Brief Guide to Punctuation - Stockton College
Brief Guide to Punctuation - Stockton College
Brief Guide to Punctuation - Stockton College
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COMMAS<br />
9<br />
<strong>Guide</strong> <strong>to</strong> punctuation<br />
Speech conveys meaning through words, gestures, voice modulation,<br />
and pauses. Writing conveys meaning through words and<br />
punctuation alone. <strong>Punctuation</strong>, accordingly, must be versatile<br />
and flexible.<br />
Commas in a list<br />
Disagreement exists over the need for a comma between the last<br />
two items in a series when joined by a conjunction.<br />
The backyard garden contained pota<strong>to</strong>es, snap peas[,] and catnip.<br />
This comma is known as the serial, terminal, Oxford, or New<br />
Yorker comma. In 2011 the Oxford Styleguide recommended<br />
against its use. Nevertheless, use of the serial comma is well established<br />
and permissible.<br />
The gardener was on the lookout for slugs, bugs, rabbits and cats.<br />
Here it is not used. Is the gardener on the lookout for slugs, bugs,<br />
rabbits, and cats or for slugs and bugs and also rabbits with cats?<br />
The decision is yours. If you choose not use a serial comma make<br />
sure there can be no confusion about your meaning.<br />
Commas with adjectives<br />
Use a comma between consecutive coordinate adjectives. Don’t<br />
use a comma between cumulative adjectives. Coordinate adjectives<br />
modify the same noun equally and separately.<br />
Literature students favor long, difficult, page-turning books.
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