Warding off ambiguity perhaps, Bill, and perhaps also as a way of 
distinguishing the conjunctions that join sentences from those that join words or 
phrases?
It is not just fiction writers who omit the comma on occasion, as someone has 
pointed out, but what has struck me in my studies is how often all kinds of 
writers put a PERIOD in front of the conjunction.   It seems to depend upon 
what effect they want.

Ed Schuster


**************
Start the year off right.  Easy ways to stay in 
shape.
     http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489

To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
and select "Join or leave the list"

Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/