1. When the last word in the series precedes only a single word, the comma should be omitted; as, “A refined, thoughtful, warm-hearted, pure-souled Englishman.”
2. When two words or expressions are connected by or, the latter explaining the former, the explanatory word or expression should be separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma or commas; as, “The love of variety, or curiosity of seeing new things, which is the same, or at least a sister passion to it, seems woven into the frame of every son and daughter of Adam.”—Sterne.
Rule XV. Phrases and Clauses.—Phrases and clauses, either with or without conjunctions, having a mutual relation to some other word in the sentence, should be separated from each other and from what follows by commas.
EXAMPLES.
“Purity of style, and an easy flow of numbers, are common to all Addison’s Latin poems.”—Macaulay.
“The unbought grace of life, the chief defense of nations, the nurse of manly sentiment and heroic enterprise, is gone.”—Burke.
“The little that is known, and the circumstance that little is known, must be considered as honorable to him.”—Macaulay.
“Books that you can carry to the fire, and hold readily in your hand, are the most useful after all.”—Dr. Johnson.
REMARKS.