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View Full Version : Fox: Ron Paul Testing Presidential Waters



sailingaway
04-14-2011, 12:15 PM
http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2011/04/14/ron-paul-testing-presidential-waters
Legend1104
04-14-2011, 08:47 PM
Paul will be busy with trips to college campuses in New Hampshire, Mississippi and Florida as well as a media blitz to promote his new book, due out April 19th.

What is up with this new trend to leave off the last comma from items in a series? You are always supposed to include it. Why has it changed? It just looks wrong.
rp08orbust
04-14-2011, 08:58 PM
What is up with this new trend to leave off the last comma from items in a series? You are always supposed to include it. Why has it changed? It just looks wrong.

I've always understood the comma in question to be optional.
sailingaway
04-14-2011, 09:01 PM
I've always understood the comma in question to be optional.

So sayeth Strunk and White, and who am I to question Strunk and White?
Agorism
04-14-2011, 09:03 PM
Teaching from Strunk and White as a substitute for diagramming has become the lazy man's way to half ass teach English. It's the same reason why all the students are bad at ACT English since they don't teach English anymore.
Monotaur
04-14-2011, 09:04 PM
I've always understood the comma in question to be optional.

I prefer it when they are not included as the 'and' implies the last comma. To me, it looks strange to include it.

But that's just me.
low preference guy
04-14-2011, 09:05 PM
I prefer it when they are not included as the 'and' implies the last comma. To me, it looks strange to include it.

But that's just me.

Either way is fine for me.
Roxi
04-14-2011, 09:06 PM
What is up with this new trend to leave off the last comma from items in a series? You are always supposed to include it. Why has it changed? It just looks wrong.


+rep (am I allowed to do that?) :D... I agree completely!
rp08orbust
04-14-2011, 09:10 PM
Teaching from Strunk and White as a substitute for diagramming has become the lazy man's way to half ass teach English. It's the same reason why all the students are bad at ACT English since they don't teach English anymore.

As an adverb, I think it should be, "...to half-assedly teach English."
IDefendThePlatform
04-14-2011, 09:13 PM
Best. Thread. Ever.
acptulsa
04-14-2011, 09:20 PM
Best. Thread. Ever.

:rolleyes: Been using that comma or not depending on the individual sentence since forever. Some places I like it for emphasis; other places I omit it for flow.

Where were we? Faux just woke up, did they?

'In the meantime, Rep. Paul will be busy with trips to college campuses...'

Um, are we afraid to mention that he's about to pwn your golden boys in a debate in South Carolina?
rp08orbust
04-14-2011, 09:26 PM
It's the same reason why all the students are bad at ACT English since they don't teach English anymore.

While we're at it, the above sentence has problems as well, namely, a triple redundancy: 'reason', 'why' and 'since' all imply that you're explaining why students are bad at ACT English, but only one of them is needed. Any of the following would be preferable:

It's the same reason all the students are bad at ACT English: They don't teach English anymore.
It's why all the students are bad at ACT English: They don't teach English anymore.
All the students are bad at ACT English since they don't teach English anymore.
specsaregood
04-14-2011, 09:34 PM
What is up with this new trend to leave off the last comma from items in a series? You are always supposed to include it. Why has it changed? It just looks wrong.

I am a serial abuser of the comma and even I wouldn't put one there; it would look wrong. Also, my understanding is that it is optional.
Lothario
04-14-2011, 09:42 PM
In the English language, the last comma in a series is always grammatically optional; both are equally correct. Why not throw a semicolon in there, right?
FreedomProsperityPeace
04-14-2011, 11:16 PM
Grammer Rodeo!

YEEEEHAW!!!
qwerty
04-14-2011, 11:56 PM
Check my signature and change yours! :)
Dave Aiello
04-15-2011, 01:02 AM
ahhhh the "Oxford Comma!" Always sparks a heated debate lol
raiha
04-15-2011, 01:16 AM
Grammer Rodeo!

YEEEEHAW!!!

AND spelling...;)
Grammar
FreedomProsperityPeace
04-15-2011, 04:56 AM
and spelling...;)
grammarDON'T TELL ME!!!x:D
Chieppa1
04-15-2011, 05:58 AM
I love this by the way. What other candidate for president has devote supporters that go off on a grammar rant that 90% of America doesn't know notice, or know what a ACT test is.
teacherone
04-15-2011, 06:16 AM
While we're at it, the above sentence has problems as well, namely, a triple redundancy: 'reason', 'why' and 'since' all imply that you're explaining why students are bad at ACT English, but only one of them is needed. Any of the following would be preferable:

It's the same reason all the students are bad at ACT English: They don't teach English anymore.
It's why all the students are bad at ACT English: They don't teach English anymore.
All the students are bad at ACT English since they don't teach English anymore.


The last sounds like Konglish (that's Korean English for those in the know).
pacelli
04-15-2011, 06:19 AM
Nice to see that the most important part of a fox news article is debating the use of punctuation. We've come so far since 2007!
angelatc
04-15-2011, 06:48 AM
What is up with this new trend to leave off the last comma from items in a series? You are always supposed to include it. Why has it changed? It just looks wrong.

No, the one before the "and" is optional. Most media outlets have style guides that dictate their own individual rules about such minutiae.
Matt Collins
04-15-2011, 02:41 PM
Thread = epic fail