Random grammar question

[BZeto]

In a sentence such as:
I went to the store and bought milk, butter, eggs and juice.

Do I put a comma between 'eggs' and 'and'? I never have in the past but this book on grammar usage seems to show that I should. What is the proper use of commas in the sentence?

 

[Vegitto]

What you're saying is essentially this:

I went to the store and bought milk AND butter AND eggs AND juice. You're simply replacing each 'and' with a comma, and since when you finish summing up the things you bought you end with 'and', you don't use a comma there.

I went to the store and bought milk, butter, eggs and juice is correct.

 

[imported_LoKe]

The "and" indicates finality, so the sentence doesn't just end all of a sudden. I'd sooner re-form the sentence for it to make more sense grammatically. But yes, it's "correct".

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Originally posted by: Vegitto
What you're saying is essentially this:

I went to the store and bought milk AND butter AND eggs AND juice. You're simply replacing each 'and' with a comma, and since when you finish summing up the things you bought you end with 'and', you don't use a comma there.

I went to the store and bought milk, butter, eggs and juice is correct.

"I went to the store and bought milk, butter, eggs and juice" is slightly more correct. It's also okay to add the extra comma "I went to the store and bought milk, butter, eggs, and juice" is acceptable as well, just used less often.

 

[InflatableBuddha]

Which book are you referring to? Comma usage depends on the style guide you're using (i.e. APA, Chicago Manual of Style, etc.)

The company style guide for my workplace dictates using a comma before the "and" in a list. So in your example here, "...milk, butter, eggs, and juice." is correct.

Bottom line, if this is for school, follow whatever style guide your prof recommends; if it's for work, follow your company-specific style guide. Failing that, go with the standard guide for your industry/field.

 

[imported_LoKe]

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt

Originally posted by: Vegitto
What you're saying is essentially this:

I went to the store and bought milk AND butter AND eggs AND juice. You're simply replacing each 'and' with a comma, and since when you finish summing up the things you bought you end with 'and', you don't use a comma there.

I went to the store and bought milk, butter, eggs and juice is correct.

"I went to the store and bought milk, butter, eggs and juice" is slightly more correct. It's also okay to add the extra comma "I went to the store and bought milk, butter, eggs, and juice" is acceptable as well, just used less often.

Woops. I had a mental lapse. I'm pretty sure the comma after eggs is necessary to clarify that eggs and juice are not one item (duh). An example would be... "I bought a green, yellow, blue and red shirt yesterday." It might be open to interpretation as to whether or not the person bought a blue shirt as well as a red shirt, or if the shirt was both blue and red.

 

[FoBoT]

i think the extra comma is the old timey style, i think i learned that in typewriter class in 1981

 

[Turin39789]

I learned the ", and" and I'm just 25. That said I've heard it's going out of style and is acceptable to not use it. So really, right now it's either or.

 

[BZeto]

The book is The Gregg Reference Manual 10th edition.
Under the section of 'Basic Rules for Commas That Seperate' it gives an example of using commas to separate three or more items in a series.
"It takes time, effort, and a good deal of money."

I think I'm going to place a comma before the and in my classwork. Like InflatableBuddha mentioned though, I believe the style sort of dictates how it should be used. I dont really a specific style mentioned in this book but I might as well follow the examples that it gives.

Thanks

 

[clamum]

I learned to put a comma before the "and".

 

[imported_LoKe]

Originally posted by: Turin39789
I learned the ", and" and I'm just 25. That said I've heard it's going out of style and is acceptable to not use it. So really, right now it's either or.

I'm 19 and I've known of it for a while.

 

[homercles337]

Originally posted by: Vegitto
What you're saying is essentially this:

I went to the store and bought milk AND butter AND eggs AND juice. You're simply replacing each 'and' with a comma, and since when you finish summing up the things you bought you end with 'and', you don't use a comma there.

I went to the store and bought milk, butter, eggs and juice is correct.

Wrong. Unless your british. Your version is more common and still wrong in britian. How would you write this:

Im going to get milk and eggs, honey, and bread and butter. Milk and eggs work as a group as does bread and butter. Both groups are separate from honey. This is a complicated example, but you get the point.

In american english separate "and" with a comma, if youre a brit you are never taught to despite the correctness.

edit: bolded for emphasis.

 

[Vegitto]

Originally posted by: homercles337

Originally posted by: Vegitto
What you're saying is essentially this:

I went to the store and bought milk AND butter AND eggs AND juice. You're simply replacing each 'and' with a comma, and since when you finish summing up the things you bought you end with 'and', you don't use a comma there.

I went to the store and bought milk, butter, eggs and juice is correct.

Wrong. Unless your british. Your version is more common and still wrong in britian. How would you write this:

Im going to get milk and eggs, honey, and bread and butter. Milk and eggs work as a group as does bread and butter. Both groups are separate from honey. This is a complicated example, but you get the point.

In american english separate "and" with a comma, if youre a brit you are never taught to despite the correctness

Well, actually I'm Dutch, we're supposed to use British spelling, Dutch grammar (comma placement, capital letters etc) and American letter layouts.. Really, really weird.

 

[rivan]

Originally posted by: homercles337

Originally posted by: Vegitto
What you're saying is essentially this:

I went to the store and bought milk AND butter AND eggs AND juice. You're simply replacing each 'and' with a comma, and since when you finish summing up the things you bought you end with 'and', you don't use a comma there.

I went to the store and bought milk, butter, eggs and juice is correct.

Wrong. Unless your british. Your version is more common and still wrong in britian. How would you write this:

Im going to get milk and eggs, honey, and bread and butter. Milk and eggs work as a group as does bread and butter. Both groups are separate from honey. This is a complicated example, but you get the point.

In american english separate "and" with a comma, if youre a brit you are never taught to despite the correctness.

edit: bolded for emphasis.

Neither of the proofreaders at the ad agency I work for will allow a comma preceding and in a list.

 

[frodrick]

Originally posted by: LoKe
Woops. I had a mental lapse. I'm pretty sure the comma after eggs is necessary to clarify that eggs and juice are not one item (duh). An example would be... "I bought a green, yellow, blue and red shirt yesterday." It might be open to interpretation as to whether or not the person bought a blue shirt as well as a red shirt, or if the shirt was both blue and red.

"I bought a green, yellow, blue and red shirt yesterday" means you purchased one shirt that included all those colors. It's the same as typing "I bought a shirt yesterday."

"I bought green, yellow, blue and red shirts yesterday" means you bought green shirts, yellow shirts, blue shirts, and red shirts.

"I bought green, yellow, and blue and red shirts yesterday" or "I bought green, yellow and blue and red shirts yesterday" both mean that you bought green shirts, yellow shirts, and blue/red hybrid shirts.

 

[Nik]

The correct syntax is [WORD], [WORD], and [WORD]. In a series like this, American English requires a comma even if the word "and" is used before the last item in the list.

 

[dullard]

Both forms are acceptable. Both forms are understandable in simple sentences. But, if you have anything slightly complex, then I would use the last comma. Other people above gave examples as to why.

 

[imported_LoKe]

Originally posted by: rivan
Neither of the proofreaders at the ad agency I work for will allow a comma preceding and in a list.

English is slowly mutating into something ugly and simple.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: rivan
Neither of the proofreaders at the ad agency I work for will allow a comma preceding and in a list.

What does an ad agency have to do with grammar? Nothing. Ads are all simple sentences. They don't use complex sentences. Thus, they don't need the last comma for clarity. You would never see a complex sentence that requires that last comma in an ad.

In ads, space is at a premium The added punctuation adds cost and clutter Thus, there is a good reason that ad agencies tend to shy away from any more punctuation than necessary I can't remember the last time I saw a period at the end of a sentence on a box cover Does that mean we should all stop using punctuation at the end of sentences

 

[Tiamat]

Originally posted by: LoKe

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt

Originally posted by: Vegitto
What you're saying is essentially this:

I went to the store and bought milk AND butter AND eggs AND juice. You're simply replacing each 'and' with a comma, and since when you finish summing up the things you bought you end with 'and', you don't use a comma there.

I went to the store and bought milk, butter, eggs and juice is correct.

"I went to the store and bought milk, butter, eggs and juice" is slightly more correct. It's also okay to add the extra comma "I went to the store and bought milk, butter, eggs, and juice" is acceptable as well, just used less often.

Woops. I had a mental lapse. I'm pretty sure the comma after eggs is necessary to clarify that eggs and juice are not one item (duh). An example would be... "I bought a green, yellow, blue and red shirt yesterday." It might be open to interpretation as to whether or not the person bought a blue shirt as well as a red shirt, or if the shirt was both blue and red.

FTW. Comma before the "and" is needed. I usually place a comma in the sentence where typically a slight pause would be natural.

 

[Nik]

Originally posted by: dullard
Both forms are acceptable. Both forms are understandable in simple sentences. But, if you have anything slightly complex, then I would use the last comma. Other people above gave examples as to why.

Formal writing requires the last comma to exist. Informal writing... well, that just doesn't matter

 

[Savij]

Originally posted by: LoKe

Originally posted by: rivan
Neither of the proofreaders at the ad agency I work for will allow a comma preceding and in a list.

English is slowly mutating into something ugly and simple.

On one hand, the language is changing because lazy people won't speak and write properly. On the other hand, it is mutating away from something ugly and complicated.

 

[InflatableBuddha]

Originally posted by: frodrick

Originally posted by: LoKe
Woops. I had a mental lapse. I'm pretty sure the comma after eggs is necessary to clarify that eggs and juice are not one item (duh). An example would be... "I bought a green, yellow, blue and red shirt yesterday." It might be open to interpretation as to whether or not the person bought a blue shirt as well as a red shirt, or if the shirt was both blue and red.

"I bought a green, yellow, blue and red shirt yesterday" means you purchased one shirt that included all those colors. It's the same as typing "I bought a shirt yesterday."

"I bought green, yellow, blue and red shirts yesterday" means you bought green shirts, yellow shirts, blue shirts, and red shirts.

"I bought green, yellow, and blue and red shirts yesterday" or "I bought green, yellow and blue and red shirts yesterday" both mean that you bought green shirts, yellow shirts, and blue/red hybrid shirts.

Full of grammar genius this one is :thumbsup::thumbsup:

*I am aware of the irony in the above statement*

 

[imported_LoKe]

Originally posted by: Savij

Originally posted by: LoKe

Originally posted by: rivan
Neither of the proofreaders at the ad agency I work for will allow a comma preceding and in a list.

English is slowly mutating into something ugly and simple.

On one hand, the language is changing because lazy people won't speak and write properly. On the other hand, it is mutating away from something ugly and complicated.

English was beautiful and simple, but recent generations have given up on even trying to grasp it. It's sad that we're losing one of the greatest things we've ever had.

 

[dullard]

Without punctuation before the 'and':

The flags of France, Russia and USA use similar colors. The flag colors are blue, white and red; white, blue and red and red, white and blue.

With that punctuation:

The flags of France, Russia, and USA use similar colors. The flag colors are blue, white, and red; white, blue, and red; and red, white, and blue.

If you can quickly understand the first example, then congrats. Most people would be temporarilly dumbfounded without that punctuation. Note: in this example, it may be best to write a whole paragraph of short sentences rather than having one complex sentence. However, it still shows the need for the punctuation.