UNDER RULE III.—OF MORE THAN TWO WORDS.
"John, James and Thomas are here: that is, John and James, &c."—Cooper's Plain and Practical Grammar, p. 153.
[FORMULE.—Not proper, because no comma is here used after James, or after Thomas, or again after John, in the latter clause; the three nouns being supposed to be in the same construction, and all of them nominatives to the verb are. But, according to Rule 3d for the Comma, "When more than two words or terms are connected in the same construction, or in a joint dependence on some other term, by conjunctions expressed or understood, the comma should be inserted after every one of them but the last; and, if they are nominatives before a verb, the comma should follow the last also." Therefore, the comma should be inserted after each; thus, "John, James, and Thomas, are here: that is, John, and James, and Thomas, are here.">[463]
"Adverbs modify verbs adjectives and other adverbs."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 97. "To Nouns belong Person, Gender, Number and Case."—Id., Practical Lessons, p. 12. "Wheat, corn, rye, and oats are extensively cultivated."—Id., ib., p. 13. "In many, the definitions, rules and leading facts are prolix, inaccurate and confused."—Finch's Report on Gram., p. 3. "Most people consider it mysterious, difficult and useless."—Ib., p. 3. "His father and mother, and uncle reside at Rome."—Farnum's Gram., p. 11. "The relative pronouns are who, which and that."—Bullions, Practical Lessons, p. 29. "That is sometimes a demonstrative, sometimes a relative and sometimes a conjunction."—Id., ib., p. 33. "Our reputation, virtue, and happiness greatly depend on the choice of our companions."—Day's Gram., p. 92. "The spirit of true religion is social, kind and cheerful."—Felton's Gram., p. 81. "Do, be, have and will are sometimes principal verbs."—Ib., p. 26. "John and Thomas and Peter reside at Oxford."—Webster, Philos. Gram., p. 142; Improved Gram., p. 96. "The most innocent pleasures are the most rational, the most delightful and the most durable."—Id., ib., pp. 215 and 151. "Love, joy, peace and blessedness are reserved for the good."—Id., ib., 215 and 151. "The husband, wife and children, suffered extremely."—Murray's Gram., 4th Am. Ed., 8vo, p. 269. "The husband, wife, and children suffer extremely."—Sanborn's Analytical Gram., p. 268. "He, you, and I have our parts assigned us."—Ibid.
"He moaned, lamented, tugged and tried,
Repented, promised, wept and sighed."—Felton's Gr., p. 108.