Comma usage in the following sentence

[Dominoes]

Hi there

I'm wondering if it is absolutely necessary to include a comma between "magazines" and "and".

"She wrote articles for newsletters, magazines and local and national newspapers."

I don't think it's necessary to include a comma, but I'm not the expert!

Thanks

[5jj]

It is necessary.

[Dominoes]

Thanks for your response. Why is it necessary? Isn't the meaning clear without including a comma? I thought a comma wasn't necessary if the meaning was clear. I know a comma is needed in the sentence below to avoid ambiguity, but I didn't think the sentence I wrote was ambiguous.

"Men, women, and children with medical certificates can apply." (only children need medical certificates)

[5jj]

Why is it necessary? Isn't the meaning clear without including a comma? I thought a comma wasn't necessary if the meaning was clear. I know a comma is needed in the sentence below to avoid ambiguity, but I didn't think the sentence I wrote was ambiguous.

"Men, women, and children with medical certificates can apply." (only children need medical certificates)

If there were no comma in your original sentence, people could read 'newsletters magazines' as one item.

Your second example, above, is ambiguous however you punctuate it. The only way to avoid potential ambiguity is to rephrase it completely:

Only people with medical cerificates can apply(, whether men, women or children).
Only children with medical certificates and adults can apply.

[Dominoes]

[QUOTE=5jj;862891]If there were no comma in your original sentence, people could read 'newsletters magazines' as one item.

Hi there

Thanks for your speedy reply.

I meant do I have to include a comma between the word "magazines" and the word "and". I know I need to include a comma between "newsletters" and "magazines"

Thanks

[alexdanny]

If there were no comma in your original sentence, people could read 'newsletters magazines' as one item.

But the question was whether or not there should be a comma between magazines and and, not between newsletters and magazines. Correct me if I'm wrong.

The sentence would then be:

She wrote articles for newsletters, magazines, and local and national newspapers.

Though this sounds a little awkward and you should rephrase it to:

She wrote articles for newsletters, magazines, as well as local and national newspapers.

Secondly, you cannot read newsletters magazines as a whole as the proper term would be newsletter magazines, wouldn't it?

[5jj]

But the question was whether or not there should be a comma between magazines and and, not between newsletters and magazines. Correct me if I'm wrong.

My apologies. I misread the original question.

She wrote articles for newsletters, magazines, and local and national newspapers.

Though this sounds a little awkward and you should rephrase it to:

She wrote articles for newsletters, magazines, as well as local and national newspapers.

The original sentence is fine. Yours would be better with 'and', and no comma, after 'newsletters'.

[Dominoes]

My apologies. I misread the original question. The original sentence is fine. Yours would be better with 'and', and no comma, after 'newsletters'.

No worries. Thanks for letting me know that the original sentence is fine. :)

alexdanny, thanks for your suggestion :)

[BobSmith]

See also Serial comma - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Dominoes]

Thanks for the link, Bob.