Grammar Questions

[Shaggy]

Question:

"…cars, trees, and bullets…" or "…cars, trees and bullets…"

[Those were completely random examples.]

[Peter Ahlstrom]

The comma in the first part that's not in the second part is called the serial comma. Chicago recommends that you use it. Other style guides, like AP style, don't use it. There are good arguments on both sides.

[The Jade Knight]

I prefer the serial comma.

Go Chicago!

Having a degree in English (MPA), History (Chicago), and a minor in Linguistics (APA), I've been exposed to "the big three".  Out of all three, I prefer Chicago.

[Shaggy]

So, Jade, you're saying…yes second comma?

[Peter Ahlstrom]

I think there needs to be a style guide that focuses on fiction and the issues that come up in fiction. Applying any of the major style guides to fiction is kind of a stretch, and there are often things that are very hard to find in the style guide or just aren't covered.

Publishing companies have their own in-house style guides that tend to draw on Chicago, but a centralized authority would be nice.

[Shaggy]

That would mean a ton of work, though, probably.

[Peter Ahlstrom]

And it would save a ton of work.

[Shaggy]

Not necessarily for the people who are putting in the work, though.

[Peter Ahlstrom]

No, it would save them work in the future too, since they could use the style guide as a reference to look things up instead of having to think things through each time they hit a question.

I'm starting to think you're just posting quickly in all sorts of topics without thinking things through in order to increase your post count.

[Pink Bunkadoo]

I am a fan of the serial comma.

[Shaggy]

Um…not really. I legitimately disagree with you.

[Peter Ahlstrom]

Have you ever looked anything up in a style guide?

[maxonennis]

I always thought the second comma was correct. The only places I don’t see using the second comma is with company titles.

[Shaggy]

No. I'm a kid, Ookla. Not an adult like you. I have only the barest idea of what a style guide even is/looks like.

[Peter Ahlstrom]

Your sarcasm is not lost on me, but we may as well just leave it at that.