Re: Proper use of commas in England?

[David Somers <dmps -at- EURONET -dot- NL>]

When I was at school in England I was taught to add the comma, but =
recently people have tended to drop it... it appears that schools are =
just not teaching people how to write properly; some people haven't =
heard of a colon or even a semicolon.

Oh, and when sending stuff over to England don't forget to also change =
those zees to zeds... that is one thing that's really guaranteed to =
upset people!


Regards,

David
(Originally from England, but now working in The Netherlands writing =
documentation in American English).

----------
From:   Katherine Pyle[SMTP:kathpyle -at- IX -dot- NETCOM -dot- COM]
Sent:   29 November 1995 21:04
To:     Multiple recipients of list TECHWR-L
Subject:        Proper use of commas in England?

This question is for anyone with a good knowledge of written English *as =
 it
is used  in  England*.

In the USA, it is currently acceptable to either include or omit a comma
just before the "and" at the end of a string of named items.  For =
example:

  A complete computer package includes a CPU, a keyboard, and a mouse.

  A complete computer package includes a CPU, a keyboard and a mouse.

I have been recently told (quite forcefully) that the final comma MUST =
BE
OMITTED  in documentation that is going to be used in England . . . that
such a comma is totally UNacceptable there.

Is this true, or do I just have someone trying to impose his personal
preference on me?

Katherine Pyle
Berkeley, California, USA