Reader’s question: Do you need a comma before etc. in a list?
Answer: I think you only need a comma before etc. in a list if its omission might give rise to ambiguity.
I used to use the word etc. quite a bit (without a comma before it), but I have become increasingly aware that many people dislike this little word. They feel it is a lazy word for ‘I can’t think of anything else to include’.
Such critics think it is better to use:
for example, a, b and c
such as a, b and c
Since I am now trying to banish etc. from my vocabulary, I will no longer care about whether or not it is preceded by a comma.
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