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Commas Series
Separate elements in a series
List two elements vs. multiple elements
| TWO ELEMENTS |
|---|
Coordinators (and, or) relate two similar elements: two verbs, two nouns, two adjectives, etc. (No punctuation is used unless coordinating clauses.) |
| VERBS |
The biathlon athlete skis and shoots. |
| NOUN PHRASES |
The biathlon athlete uses skis and a gun. |
| ADJECTIVES |
The biathlon athlete is strong and focused. |
| ADVERBS |
In order to win, he must shoot quickly and accurately. |
| PHRASES |
He must be able to outwit and to out-last the others. |
| CLAUSES |
The biathlon athlete is a person who knows his strengths and who keeps his focus. |
| MULTIPLE ELEMENTS |
|---|
When listing more than two like-elements, a comma in used to separate (punctuate) items in a series. Placing a comma before the final and or or is optional if the separation of the items is clear. ("Oxford Comma") |
| VERBS |
A tri-athlete runs, bikes, and swims. |
| NOUN PHRASES |
The athlete uses running shoes, a bicycle, and swim goggles. |
| ADJECTIVES |
A tri-athlete is strong, well-trained, and focused. |
| ADVERBS |
In order to win, he must run swiftly, gracefully, and boldly. |
| PHRASES |
He is able to outwit, out-last and out-play the others. |
| CLAUSES |
She was a woman who knew her strengths, who knew how to use her wit, and who wasn't afraid to "stick her head out". |
Related page Commas—comments
Comma Series
Ellipsis
Omitting Repeated Words (Ellipsis)
| NON-MIXED TYPE |
|---|
To avoid repetition, we commonly omit articles, quantifiers, auxiliaries in a series if they are complemented by the same element (noun, verb, prepositions, articles) We include such items in a series for emphasis (anaphora). |
| AUXILLIARIES |
The runner can, must and will run in the race. (shorter) |
The runner can run, must run and will run in the race. (emphasis) |
| QUANTIFIERS |
People with Diabetes should consume less sugar, starch, and alcohol. |
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| ARTICLES |
He bought a pair of shoes, shorts, and socks. (all come in pairs) He bought a shirt, hat, and map. |
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| PREPOSITIONS |
They became aware and took charge of building safeguards for athletes. |
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| MIXED TYPE |
|---|
We do not omit articles, quantifiers, auxiliaries, or prepositions in a series if they are complemented by different element types (count/noncount nouns, verb forms, verb phrases, articles etc.) |
| AUXILLIARIES |
*The runner has, must and will run the race. (mixed type) |
The runner has run, must run, and will run in the upcoming marathon race. |
| QUANTIFIERS |
*People with Diabetes should consume less sugar, starch, and sugary carbonated drinks. |
People should consume less sugar, fewer sweets, and fewer sugary carbonated drinks. |
| ARTICLES |
~He bought a hat, shirt, and pants. (some pants) |
He bought a hat, a shirt and some pants. |
| PREPOSITIONS |
*They took interest, charge and succeeded in building safeguards for athletes. |
They became interested in, took charge of, and succeeded in building safeguards for athletes. |
*not used / ~sounds awkward, not preferred wording
ellipsis – the omission of words to avoid repetition
anaphora (epanaphora) – the repetition of the same word or group of words at the beginning of several consecutive sentences or verses to emphasize an image or a concept.
safegurards (N) – legal protections
Pop-Q "Ellipsis in a Series", Pop-Q "List".
The "Oxford Comma"
When a comma before final "and" might be necessary
Comma before "and"
| NO COMMA BEFORE AND |
|---|
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I would like a pastrami, cheese, peanut butter and jelly sandwich. |
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Some writers do not to include a comma before | COMMA BEFORE AND |
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The writing style manuals that recommend using a comma when a conjunction joins the last two elements of a series are Chicago Manual of Style, Fowler's Modern English Usage, The Elements of Style, The U.S. Gov. Printing Office, MLA, Harvard style manuals, and The Oxford Style Manual. |
I would like a pastrami, cheese, peanut butter, and jelly sandwich. |
I would like a pastrami and cheese, and peanut butter and jelly sandwich. (two sandwiches with two different ingredients) |
I would like a pastrami, a cheese, a peanut butter, and a jelly sandwich. (four sandwiches with four different ingredients) |
Pop-Q – "Comma Series"
Also see Inseparable Pairs salt and pepper, ham and eggs, cookies and milk, etc.
"Use commas in place of conjunctions to separate elements in a list of three or more items. The presence or lack of a comma before and or or in such a list has become the subject of much spirited debate. For a century it has been part of OUP (Oxford University Press) to retain or impose this last serial (or series) comma consistently, to the extent that the convention has come to be called the "Oxford comma".…The last comma serves also to resolve ambiguity, particularly when any of the items are compound terms joined by a conjunction…" (Oxford Style Manual 121-2)
| FOR | AGAINST |
|---|---|
→ Let's hop, skip, and jump. The Purdue OWL MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (3.2.2.b) The Gregg Reference Manual: (162 a.) The Elements of Style (2) The Chicago Manual of Style (6.19) The Oxford Style Manual (5.5.3) |
→ Let's hop, skip and jump. AP Stylebook (32) Style Guide. Oxford University. "generally no comma unless required to prevent ambiguity" |
The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language is neutral. (1738–40)
Resources
- "Extended Rules for Using Commas, # 5." The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, 2016, https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/owlprint/607.
- "MLA Formatting and Style Guide." Purdue OWL, Purdue U, 15 Aug. 2016, owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01.
- "Punctuation." Style Guide. U of Oxford, 19 Dec 2012, www.ox.ac.uk/public_affairs/services_and_resources/style_guide/punctuation.html.
- "Serial comma." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 12 Aug.. 2016, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_comma.
Style Books
- The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law. Edited by Thomas Kent, et al., 51st ed., AP, 2016.
- The Chicago Manual of Style. 15th ed. U of Chicago P, 2003.
- The Gregg Reference Manual. Edited by William A. Sabin, 11th ed., McGraw-Hill Education, 2011.
- Fowler's Modern English Usage. R. W. Burchfield and H. W. Fowler, revised 3rd ed., Oxford UP, 2004.
- MLA Handbookfor Writers of Research Papers. 7th ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2009.
- Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 6th ed., American Psychological Association, 2010.
- Strunk, William Jr. and E.G. White. The Elements of Style. 4th ed., Allyn & Bacon, 1999.
Word Play
Make the meaning clear with a comma
Distinguish a verb from a noun with a comma
| TWO COMMAS | ONE COMMA | NO COMMAS |
|---|---|---|
When each item is separated by a comma, the reader can expect that the items are the same (parallel) word forms. For example, below the person does three activities; two commas separate three verbs. |
For words in which the verb form is the same as the noun form, a comma separates like (same form) elements. Below, the person performs two activities; one comma separates two verb phrases. |
The same sentence can be written without any commas; no list items exist. It is a clause with one verb and two coordinated (and) items. The person perfoms one activity on two items. |
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He 
He 
He 
nonsense (N) – Something that is silly (playfully illogical) or not logical
Common Mistakes
Errors and Solutions
Error and Solution
| ERROR |
|---|
~The appeal of Tesla's Model S lies in its sexy sports car design. (What is sexy—the sports, the car, or the design?) |
~Punch mark or fill-in your ballot. (Unclear meaning) |
~I would like to thank my brothers, Sarah and Mary. (Two brothers with female names? ) |
~On the tray were bacon, eggs, salt, pepper, cookies and milk. (Not incorrect, but not the usual grouping.) |
~Bob Dylan's musical styles include folk and rock and roll and rhythm and blues and country and gospel. (Unclear meaning—what are the musical styles?) |
| SOLUTION |
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The appeal of Tesla's Model S lies in its sexy, sports-car design. The appeal of Tesla's Model S lies in its sexy sports-car design. |
Punch, mark, or fill-in your ballot! A comma joins items in a row (same word forms) -- in this case three verbs. Using a comma before or is optional.) |
I would like to thank my brothers, Sarah, and Mary. |
On the tray were bacon and eggs, salt and pepper, and cookies and milk. See Inseparable Pairs (salt and pepper, ham and eggs, cookies and milk) |
Bob Dylan's musical styles include folk, rock and roll, [and] rhythm and blues, country, and gospel. Separate the genres (styles with commas to avoid confusion. |
*not used / ~marginal use, requires a special context to be understood
Practice 1
Renaissance Man
Read for Errors
As a teacher astronomer inventor father, Albert is frequently called a Renaissance man. He adores his four children: Anna Haley Nina Milo. He loves spending the weekends with his children showing them the stars teaching them all he knows. They often go on field trips visit planetariums and observatories look at the stars together.
Albert has written astronomy stories for children: "Astro Anna" "Haley's Comet" "Nina's Nine Planets" "Milo the Moon Mouse".
Albert likes to name the stories after his children because it amuses it honors it inspires them.
Albert teaches physics astronomy mathematics at a nearby university. His students like his ability to explain complex things in simple ways to inspire their love of learning to listen to their ideas. Last year, his students won first prize for the most creative innovative promising new inventions.
More than anything, Albert loves to spend his time sitting reading thinking.
astronomy (N) – the scientific study of the stars and planets
comet (N) – a body that moves around the sun with a central mass surrounded by dust and gas, usually with a tail.
complex (n. / adj.) – complicated, having many parts
field trip (N) – a lesson in which the class goes outside of the classroom to learn
innovative (Adj) – new, creative, original thinking
inspire (V) – affect someone with a feeling of wanting to do something great, influence, move someone to action with a feeling
inventor (N) – person who has original ideas and creates new things
observatory (n) – a building equipped with a large telescope for viewing stars, planets, and the moon
physics (N) – the science concerned with the study of physical objects and substances, and of natural forces such as light, heat, and movement
planetarium (N) – a theater with a dome ceiling for showing the movement of the stars and the planets
promising (Adj) – having a very good possibility of success
Renaissance man – a person with expertise, knowledge, in many fields, an enlightened person
Edit the sentences for commas.
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "check 1-10" button at the bottom, or click the "check" button as you go.
Practice 2
Word Play
What does each person do — perform three activities or manage two items?
Remember that punctuation can determine whether a word form is a verb or a noun. One option will be logical. The other option might be silly (nonsense).
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "check 11-20" button at the bottom, or click the "check" button as you go.