Hi Grammarian-bot,

The "serial" or "Oxford" comma is the one that goes after the last element in a list before the word "and." So in your examples above, John, Mike, and Chester have the serial/Oxford comma and the tall, slender and graceful does not.

There are people who will argue with passion that you should always have one (I'm actually one of them) and those who say that unless it is absoultely required for clarity, to leave it out whenever possible. There is no clear answer, and it is a matter of style, not grammar.

What is clear (to me, anyway) is that you must be consistent - either use it for all lists, both adjectives and nouns, or leave it out, but don't choose one method for one, and one for the other.

(p.s. -Your question should have been "Do the rules" not "Does the rules" because "rules" are plural and requires the plural form of the verb.)

Grammar Geek wrote:

The "serial" or "Oxford" comma is the one that goes after the last element in a list before the word "and." So in your examples above, John, Mike, and Chester have the serial/Oxford comma and the tall, slender and graceful does not.

It's the one after Mike.