Man, I don't understand people against the serial comma. It can only help and never hurt. Haters to the left.
Because it's not necessary in most instances and slows down the sentence. I'm against unnecessary punctuation. If you need that last comma to make the series clear, then by all means. If not - do not. You can't just go making up whackass Prescriptivist rules to hang drop earrings all over your sentence. No wait - you can! That's why they're whackass.
The rule is - and should be - use the comma only as necessary.
Your parents, God and Ayn Rand, clearly warped you as a child, David.
The rule is - and should be - use the comma only as necessary.
That's not a rule; that's a recipe for disaster. The serial comma provides consistency.
Your parents, God and Ayn Rand, clearly warped you as a child, David.
::snickers quietly in the corner::
Look, ya'll can make up a broadly generalized rule that has limited application and stick it all over your sentences.
For example, any sentence with Billy Joel in it requires a semi-colon; he's just that awesome!
But you don't need a generalized rule about serial commas. You use the commas when it properly helps to convey the meaning you intend.
And it is nothing less than fustian to put a comma in before "and" in most cases.
That's not a rule; that's a recipe for disaster. The serial comma provides consistency.
::Extends Hobgoblin Extractor into the narrow corridors of P-Cow's mind::
Up with the serial comma!
And it is nothing less than fustian to put a comma in before "and" in most cases.
So, so sadly wrong.
::makes out with serial comma AND semi-colon::
And it is nothing less than fustian to put a comma in before "and" in most cases.
You know what's fustian?
Using words like "fustian."
