I am a proud supporter of the serial comma
There is no small debate about the serial comma (also known as the Oxford Comma). It is a comma used before a coordinating conjunction (such as "and") before the last item in a series of three or more. For example: The flag is red, white, and blue.
The AP style book says the example should read: The flag is red, white and blue.
I'm happy to say I am a proud supporter of the serial comma. In most situations, this comma may not seem necessary. But when a single list item contains an 'and', the serial comma is the only way to properly format the list, as in this example:
Our choice of salad dressings were ranch, oil and vinegar, and bleu cheese.
Since the serial comma is required in this situation, I feel it's best to use it in all situations for consistency.
posted 28 Feb 2008 in Bookshelf