Is There a Common After Again

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SEMANTIC ENIGMAS

Is it grammaticaly correct to place a comma after "and"?

Patrizio Franchin, London, UK

• If, for example, the discussion 'and' precedes a clause beginning 'although', you usually put a comma later information technology and, if it precedes a provisional clause, you normally insert a comma as well.

  Michael Bulley, Chalon-sur-Saone, France

• Yes, but only in certain circumstances, which nigh people go wrong.

  It'southward incorrect in a simple list such as "apples, oranges and lemons", where many people feel the urge to use it; however, it is acceptable in a judgement such as "the accounts department have discovered the whereabouts of the missing thousand pounds and, unfortunately, we're going to accept to fire you."

  Lucy Blades, Edinburgh, Scotland

• It is grammatically correct in compound sentences (sentences composed of two shorter sentences merged together) such as "the dog barked, and the cat ran abroad."

  P Smith, London, England

• Known equally the "Oxford" or serial comma, it is mandatory in U.s. English language. In Great britain English language, it is optional, which leads to such confusion every bit "Eats shoots and leaves". The almost famous example of the need for the serial comma is the counterfeit volume dedication: "To my parents, Ayn Rand and God". Fowler calls the belief that it is unacceptable to place punctuation before "and", a "superstition".

  Dave Null, Claremont, USA

• It tin can be. For example: for, and, and then, and or are all conjunctions.

  Peter Brooke, Kinmuck, Scotland

• If you're using the comma as one of a pair surrounding a subordinate clause so information technology would exist correct.

  Anthony, London, England

• If the question refers to commas in a listing of things, the answer is no. Some people put the comma before the "and" while others leave it out, only information technology definitely does not go after. It is possible to follow an "and" with a comma that serves another office: "He walked into boondocks and, while he was there, enjoyed a curry."

  Bill Dunlap, Hamden, USA

• Yes. Your question is interesting, and, I might say, shows that the basic dominion which says that 'and' shouldn't be followed by a comma only really works when yous're giving a list - words, expressions and things like that, when the 'and' is actually a conjunction with what immediately follows. All the best, and, in the concurrently, I shall look forward to reading more amusing, and, let's hope, more brilliant answers.

  1000. Blamont, Nanterre, France

• I would take issue with Dave Zero on a couple of points. Near trivially, I have e'er heard it chosen the Harvard comma, rather than the Oxford comma, but who cares; grammatically, it is called the serial comma.

  More important, it is not mandatory in United states English language. While there are those who will say it is mandatory, it is a abiding subject of fence that, I suspect, will never be resolved, though the tendency at present is in favor of using it.

  Lastly, this is non what causes the trouble with 'eats shoots and leaves.' The trouble there is the other comma. If the phrase refers to a panda that devours bamboo shoots and bamboo leaves, then in that location is no comma at all ('A panda eats shoots and leaves.'). If information technology refers to a panda that eats (a meal), shoots (a gun) and leaves (the eatery), then the comma is required to separate the items. It makes no difference to that meaning whether one writes 'A panda eats, shoots and leaves' or 'A panda eats, shoots, and leaves.'

  Personally, I call up that the serial comma causes as many bug as information technology solves. For every ambivalence that it clarifies, I can show you a counterinstance. Take Dave's example: 'To my parents, Ayn Rand and God.' His betoken is that, if y'all add the serial comma, it becomes clear that Ayn Rand and God are not meant to be the author's parents. But what nearly this: 'To my female parent, Ayn Rand, and God.' Here the serial comma allows it to be read either as a listing of three or equally a list of two in which Ayn Rand is the author's mother. Without the series commas, it is unambiguously a list of iii: To my mother, Ayn Rand and God.

  I take always thought, without evidence, that the comma in a list of things is at that place to supplant the missing 'and.' If so, so the series comma is redundant. That said, I routinely suggest the law students I teach to utilise the comma because there are enough people effectually who call up it is mandatory (and few who remember information technology is outright wrong) that it is safer to utilise it when writing for people who notice such things.

  William Dunlap, Hamden, USA

• Unfortunately for William Dunlap's otherwise first-class reply, none of the commas in his Ayn Rand example is either a serial, a Harvard or an Oxford comma. In it, "mother, Ayn Rand, and God" are not a listing of iii in whatever case: "Ayn Rand" is a clarification of "mother" and the two commas are parenthetical. Writing the words without either of them would merely be wrong.

  Cameron King-Black, Glasgow, Scotland

• Cameron Male monarch-Black'southward note merely reinforces my bespeak. In the phrase 'To my female parent, Ayn Rand, and God,' the 2d comma is a serial comma, if and simply if Ayn Rand is not my mother so that there are 3 separate persons in the list. But anyone who uses a series comma there is creating the ambiguity of which I complain. Information technology can just as easily be read as Cameron reads it - i of a pair of commas of apposition or description, so as to mean that Ayn Rand is my female parent. If it is a list of iii, leaving out the serial comma avoids the ambivalence altogether. But as Dave Zilch observed, in other configurations, it is leaving out the series comma that creates the ambiguity.

  William Dunlap, Hamden, CT, USA

• Oxford, Harvard, or, grammatically, the serial comma is mandatory in US english language; merely in U.k. english information technology is optional. But I am strongly in favour of using it as information technology is quite useful in fugitive ambiguity.

  Monika Koli, New Delhi Republic of india

• When did this 'dominion' first appear? I have seen various books from 19th C or before which regularly include the comma later on 'and' in a list.

  Michael Wolff, Reading

• Information technology is perfectly fine to use a comma before and: as seen in, "the dog barked, and the cat ran abroad." Though it makes more sense to use a colon, or semicolon in these cases. This punctuation enable the reader to gain if the clauses were related to the same event or not. "the dog barked: the cat ran away." Means that the cat ran from the canis familiaris's barking. "the domestic dog barked; the cat ran away." Can mean that something else caused both the domestic dog to bark and the cat to run. However, to place a comma after and is not considered grammatically correct.

  Oliver Smith, Dorridge

• Information technology's actually funny to see a few guys such as Dave Null, William Dunlap, Cameron Male monarch-Black, Monika Koli, Michael Wolff and Oliver Smith showing off all their knowledge... without answering the question AT ALL! The question was: Is it grammatically correct to place a comma AFTER "and"? ... Cheers to the ones who actually answered it.

  Mathieu, Ålborg Denmark

• G'forenoon! Punctuation was invented to clarify the pregnant of text. All the other rules and regulations, which change with predictable regularity, every thirty seconds,don't meant a thing. I am an award-winning author of 9 novels, and I write what will read best and make sense with (horrors) no allegiance to the Chicago Manual of Fashion or any other grammatical bible. Recently, I wrote in a novel (non due out this year), '... all he could practice was love her through information technology and pray that it would be enough, while she waited for the mercies of time to lead her to acceptance, and, delight God, to a measure of forgetfulness.'

  Jesse Leigh Brackstone, Bralorne, Canada

• First of all, the original question was whether it's correct to put a comma Subsequently "and," while all the answers seem to be discussing commas that go before an "and." I'd demand to run into a sample judgement before I could offering any opinions almost commas after "and"s. Second, using the serial comma - a comma before "and" or "or" in a series of 3 or more than items (a, b, and c) - is a affair of style. In the USA, it'due south usually chosen the Oxford comma and is mandated by the Chicago Manual of Fashion and several other fashion manuals or guides used in academic and volume publishing. The Associated Press (AP) Manual of Fashion and Usage, which is the style followed by most newspapers, many newsletters and many websites, is a less-formal style that doesn't employ the serial comma (a, b and c) UNLESS one of the elements in the list is a compound (a, b and c, and d), although a lot of newspaper copy editors and proofreaders don't seem to remember that these days. A lot of AP style elements came into being to save space; non using serial commas does merely that - save infinite. People who don't use the serial comma wouldn't have any problem understanding "Dedicated to my parents, Ayn Rand and God" or "... ex-wives, Kris Kristofferson and Robert Duvall." If I had seen either phrase earlier information technology was published, though, I'd accept suggested a rewrite.

  Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, Rochester, NY United states

• I must acknowledge that it does make me laugh to encounter people arguing over points like this. The fact that Michael Wolff pointed out in his postal service only proves that it is a very subjective issue. The comma later and is a very hot question. Some say it is no longer to be used, only some say information technology is. Seeing equally the human race invented the language, you call up we would agree. Every land has its own laws just as information technology has its own rules on punctuation. Just because we don't hold doesn't mean nosotros are automatically right.

  Steven Daws, Canterbury Kent

• And Mathieu, you don't miss a chance to show some infamous Danish smart(donkey)ness...

  Ra, London Great britain

• Almost entertaining. I wonder if such conumdrums exist in other languages? As for the overall topic of punctuation and grammer is anyone else irritated more so by the wrong use of the apostrophe? Or "could of" instead of "could take". Such fun...

  Ella, Reading United Kingdom

• This question is easily answered. Simply expect at the sentence in question and decide whether or not the judgement would still menstruum without the middle department. That is, the improver information between the commas. For instance, removing the heart office of the next sentence every bit written would not work with a comma before the "and". "I am heading to the station, and if neccessary, will I'll call you." This is not good as information technology would become, "I am heading to station I'll call yous." And so it would be ameliorate written every bit "I am heading to the station and, if necessary, I'll will phone call yous. However, this next sentence would require a comma before the "and". I'm taking a shower to clean up, and feel refreshed, before heading out.

  JDG, Osaka Nippon

• Before "and", y'all hateful, and yeah, even in a simple list it should be used in order to avoid confusion. For example: "They're inviting the strippers, JFK and Stalin." "They're inviting the strippers, JFK, and Stalin." See the difference?

  Brandon, Manchester, England

• Hilariously, "grammaticaly" (within your question) is not a word, notwithstanding that seems to have been disregarded completely.

  Sven, Brighton, United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland

• It seems Uk and America are ii countries separated by a comma.

  Victor Saumarez, Lahaina Hawaii

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Source: https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-58104,00.html

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