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Saying an English sentence with a listing or sequence of several terms, there will always be a comma in between each term and it will end with an "and" before the last term.

My question is, should there be a comma before the "and" as well? That is, is this correct:

I have this, this, this, and this.

or is this correct:

I have this, this, this and this.

I have seen the first version with an ending comma often. This is very different from my native language (Danish, where the second sentence structure would always without exceptions be the only correct one.) Thus I am would like to have made clear what the grammatical rules are and if it must or can be included.

I am quite sure that there should be no comma before "and" in a sentence of just two terms, like:

I have this and this.

So, how is the correct use and rule of the last term in a sequence of several (more than two) terms in a sentence?

Steeven
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    The comma (when it's there) is called the "Oxford comma" and whether it should be used is the most pointless debate in the history of English orthography. Do whatever you want; if your publisher doesn't like it, she'll change it, and there's no reason you should care. – StoneyB on hiatus Jun 20 '15 at 20:47
  • @StoneyB Hehe, thank you for that comment. It seems to me that the English language does not have grammatically strict rules like my native Danish. I have never before had to read arguments for or against a way of notation; I have always had a strict rule to follow. – Steeven Jun 20 '15 at 20:54
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    Oh, we have lots of rules, but nobody agrees what they are. If you're a Real Writer you make your own rules. If you're not a Real Writer you probably don't know the rules, so the effect is much the same. – StoneyB on hiatus Jun 20 '15 at 21:00
  • @EdwinAshworth *Danish. I guess so - I would for sure vote in favour. – Steeven Jun 20 '15 at 23:01
  • See, we're hopeless. I was trying to think of a pun involving bacon or butter. I'll try again (and delete the even-more-non-PC version).
    What happens if a Danish writer breaks a grammatically strict rule? Are they exiled to England?     – Edwin Ashworth Jun 20 '15 at 23:13
  • @EdwinAshworth And I will repeat: I guess so - I would for sure vote in favour. Don't you challenge Jante. – Steeven Jun 20 '15 at 23:25
  • You'll be delighted to know that the University of Oxford Public Affairs Directorate Writing and Style Guide recommends against the indiscriminate use of the Oxford comma. – Edwin Ashworth Jun 20 '15 at 23:44
  • I will define my own rule then, and stick to it. And I appreciate the worth of such a lenghty title; meanwhile, in Denmark our writing is defined by the slightly less lengthly Dansk Sprognævn... – Steeven Jun 21 '15 at 00:15

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