Why it is vitally necessary to prevent the extinction of the final serial comma
From Bruce Baugh via Patrick Nielson Hayden via Brad DeLong, here is a photo caption from a story about Merle Haggard:
Yours for logical punctuation,
Jeff Weintraub
The documentary was filmed over three years. Among those interviewed were his two ex-wives, Kris Kristofferson and Robert Duvall.Were Merle & Kris & Robert ever actually married? Somehow, I doubt it. My guess is that the passage in question should have read:
Among those interviewed were his two ex-wives, Kris Kristofferson, and Robert Duvall.Can anyone think of a good reason to leave out that last comma in a series? I can't. In fact, the practice has always irritated me. It belongs in the historical dustbin of English usage.
Yours for logical punctuation,
Jeff Weintraub
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXkG0TB3zOCNtuYyUTAm1sWLcmJ94aH9wJBjNpVNz252xdb5-HSlhnQ8n_HSpGGwfBEX4L8sh_dbHE147KSgCrdOWc3RjK8OupQZlartIQRGY8rOQB5pcEmk78bawfYMaiP62xbQ/s400/Merle+Haggard.jpg)
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