As many of you already know, I'm in the process of learning, learning, learning and just checking punctuation rules I found what it seems a good learning source, check this out: A Functional Guide to Some Problems of English Punctuation. http://www.engelsk.au.dk/en/studies/exams/guides/punctuation After reading this guide, I found other useful resources in the left side bar, as I realized this is a service provided by a University in Denmark. At a University level, teaching for high standards is a must but if you please, I would like to hear native American and native British opinion on these guides so I can undertand both differences and reliability. Thanks in advance
Hmmm. Took a look at that page. I would NEVER use a comma before the word and They say that's correct, maybe it is. Few people in the world speak or write English 100% correctly. But the sentence at the bottom of that page (for me anyway) should have read: I've spoken to Derby and Joan, Fred, Freda, Paul and Sandra. Not the way they said it. But hey, they are University professors right?
That's my point, people who wrote and authorized the publishing of such guides must be professors but, what kind of them? Native-English professors? Danish professors with an English degree? Non-native English professors, regarless where they come from? I agree, however, that there is not such thing as "perfection" in any language, not even your mother tongue, but going for "closer to" is good
yes its a reliable source same with university journals. its sites like wiki and ones that dont name sources that are not always reliable.
I've spoken to Derby and Joan, Fred, Freda, Paul, and Sandra. That is the correct way. Anytime your listing names/anything you must put a comma before the and. If it is only two things like "Jake and Ben" you don't.
Thanks for your input Ex-Deus When I began to read the guide it noticed it was well structured, but the University's location scared me a bit :O By the way, that of the ending comma is what led me to find further information because I was reviewing a directory description listing a series of items that reads this way:
In our language some things are a matter of style, such as deciding if starting a sentence with "And" is proper or not. Most contemporary writers (AP style too) would use a comma in a series of 4 or more OR a complex series. For instance: . . . John, Susan and Steve. . . . John, Susan, Betty, and Steve. . . . playing with their toys, laughing at funny jokes, and basking in the sunshine. Also, you need to understand that there's "University writing" and "real-word writing. And never shall the two meet. The best advice I can give you is to read material in your field. For instance, let's say you want to write for the medical field. Don't worry what some University says (or even us). Find the better writers in the field and read their stuff. Don't have a field? No problem. Pick out the best publications and read them. For instance, I'd read the NY Times for starters. Then pick some areas you're interested in and find a couple top magazines in that field and have at it.
“A Functional Guide to Some Problems of English Punctuation†That just sounds like crap “a functional guide to some problems†Yeah, Danish to English in missing something.
Another missing thing in that guide is the lack of a professor's profile to check his credentials or CV, but like Market Juction said, alll way it's better find writers in a specific niche than try to stick University's guidelines. Last night I was reading a lot and there is an ocean of difference!