Which sentence demonstrates correct comma usage in a series?

Which sentence demonstrates correct comma usage in a series?

• A. We bought apples, oranges and bananas.
• B. We bought apples, oranges, and bananas.
• C. We bought apples oranges, and bananas.
• D. We bought apples bananas and oranges.

Answer: (B)

Using a comma to separate items in a list of three or more is standard, and many styles also use a serial comma before the final conjunction to clearly separate the last two items. The sentence with apples, oranges, and bananas shows this pattern: a comma after apples, a comma after oranges, and the conjunction before bananas. This keeps each item distinct and avoids ambiguity about where one item ends and the next begins. The other options miss one or more of these boundaries—some omit the comma after oranges, others omit the comma between earlier items—so the list isn’t as clear.

Using a comma to separate items in a list of three or more is standard, and many styles also use a serial comma before the final conjunction to clearly separate the last two items. The sentence with apples, oranges, and bananas shows this pattern: a comma after apples, a comma after oranges, and the conjunction before bananas. This keeps each item distinct and avoids ambiguity about where one item ends and the next begins. The other options miss one or more of these boundaries—some omit the comma after oranges, others omit the comma between earlier items—so the list isn’t as clear.