Today I learned that everything I’ve learned is subject to change. Let’s back up – when I started by first job out of college I learned that they (the big mysterious “they”) had changed the rule about the comma before the word “and” (example – apples, pears, and oranges – should be: apples, pears and oranges). This morning my morning news report has told me that there are no longer 9 planets – that’s right Pluto is no longer a planet!
I don’t know how those of you who are parents help your kids with homework – they just keep changing the rules!
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derikb says on: August 25, 2006 at 9:12 am
NOOOO. The serial comma is not dead! It is vitally important in many more complicated sentence structures:
ham and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, and grilled cheese.
ham and cheese, peanut butter and jelly and grilled cheese.
See?
Nicole says on: August 25, 2006 at 9:22 am
Yes – in those instances you can still use it – but in the ones like I had above you’re not supposed to. But, since there are so many of us who learned it the first way I don’t see it going away anytime soon.
I did find this though: http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/writing/comma?08 – apparently it’s optional – and both ways are correct.
And Mr. Archer (English Teacher) says this:
So I was mis-informed (sort of) – it’s not gone, but it is optional now – either way they changed the rules on me and I don’t like that
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