Re: Comma, Comma, Comma (Should we or Shouldn't we)

[Loren Castro <lfc -at- SOL -dot- CHINALAKE -dot- NAVY -dot- MIL>]

> Here's another one for the English Experts:

> Which sentence is correct, relative to the comma:

> The Tech Writer was bright, articulate, knowledgeable,
> and computer literate.

>                         or

> The Tech Writer was bright, articulate, knowledgeable
> and computer literate.

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The world is divided on whether to use the final comma.  Technically
oriented publications tend to use the final comma.  More generally
oriented publications tend not to.  My opinion is that it is not a
sentence unless the final comma is used.  The _Government Printing
Office Style Manual_, _The Elements of Style_, _Write Right!_, and
_Bugs in Writing_ (to name a few); common sense; and courtesy to our
readers all demand that we use the final comma.  Thus, "The Tech Writer
was bright, articulate, knowledgeable, and computer literate." is
correct.

To belabor the point, not using the final comma in technical writing is
indefensible.
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> BUT ... shouldn't computer literate be computer-literate?

----------------------------------------------------------
No.  As used, the term "computer literate" is not a compound modifier
and is not hyphenated.

lfc -at- sol -dot- chinalake -dot- navy -dot- mil