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> 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.
Although the latter is correct in common usage, the lack of a serial
comma implies a compound object. The former is the clearer of the
two.
I understand that this style (no serial comma) was popularized by the
Wall Street Journal so that they could squeeze more text into their
page. It has since been further popularized by People and other
magazines for the populace.
But I also understand that there was a case against Weyerhaeuser in
which the plaintiffs said that the terms of the contract, by omitting
the serial comma, had in effect promised a compound object as the
deliverable. The judge agreed and ruled against Weyerhaeuser.
