Using Commas in Lists

When there are two items in a list, there is no need to separate the list items with a comma.

• Bread and cheese
• London and New York

The last item in a list is usually preceded by a conjunction. The two most commonly seen in lists are and and or. (The conjunction and features in both examples above.)

When there are more than two items, the situation gets more complicated. Generally speaking, in the UK, writers tend not put a comma before the conjunction. In the US, however, writers tend to use a comma.

This delineation between UK and US is very general — there are plenty of organisations in both countries that do not adhere to this.

The Oxford Comma

When a comma is used before the conjunction in a list, it is known as an Oxford Comma. Some people (mostly but not exclusively Brits) consider the Oxford Comma to be a waste of ink, while others (mostly but not exclusively Americans) strongly campaign for its inclusion. There really is no rule. You should follow whatever convention your company follows. If you don't have a company convention, then copy the convention used in a decent national newspaper. If you're free to make your own mind up, then pick a convention and be consistent. (That is the golden rule.)

• Bread, milk and cheese ( or those who don't use the Oxford Comma)
• Bread, milk, and cheese ( or those who do use the Oxford Comma)
• London, Paris and New York ( or those who don't use the Oxford Comma)
• London, Paris and New York ( or those who do use the Oxford Comma)

Followers of the Oxford Comma (generally Americans)	Avoiders of the Oxford Comma (generally Brits)
I visited New York and London. (There is no need for a comma with just two list items.) I visited New York, Paris, and London. I visited New York, Paris and London.	I visited New York and London. (There is no need for a comma with just two list items.) I visited New York, Paris, and London. I visited New York, Paris and London.

There is another consideration. Sometimes, it is appropriate to break whatever convention you're following for the sake of clarity — even in a list with just two list items. Examples:

• The news will be shown after Dangermouse, and Rug Rats.
(Without the comma, people could think that Dangermouse and Rug Rats is one programme.)


• The train will stop at Harrow, Pinner, Watford, and Bushey.
(Watford and Bushey could be one place, like Bath and Wells.)


• The emblem is an amalgamation of the British and Irish flags, the Stars and Stripes, and the Hammer and Sickle.
(The word and appears lots of times in this example. The comma before
the and makes it easier for the reader to identify the last list item.)

Using Lots of Adjectives (Enumeration of Adjectives)

Often in creative writing, there is a need to use several adjectives (describing words – see lesson Adjectives). The rules about using commas in a list of adjectives are far more relaxed. For example:

For TWO adjectives:

• vast, inhospitable moor (with a comma)
• vast and inhospitable moor (with and)
• vast inhospitable moor (with nothing)

For THREE or more adjectives:

• vast, inhospitable, windy moor (commas between)
• vast, inhospitable and windy moor
  (comma(s) between and then and )
(With this style, follow your convention; i.e., put a comma before and if you advocate the Oxford Comma.)
• vast inhospitable windy moor (nothing between)
• vast inhospitable and windy moor (nothing and then and)

In short, you cannot go wrong with two adjectives and using three is rare. (Lining up adjectives in a row is called enumeration of adjectives.)