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Re: UK vs US English--difference in comma usage?

Subject: Re: UK vs US English--difference in comma usage?
From: susan larsson <slarsson -at- cnw -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 25 May 2001 03:47:38 -0700

On 06:15 AM 5/25/2001 -0400, Dick Margulis wrote the following:

I'm preparing a UK version of some sales collateral. Our corporate style
(established by yours truly) specifies that we always use a serial
comma. In reviewing proofs, our UK sales manager insists that in the UK,
"we never" use one.

Any UK folks want to comment? Is he correct, or is he just being a sales
manager? I don't have a UK-based style guide at hand.

not uk based, but the UK sales manager is correct - except for at oxford university press, which uses the serial comma - or oxford comma, as it is also known.

web search brought up this from your own archives:
http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/archives/9511/techwhirl-9511-01050.html

http://www.davevolek.com/using_commas.htm
British English leaves out the comma before the conjunction.

nice discussion here:
http://people.delphi.com/vlorbik/tenpage/commas.html
in which the ny times omits the comma, and fowlers (UK) includes it - just to muddy the waters.

but traditionally, UK english does not have a comma before the conjunction.

fwiw
susan
translators' site du jour: http://home.ncia.com/~slarsson/sitejour.html
swedish>english medicine * business * technology
mailto:slarsson -at- cnw -dot- com * mailto:s_larsson -at- post -dot- utfors -dot- se
phone/fax: +1 360 466 3304 cell phone: +1 360 202 9402
laconner washington usa * bokenäs uddevalla sweden

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