Simple and Complex Series

In this lesson, you will learn to

• Use commas to punctuate simple series
• Use semicolons to punctuate complex series whose items have internal commas
• Solve questions involving simple and complex series

This lesson discusses two kinds of series (or lists) that appear on the DSAT: simple series and complex series.

Questions involving simple series are typically easy—you just need to use commas correctly to separate the items within the series. Questions involving complex series are harder. In these questions, you will need to use a combination of semicolons and commas to mark the boundaries between items.

The first example sentence is incorrect because it doesn't use a comma to mark the boundary between the items "biology" and "computer science". The second example sentence is incorrect because it places an unnecessary comma after "and". Typically, there should not be a comma after "and" when making a series. (The only exception is when there is an interruption following "and".) The third example sentence correctly separates the items.

The comma after "vacations" is the Oxford comma. The DSAT always uses the Oxford comma, but you will never be directly tested on the use of Oxford commas on the DSAT. That's because the use of these commas is a matter of stylistic preference and not a "rule".