Page 158 - Perfect English Grammar: The Indispensable Guide to Excellent Writing and Speaking

16.2.7 COMMAS AND SERIES

Commas are used to set off multiple items in a series, including longer phrases

or clauses.
When one is used before a conjunction in a series, it is sometimes called an

Oxford comma.

■ There are apples, bananas, and oranges for sale.

■ Our excited, wiggly, and very slippery puppy escaped from the
bathtub.

■ Representatives from Brazil, India, and China were present.
■ By the time the week was finished, the car was wrecked, our daughter

had broken her leg, and I couldn’t find my credit card.

Some style guides, most notably that of the Associated Press, recommend
not using a comma before the final conjunction when listing nouns in a series,

except in cases where it may resolve confusion, such as with a series of phrases

that already include conjunctions.

■ We drank wine, sang songs and danced until dawn.
■ Funds were cut from the Parks and Recreation Department, the

Public Safety and Security Bureau, and the Materials and Resources
Division.

See also section 14.0, Conjunctions.

16.2.8 COMMAS AND ADJECTIVES

Use commas to separate adjectives that describe the same noun with equal status

and strength (which are known as coordinate adjectives).

Do not use commas where the adjectives have different status or strength
(non-coordinate adjectives). You can also have a mix of coordinate and non-

coordinate adjectives.