Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 5 · column 2 of 6 · from the scan, no model involved
two elements in a senes, a comma is used before the conjunction.”
On the other hand, The New York Times’ Manual of Style and Usage goes the other way: “In general, do NOT use a comma before ’and’ in a series.” The Los Angeles Times has the same rule: “Use commas in a series but NOT before the conjunction.” So, too, The Associated Press: “Do NOT put a comma before the conjunction in a simple series.”
What, then, is the “correct usage” of the comma? Come close, if you are writing for publication, and I will whisper in your ear. The correct usage of the comma is whatever your editor tells you-is the correct usage of the comma. That is the long and short of it.
If you disagree with that proposition - that is, if you disagree stubbornly, adamantly and nastily - perhaps you would like to write for some other publication?
Let us talk common sense. We punctuate for two reasons only - for clarity, and for cadence. Why did I just put a comma after “clarity”? I put it there for cadence’ sake. I wanted to slow the sentence down. The comma provided a pause for emphasis and for separation. The punctuation would have been equally “correct” if I had written”...for two reasons only, for clarity and for cadence."
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