# Punctuation Question: Lists of Three or More **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 29, 2004, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punctuation-question-lists-of-three-or-more/252737 "2004-06-29T18:01:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punctuation-question-lists-of-three-or-more/252737/21 "2004-06-30T23:56:20Z")
I’ve been told that in legal documents in the US, the comma is necessary. If, for example, you leave a will for $6 million, to be divided equally between four people: Paul, Jan, Joan, and Bill will each get $1.5 million. But Paul, Jan, Joan and Bill wil get $2/$2/$1/$1 million. It was heresay information, though, and I’m prepared to be corrected. Personally, I vote for using the comma. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punctuation-question-lists-of-three-or-more/252737/22 "2004-07-01T00:16:45Z")
> [@Roches](#): > > One thing I don’t agree with is that you need to be consistent; I don’t think I’m always consistent with placing a comma after the penultimate item in a list, and I think, in some cases, both styles have a place. Provided that it’s clear that the last two items are separate, one can use a comma before ‘and’ to emphasize the last item, or ‘and’ without a comma to emphasize the last two. I think you should be consistent. That’s the whole point of stylebooks. If you start flip-flopping on how you punctuate certain things, you run the risk of confusing the reader. Inconsistent use of punctuation drives me _batty_–like reading a Middle English text before orthography was standardized. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punctuation-question-lists-of-three-or-more/252737/23 "2004-07-01T00:18:33Z")
What happens when you mix comma style rules with “major city so drop the state” style rules? This (from CBS MarketWatch): > [@](#): > > Beginning July 19, the “King of All Media” will be heard in Houston, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Austin, Texas; Fresno, Calif.; Rochester, N.Y.; and Orlando, Tampa and West Palm Beach, Fla. The AP had it very ugly when it first came out, using all commas in this sentence, but they fixed it to use semicolons, thus thwarting my plan to mock them: > [@](#): > > Stern said his program would air on stations in Houston; San Diego; Tampa, Fla.; Pittsburgh; Orlando, Fla.; Austin, Texas; West Palm Beach, Fla.; Rochester, N.Y.; and Fresno, Calif., all owned by Infinity Broadcasting. ---
**Author:** ![633squadron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/ee59a6/32.png) [@633squadron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/633squadron)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punctuation-question-lists-of-three-or-more/252737/24 "2004-07-01T05:03:40Z")
> [@Gadarene](#): > > So my question is: has “no comma between penultimate item and final item” become the standard? Or is it widely used but nevertheless still incorrect? As someone else noted, both styles of punctuation are acceptable. The one you found is the most commonly-known difference between the Associated Press Style Guide and the University of Chicago Style Guide (aka The Chicago Manual of Style). Since I’m a tech writer, I follow _Chicago_. Just the site of its bright orange cover brings a tear to my eye :rolleyes: If I was a journalist, and followed the _Chicago_ style, an editor would correct me. IMHO, this is nit-picking, but its what makes the writing world go 'round. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punctuation-question-lists-of-three-or-more/252737/25 "2004-07-01T11:30:35Z")
I’m a sub-editor, and I say no to the Oxford comma – unless leaving it out would cause ambiguity. (Ha, what a cop-out!) Where the listed items include commas, I’d use semicolons. So: I went to the grocer’s and bought apples, bananas, guavas and pears. We couldn’t be bothered to cook so we ordered pizza, Chinese, and fish and chips. [Although I would maybe opt to change the order to make it clearer] Britney’s tour took in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei; Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; and Tallahassee, Florida. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punctuation-question-lists-of-three-or-more/252737.md?page=1)