Commas in lists
Use commas to separate items in a list within a sentence (e.g., 'I bought apples, bananas, and oranges')
What a learner can do afterwards
- Write a sentence containing a list of 3+ items separated by commas: 'I bought apples, bananas, and oranges'
- Identify where commas should go in an unpunctuated list sentence
- Explain that commas separate items in a list so the reader knows each item
1 · Read
Commas mark boundaries between whole items in a list. An item may have several words. For lists of three or more items, our lesson uses a comma after every item except the last, including before the final 'and'. Some writers leave out that final comma. Questions will tell you when to include it.
To fix a list, find its whole items. 'We need forks knives and bowls.' becomes 'We need forks, knives, and bowls.' In our style, put one comma after each item except the last. Count those positions to count commas. Compare the needed positions with commas already there to find missing ones. Do not add a list comma before the list starts or just after 'and'.
Count list entries, not separate words or objects. In 'a wool hat, two warm socks, and boots', each group is one entry. Point to each whole group and count it once. An entry such as boots may name several objects. The number of entries does not tell you the total number of objects.
Two items joined by 'and' need no list comma: 'We brought jam and toast.' A list may start a sentence: 'Red, blue, and green are colours.' The list ends at green. Do not put a comma between that list and 'are colours'. The list is the subject, so no comma separates it from its verb.
When you add another item, check the old last item. It now needs a comma in our style. Move 'and' to the new last item. 'We saw ants, moths, and bees.' becomes 'We saw ants, moths, bees, and flies.' Keep the earlier commas.
Separate whole list items. In our style, include a comma before the final 'and', but no list comma after the last item.
These readings were written for this dataset.
More to read
Find each whole entry
Read this list: a toy boat, a striped towel, and sandals.
A toy boat is one entry. Keep its words together. The comma follows boat, not toy. The next entry is a striped towel, so its comma follows towel.
Sandals is the final entry. Do not add a list comma after it.
Count entries by pointing to each whole group once. Sandals may mean more than one object, but it is one entry in this list.
The comma before and
For two foods, write 'We brought bread and cheese.' No list comma is needed.
Add fruit and the list has three entries. Our lesson writes it as 'We brought bread, cheese, and fruit.' The comma before the last and is called a serial comma or an Oxford comma.
You may also read 'bread, cheese and fruit'. Some writers use that style. A question that asks for the serial comma wants you to include it.
In either style, do not add a list comma after the final entry.
2 · Watch
Take it off screen
Where it sits
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
24 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.