MSGID: 1:153/716.0 691a6f04   
   REPLY: 2:5023/24.4222 66823708   
   CHRS: IBMPC 2   
   Hi, Gleb!  Recently you wrote in a message to Alexander Koryagin:   
      
   [WRT the "Oxford" or "Harvard" comma]:   
    AH>> It's a matter of style, not an absolute requirement, and   
    AH>> some people recommend using it only when it's needed to   
    AH>> avoid confusion:   
    AH>> Through the window I saw John, a basketball player and a   
    AH>> friend of mine.   
    AK>> Are there three of them? ;-)   
   GH>  Now that I'm reading it I indeed see 3 different persons.   
      
             Exactly my point... I can't be sure because I don't know the author.   
      
             If I were making introductions I might say "I'd like you to meet   
   John, a basketball player (or a chemistry student or whatever else might   
   interest you) and a neighbour of ours."  This way you have some idea what the   
   two of you might have in common.  But if others use punctuation a bit too   
   sparingly I have little evidence as to whether this person is simply offering   
   further detail about John.   
      
      
    AK> If we have a good list (of names, for instance) we would have:   
    AK> Through the window I saw John, Peter and Paul, who staggered out   
    AK> from the pub.   
      
   GH> Does "who" indicate all of them, or just Paul?   
      
             Beats me.  I'd suggest asking Alexander, as you did... [chuckle].   
      
      
   GH> ... End of message, Alexander. Confused? Me too! :-)   
      
             Uh-huh.  So why not bother with an added comma which might help?    
   :-))   
      
      
      
      
   --- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+   
    * Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)   
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