OWL-Punctuation

Rule #9
Commas and a Series

Rule:Use commas between three or more words connected in a series.

A series means a group of words which have the same grammatical form and are joined in a sentence.

Example of Series:

Nouns- Students need books, pencils, and notebooks.

Phrases- To study hard, to graduate with a degree, and to begin a career were some of the student's goals.

Dependent Clauses- I never knew where he had been, what he had done, or why he had done it.

Sentences- Natalia was the president, Kasakow was the vice-president, and Juan was the treasurer of the International Club.

The comma signals the end of one item in a series and the beginning of the next item.

**Exception: The comma before the last item in a series is optional. Most experts say write a comma especially when there is some confusion without it.

Writing Tip: Sometimes a group of words is considered one item such as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, bagels and cream cheese, and bacon and eggs.

Example: I eat toast, bacon and eggs, and a muffin for breakfast.

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