Serial commas

[printandpolish]

See previous post LMAO

Red, white and blue -- per AP style. No comma before the last object before the and. I dare you to say that ten times fast.

[Nittanylizard]

I use red, white, and blue. When I do it the other way my brain (after years of settling into this particular comma furrow) is waiting for the next color/object (red, white and blue, green, and pink) and therefore gets jumbled up when that period shows up.

[latch22]

I don't know all about those handbooks, but I was taught in school that it was optional. I get kind of annoyed, though, when people don't use the second comma. So I would say that I write it as red, white, and blue. It just makes more sense.

Cheers!

[Keira]

Yeah, I use the last comma as well. I know it's optional (at least I was taught that way as well), but it grates on my nerves when I see it the other way. When I'm reading for fun, it doesn't bother me, but when I'm editting/betaing, then it really sticks out like a big ol' zit to me. I know it's not bad, but I tend to be comma happy too, so yeah.

[Nittanylizard]

Now that's interesting, about the single spacing between sentences, because I just read about that on another website. I had never realized that it was different for newspaper related editing. When I learned typing, you double spaced after every sentence. And if you submit a manuscript to an agent or publisher, you need the two spaces. But for a newspaper you need one?

Is this all to help us reach the funny farm that much sooner? The English language itself isn't torture enough, lol?

I'm going to bed...

[latch22]

The double-spacing in a new sentence is a toss-up. I see it a lot, but there are plenty who don't use it, myself included. I think it's a waste, and was taught that that was optional, as well.

But I stand by my comma.

[Tensleep]

You know, I just learned all this last year. Got a B- in the class, but hey.

As for the comma issue, I learned that the Oxford comma is used to list things. I have always considered it optional, despite having to follow Chicago style for the History department.

So for me it would be red, white, and blue. But if I were saying he was a long haired, blue eyed and strung out hippie - I would leave it like that since they are describing what comes after the and rather than just plain old listing.

Gotta love options.

As for the whole space thing - tab paragraphs on essays and leave the rest single for me. It makes life easier.

See ya in the funny papers!!!

Tens

[printandpolish]

nittanylizard said:

Now that's interesting, about the single spacing between sentences, because I just read about that on another website. I had never realized that it was different for newspaper related editing. When I learned typing, you double spaced after every sentence. And if you submit a manuscript to an agent or publisher, you need the two spaces. But for a newspaper you need one?

I know! I automatically use one period after a sentence. It took me a long time to train myself out of the two spaces I learned in typing class in high school. As far as manuscripts go, I've given up. So I run the replace function and change ". " to ". " Pain in the know-know-what.

[EmilineHarris]

I can't give up my two spaces after a sentence and my many, many commas. I love them too much!

[jrc]

I didn't know those things were optional! Curse my forth grade teacher!