CHAPTER II.ELEMENTARY RULES OF USAGE 2.In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction,use a comma after each term except the last Thus write, red.white.and blue honest,energetic,but headstrong He opened the letter,read it and made a note of its contents. This is also the usage of the Government Printing Office and of the Oxford University Press. In the names of business firms the last comma is omitted,as Brown,Shipley and Company The abbreviation etc.,even if only a single term comes before it,is always preceded by a comma. 3.Enclose parenthetic expressions between commas The best way to see a country,unless you are pressed for time,is to travel on foot. This rule is difficult to apply;it is frequently hard to decide whether a single word, such as however,or a brief phrase,is or is not parenthetic.If the interruption to the flow of the sentence is but slight,the writer may safely omit the commas.But whether the interruption be slight or considerable,he must never omit one comma and leave the other.Such punctuation as Marjorie's husband,Colonel Nelson paid us a visit yesterday My brother you will be pleased to hear,is now in perfect health. is indefensible4 CHAPTER II. ELEMENTARY RULES OF USAGE 2. In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last Thus write, red, white, and blue honest, energetic, but headstrong He opened the letter, read it and made a note of its contents. This is also the usage of the Government Printing Office and of the Oxford University Press. In the names of business firms the last comma is omitted, as Brown, Shipley and Company The abbreviation etc., even if only a single term comes before it, is always preceded by a comma. 3. Enclose parenthetic expressions between commas The best way to see a country, unless you are pressed for time, is to travel on foot. This rule is difficult to apply; it is frequently hard to decide whether a single word, such as however, or a brief phrase, is or is not parenthetic. If the interruption to the flow of the sentence is but slight, the writer may safely omit the commas. But whether the interruption be slight or considerable, he must never omit one comma and leave the other. Such punctuation as Marjorie’s husband, Colonel Nelson paid us a visit yesterday. My brother you will be pleased to hear, is now in perfect health. is indefensible