posted November 28, 2013 02:58 PM            

quote:

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A panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and proceeds to fire it at the other patrons.

"Why?" asks the confused, surviving waiter amidst the carnage, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.

"Well, I'm a panda," he says. "Look it up."

The waiter turns to the relevant entry in the manual and, sure enough, finds an explanation. "Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves."

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posted November 30, 2013 08:15 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Randall:
Although, there should be a comma before the last entry in a series.

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posted December 01, 2013 06:49 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Randall:
It was the person in the article who missed the rule, not you.

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posted December 01, 2013 10:29 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Randall:
Eats, shoots, and leaves.

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posted December 02, 2013 03:04 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Randall:
Yep! It's a very common error.

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When speaking of a normal Panda;
not the crazy shooter one;

Eats shoots and leaves.
Eats shoots & leaves.

posted December 02, 2013 08:06 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Randall:
Yes, if an ampersand is used it's not. But the original quoted one is the one with "and."

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posted December 04, 2013 08:39 PM            

Here are a few more examples as to why perfect punctuation is very important.
In Lexigramming, punctuation is even more vital, due to the limits of found words with which one has available to craft sentences.

Note the drastic differences in meaning betwixt these two lines:

A woman, without her man, is nothing.

A woman: without her, man is nothing.

Another great example of the exact same wordings having drastically different meanings due to variances in the punctuation.

Dear Jack,
I want a man who knows what love is all
about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful.
People who are not like you admit to being
useless and inferior. You have ruined me for
other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings
whatsoever when we're apart. I can be
forever happy-will you let me be yours?
Jill

Dear Jack,
I want a man who knows what love is. All
about you are generous, kind, thoughtful
people, who are not like you. Admit to being
useless and inferior. You have ruined me. For
other men I yearn! For you I have no feelings
whatsoever. When we're apart I can be
forever happy. Will you let me be?
Yours,
Jill

posted December 05, 2013 04:27 PM            

DID YOU KNOW?

The AP Stylebook was first published in 1953 and is considered the standard newspaper style guide in the US. It is typically updated each year to reflect current trends.

To Use or Not to Use: AP Style or Serial Comma

Use the type of comma consistently

The serial comma is a comma placed before the final conjunction in a list or series. Whether you choose to write with the serial comma or without it, it's important to choose your style and stick with it throughout your writing. Consistency allows the reader to know what to expect and better understand what you are writing.
Remove the serial comma to save space

The AP Stylebook is always looking to save room. The book opts out of using the serial comma, stating that it is unneeded and a waste of space. It's just one character; however, when you're talking about space in the entire newspaper, characters can add up fast.

Use serial commas to eliminate ambiguity

A serial comma can eliminate ambiguity by breaking up a list of items. When placed correctly, it allows the reader to identify each item as a separate entity. For example, "I bought the cookies for my children, Joe and Julie." Without the use of the serial comma, the reader is unclear. Did the author mean the cookies are for her children, as well as for Joe and Julie, meaning three separate entities? Or did the author mean that the cookies are for her children, whose names are Joe and Julie? You can't tell without the serial comma. With the serial comma, it becomes clear. "I bought the cookies for my children, Joe, and Julie." This makes it known to the reader that the children get the cookies, along with Joe and Julie.

Confuse serial, Oxford, and Harvard commas

The serial comma, the Oxford comma, and the Harvard comma are all the same thing. The serial comma has come to be known as both the Oxford and Harvard comma, as both the Oxford University Press and the Harvard University Press use the serial comma. It is sometimes known as the series comma as well.

Use a serial comma when following AP style

The general rule with the AP Stylebook is not to use the serial comma. There are times when it is allowed, however, in order to ensure proper comprehension. When your list is a complex series of phrases, AP does recommend placing a serial comma before the final conjunction in the sentence.

Use an ampersand with a serial comma

The ampersand is a symbol used to replace the word "and." Although it is not used much in text, it is common in company names, heading titles, and advertisements. If you do run into an ampersand and are using a style guide that opts for the serial comma, this is one case where you would not use the serial comma. The two punctuation marks do not go together, and the ampersand provides enough separation that the serial comma is not really needed.

posted December 05, 2013 04:53 PM            

Hi, Grammar Girl. This is Patti from Houston...

Patti and her friends are debating about the serial comma—the comma that comes before the final conjunction in a list. Here's a sentence that uses a serial comma: According to the website Box Office Mojo, the top-grossing movies of all time in the United States are currently Avatar, Titanic, and The Dark Knight.

Whether to use the serial comma is a style issue, which is why Patti and her friends ended up in a debate.
Do You Always Have to Use Serial Commas?

Although the British are less likely to use serial commas than Americans (1, 2), primarily it's newspapers that allow writers to omit that final comma (1, 3). Newspapers are always looking to save space, and one argument for leaving the comma out is that it's unnecessary in simple sentences. Consider this sentence: When you look at worldwide sales, the top-grossing movies of all time are currently Avatar, Titanic and Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

The podcast edition of this article was sponsored by Audible. Get a free audiobook to keep when you sign up for a free 14-day trial at AudiblePodcast.com/gg.

I didn't use a serial comma in that sentence, and there wasn't any confusion. That's the main argument against using the comma in every case—leaving it out often doesn't change anything.

The serial comma is also sometimes called the Oxford comma because it's used by Oxford University Press or the Harvard comma because it's used by Harvard University Press, but I find these names misleading because so many other publications also use the serial comma.
Using Serial Commas Adds Consistency

Although the serial comma isn't always necessary, I favor it because often it does add clarity, and I believe in having a simple, consistent style, instead of trying to decide whether you need something on a case-by-case basis. I also think using the serial comma makes even simple lists easier to read. Really, unless space is incredibly expensive, I can't imagine why anyone would decide the best method is sometimes leave it out and sometimes add it in.*
Always Use Serial Commas to Prevent Confusion

The one thing everyone does seem to agree about is that you have to use the comma when leaving it out would create confusion, as is often the case when the items in the list could have internal conjunctions or are complex in some other way (1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8). Here’s a sentence that could mean different things with and without the final comma: Rebecca was proud of her new muffin recipes: blueberry, peanut butter and chocolate chip and coconut.

Without a serial comma, you can’t be sure whether the last recipe is a combination of peanut butter and chocolate chip or a combination of chocolate chip and coconut. You can make the meaning clear in two ways: place the final comma after peanut butter or after chocolate chip, or rewrite the sentence so that there is no ambiguity.

If you want to say that the combination is peanut butter and chocolate chip, you can write blueberry, peanut butter and chocolate chip, and coconut, or if you insist on leaving out the serial comma, you can rewrite the list as peanut butter and chocolate chip, coconut and blueberry. But I still think the rewrite is more risky than the sentence with the serial comma because a reader who's just skimming the sentence could be tempted to think that coconut and blueberry is a combination.

Another case where leaving the comma out can be confusing is when the later items in the list can describe an earlier item. An oft-cited example is the made-up book dedication To my parents, Ayn Rand and God. A reasonable reader would assume there are four entities being thanked: mom, dad, Ayn Rand, and God; but without the serial comma you could also conclude that the two parents are Ayn Rand and God. A serial comma clears up any confusion: To my parents, Ayn Rand, and God.

The Bottom Line on Serial Commas

Finally, there are similar sentences where even a serial comma doesn't make the meaning clear. Consider this sentence: I went to see Zack, an officer and a gentleman.

Without the serial comma—I went to see Zack, an officer and a gentleman—it could mean that Zack is both an officer and a gentleman, or that I went to see three people: Zack, an unnamed officer, and an unnamed gentleman.

With the serial comma—I went to see Zack, an officer, and a gentleman—it could still mean two different things. It could mean I went to see three people (Zack, an unnamed officer, and an unnamed gentleman), or it could mean I went to see two people (Zack, who is an officer, and an unnamed gentleman).

So, the bottom line is that using the serial comma is a style choice. Most publications except newspapers favor using it all the time, as do I, and all publications call for a serial comma when leaving it out could cause confusion. And sometimes sorting out your meaning is just too much for one little comma and the best option is to rewrite your sentence.

* I am aware that the final preposition could be left off the end of this sentence without changing the meaning. I considered leaving it off, but decided to write it this way because the timing is better when it is read aloud.
- See more at: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/serial-comma?page=1#sthash.OlqgHQDD.dpuf
- See more at: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/serial-comma#sthash.QeslunLt.dpuf