How To Use Commas When Listing
Use commas when writing a list of at least three words phrases or clauses in a sentence.
How to use commas when listing. Commas are used to separate list items. This page explains when to use commas in lists has lots of examples and includes an interactive exercise. When you read the list aloud the commas emerge as breaths. Use commas to separate words and word groups in a simple series of three or more items. If you have a series of three or more items use commas to separate each item.
When the last comma in a series comes before and or or after daughter in law in the above example it is known as the oxford comma most newspapers and magazines drop the oxford comma in a simple series apparently. Use commas to separate things in a list or series. My estate goes to my husband son daughter in law and nephew. The commas between these items are signals. The three musketeers were athos porthos and aramis.
In that case you would not place a comma before the and that joins the final two items. This comma is called the serial comma or the oxford comma. A semicolon is used to separate two ideas two independent clauses that are closely related. You need commas between each item on the list with one important exception. There are some cases where you know you should use a comma such as when separating items in a list but there are other times when you might be unsure whether or not a comma is needed.
Commas can be a particularly tricky punctuation mark. First it is used in a list when three or more words phrases or even complete sentences are joined by the word and or or. They can also be used when listing complex ideas or phrases that use commas within them. We might call this construction an x y and z list. Charlie has to buy flashlight batteries breath butter cookies breath ice cream breath and cake.
At the store i will buy apples oranges pears and bananas. However the final comma the one that comes before the and is optional. I need to go to the supermarket to buy eggs milk bread sugar and. With three list items use a comma between the list items and before the and or whatever conjunction if it s your local convention. Place a comma between each item in the list unless you are writing in associated press style.