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Which sentence is correct?

Beloved, son, brother, father, and grandpa.

or

Beloved son, brother, father and grandpa.

Context: Our customer wants this phrase on a headstone. They have a comma after beloved and father. I didn't think a comma was appropriate after "beloved" and would be optional after father.

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    Which comma are you referring to? The first sentence has two commas that the second doesn't. Don't put a comma between "beloved" and "son", assuming it is describing a person who is/was a beloved son, and a beloved brother, etc.
    – nnnnnn
    Commented May 24, 2016 at 14:15
  • The comma before "and grandpa" is indeed not necessary, but you can use it if you want. It is called a "serial comma" or "series comma", and is used in a list of 3 or more items. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_comma In this particular example, it might be ambiguous, as we will then ask ourselves if grandpa is also beloved.
    – MorganFR
    Commented May 24, 2016 at 14:20
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    No comma between "beloved" and "son." It's your choice to put the last comma, serial/oxford comma, between "father" and grandpa." Also, if you are referring to your own relatives, capitalize "father," "son," "mother," "brother," and "grandpa." So it would be like this: Beloved Son, Brother, Father(,) and Grandpa.
    – Usernew
    Commented May 24, 2016 at 14:25
  • Our customer wants this phrase on a headstone. They have a comma after beloved and father. I didn't think a comma was appropriate after "beloved" and would be optional after father.
    – Atchison Granite
    Commented May 24, 2016 at 14:32
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    Then you are absolutely right. For such a formal occasion, you can also use only commas and omit the "and" for dramatic effect.
    – MorganFR
    Commented May 24, 2016 at 14:32

1 Answer 1

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Except if one of your relatives is called Beloved, no comma !

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7
  • You can use a serial comma though. I believe the OP's question is regarding the comma before "and grandpa" and the one after Beloved is just a typo.
    – MorganFR
    Commented May 24, 2016 at 14:21
  • Oh, I hadn't seen the comma after "father" in the first proposition ! You can indeed, since both "father and grandpa" and "father, and grandpa" present no ambiguity whatsoever.
    – Azami
    Commented May 24, 2016 at 14:28
  • It is slightly ambiguous actually. The comma could mean that they are all beloved, except grandpa: "I was gathered with my beloved father, son, and (not so beloved/with) grandpa.
    – MorganFR
    Commented May 24, 2016 at 14:31
  • I missed this one but you're right, there is a slight change in meaning with the Oxford comma, with Grandpa not being that beloved any more.
    – Azami
    Commented May 24, 2016 at 14:36
  • I see what you are saying Morgan. We should add the comma after "father". Also, just as a side note, on the headstone, all the letters are capital.
    – Atchison Granite
    Commented May 24, 2016 at 14:37

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