The Final Comma in a Series

The Final Comma in a Series

While some "authorities" say that the final comma is not needed when three or more items are in a series in a sentence, the fact is that the final comma should never be omitted.

Why? To omit that comma joins the last two items into a single item when, in fact, we want series separation (after all, the word "and" is a conjunction).

Incorrect Example
I ate an apple, an orange and a watermelon.
[The final comma after "orange" is missing.]

Correct Example
I ate an apple, an orange, and a watermelon.
[The final comma in the series follows "orange."]

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