comma before 'and'/'or' [serial comma]: a flashlight, a bottle, and a

[Escritor1968]

Hi again.
I have a doubt. Can I use comma in a list of three or more before ¨and¨ or ¨or¨?

example:

The pilot took with him a flashlight, a bottle, and a pencil for the trip.
The pilot took with him a flashlight, a bottle, and a pencil

In a list of three or more, will the comma will be always before the or or and?

Thank you

 

[rhitagawr]

The comma before the and is optional. Can you give an example of a sentence with or?

 

[Escritor1968]

The plane was flying without clouds, winds, or birds.

 

[JustKate]

This is a very common topic of discussion, both here on the WR forum and elsewhere, and I'm going to tell you right now that it could go either way. Here are a few of the threads in which this has been discussed:
Comma and And - featuring the Harvard/Oxford comma.
Not Oxford comma..?
The Oxford comma

You can find more yourself by searching the forum for "Oxford comma" (also sometimes called the "serial comma").

 

[rhitagawr]

Again, I'd say the comma was optional. I'm not saying the references suggested by JustKate will agree with me.

 

[JustKate]

I agree that the comma is optional. However, I don't want Escritor to get the idea that it is easy to find a consensus on this issue because it isn't easy at all, which is why I provided the links to other threads.

 

[Escritor1968]

Okay, thank you to both. I will follow the links. This thing of the commas is not easy.

Greetings!!!!

 

[JustKate]

It actually is easy because the comma can be used or not used as needed. It is genuinely optional. Whether or not to use the comma is a style issue, not an issue of "This is correct and this other thing is incorrect."

The problem is that there are people (and if you're taking a class, one of those people might be your instructor, or if you're writing something for work, one of those people might be your boss or whoever reads what you wrote) who believe that there is a rule - that the comma must be used or, alternatively, that it should not be used.

There are sentences where the comma helps in comprehension, but in the majority, it doesn't matter a bit. I will say that it's very seldom incorrect to use the comma. Someone might then say "That's not necessary," but he will find it very difficult to say "That's wrong."

 

[Escritor1968]

Thank you very much JustKate.
Have a nice day

 

[rhitagawr]

I agree that the comma is optional. However, I don't want Escritor to get the idea that it is easy to find a consensus on this issue because it isn't easy at all, which is why I provided the links to other threads.

I agree. I'd put one in myself because there would be a pause for breath in speech. But it's not wrong to omit it.