proper english

[godchick]

So any English majors can help me. When I was in school many many years ago, we were taught to put commas between three or more words or phrases except between the last two where we put the word and. Now I hear that is has been changed and the professional way is to also put a comma before the word and

Comments

[prosodic]

Commas have always been a struggle for me, but as I understand it, the old way is correct.

That's how I see it used, more often than not.

[godchick]

I like the old way, it looks better, but my brother is taking English(he's taking some business classes) at a community college in Bend and is frustrated that he has to learn grammar all over again the new way. If they have changed it, it is recent and nobody caught on yet. I don't think it matters. I'll still use the old way.

[godchick]

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_comma.html

[prosodic]

That's certainly a helpful guide. Looks like the old way is now passe. I never really focused much on grammar or punctuation in my English classes...we were more focused on the thought process involved in the writing.

[katzies]

Not an English major and I don't think we covered comma usage much in my English classes but I would say that the old way is correct. It looks better and that is how it's done in German.

[godchick]

If they have changed English rules, it's recent. I think the old way looks more correct, also.