![]() ![]() It is always wise to check your company’s in-house style manual or the style manual that governs your profession. Or the table may be covered with gifts, all of which fall into one of two categories-food or flowers.The table may be covered with three different kinds of items: (1) gifts, (2) food, and (3) flowers.If we were to write, for example, “The table was covered with gifts, food and flowers,” the meaning might appear to be quite clear without the serial comma.īut even this seemingly simple and clear sentence could be read two ways: We tend to think we are being clear because we know what we mean to say. But we are usually poor judges of our own clarity (or lack thereof). In all kinds of writing, of course, the meaning of the items in a list may be obvious without the serial comma. Jones left her money to Sally and Fred Smith, Margaret and John Williams, Betty and Harold Spivey, and their children. But with the additional comma, the sentence more clearly communicates the idea that the children of all three couples are to receive a share: ![]() Without the serial comma before the last and, the sentence could be interpreted to mean that only the children of Betty and Harold Spivey are to receive a share of the inheritance and not the children of the other couples. Jones left her money to her children: Sally and Fred Smith, Margaret and John Williams, Betty and Harold Spivey and their children. Here’s another example of a sentence in which the omission of the serial comma has a substantive effect on the meaning: Quite possibly (especially if Huey were a jerk), Huey would get half the money, and Dewey and Louie would have to split the other half. Without the serial comma, the sentence does not clearly indicate that each of the three children is to be given an equal share of the inheritance. Jones left all her money to her three children: Huey, Dewey and Louie. Haggard says, “The serial comma is essential in legal writing because it promotes clarity” (17). In The Lawyer’s Book of Rules for Effective Legal Writing, Thomas R. The Texas Law Review Manual on Usage, Style, and Editing insists on the use of the serial comma. ![]() The Serial Comma is Especially Important in Legal Writing Topics on program for the consumer advisory conference meeting this month include savings accounts, mortgage loans, the use of debit and credit cards, and mutual funds and CDs.Īlthough such logical precision might seem trivial when we are talking about topics at a conference, it can be absolutely crucial in certain kinds of writing. With the serial comma added, we can see clearly that we have here a list of four program topics, not two or three:
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