaps something that is 95%+ accurate?

B) no comma before the word and

The only time you would get confusion is if in that sentence, you were going to eat some turkey and might pull the wishbone :)

But in reality, if in doubt, just stick in as many commas as you can. Looks impressive :D

Be careful. You are becoming a yank.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_comma

On a serious note, as you may gather from the link, the use you're talking about is becoming much more common in this country. I think a lot of young people will see Americans posting on the net, or read material produced in America, and use that as the norm. So pretty soon we'll have a generation of British people using that comma and the old style without one will be lost or used to a much lesser extent.

It should be used now where there is ambiguity anyway - see link. ^^ But any time you see a list of 3 things or more in American English, it will have the comma you talk about.

Oh, and good enough for Oxford is good enough for the rest of us, I'm sure.

So to clarify: you would not be penalised for it and it is becoming more normal in this country all the time. Both ways can be considered correct, but I suppose it depends on setting. If you work for someone who'd rather you use the common British English style, for example, I guess that's what you need to use.

The AP Stylebook approach seems to strike a nice balance.

That is actually the problem in many respects. I used to do a lot of formal report writing where comma's normally mean a new sentence. However, I do a lot more writing for the web these days and confusion ensues.

Formal report writing and you used an apostrophe for a plural? For shame :p ;)

I was always taught a comma signifies a pause to take a breath while reading a sentence out loud, or a separator for a list. I was also taught that a conjunction implies a pause and hence a comma is extraneous.

Count yourself lucky, as I wasn't taught at all. I fvcked around from 1st-4th year at school and failed to learn this stuff. I have a C for English because I could prattle on about "Of Mice and Men" but I have massive gaps in my knowledge on basic stuff :(

Hats off to you sir for starting this thread on what is essentially a nazi grammar police forum.

I too had recently been wondering about the exact point you have raised, although i normally just do the old fashioned thing and read it through, then place a comma where i would take a breath or pause when reading the sentence back. I would use a full stop when i took both a breath/pause and started on a different point.

Sometimes i use commas in both ways that you have in the two examples. It depends on how they sound as i read the sentence back to myself.

Unfortunately, this approach doesn't work for me at all. I can absolutely shred the work of others and very easily spot where a comma should be placed or not. However, with my own work I cannot escape the fact I know what is coming and so I don't read it naturally. If a piece of writing is important to me I will usually write it and leave it for a few days/week before returning to it.

Where's Telboy when you need him :Suspiciou

That's how I was taught, what do they teach kids nowerdays? :(:p

Tony:D

This is the only rule I stick to. I just recall being told stick a comma in where you think you need a breath when reading out loud :D

Ok,

For SB, it's like this,

I plan to go to the cinema, get some food and annoy some women !

More like, I plan to go to the cinema, get some food and an injunction. :D

Look up

Eats shoots and leaves

OR

Eats, shoots and leaves

Comma is essential if you are describing an animal but not needed if you are describing a scene from a cowboy movie.

Incidentally if you look at the current UN thread you will see a glaringly obvious misuse of the comma, actually as an apostrophe, in "pansy's" which should simply be pansies :(

dl

Its prefered over use of the comma , than no use at all. Some posts that dont have any punctuation are too confusing and just get ignored.

I wouldn't do either of the two.

a) I plan to go to the cinema, get some food, and pull a bird
b) I plan to go to the cinema, get some food and pull a bird.


I'd skip the cinema and food and just pull the bird.. Chloraform, jobs a gooden ;)

After a weeks worth of stalking her?

+1.....oh and it`s nowadays :D

English 101 as they say.

As said above, hats of to saxoboy for starting a thread like this. Maybe we should have one about bought and brought again because it`s still happening :mad::mad::mad::mad:

Ps. the correct use is b by the way. Never use a comma before and...simply because you shouldn`t pause before using the word as it`s a `joining word` if you know what I mean ;)

No problem, your welcome ;)

You're :D

Well I wasn`t actually thanking you....just saying it`s brave :lol1:

It's ok, I was just using you to run a your/you're joke :D

Now please. You can't write about commas and disregard apostrophes :)

That's and it's

dl (pedantic of Wiltshire) :)

Help jack off a horse
Looks better when a comma added

Help jack, off a horse

Is not so rude! Lol

or a bucket........

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-18384536

Yay!!

Good question, well asked :Suspiciou