Embedded lists are lists of items included in the text of a sentence, e.g. Delores bought a hat, gloves, and a tamborine. Embedded lists are best used when only a few short items are listed, and the items listed do not call for visual emphasis.

When punctuating embedded lists, these rules apply:

• The listed items are capitalized only if the usual rules for capitalization require it.
• The items may be enumerated using numerals or lower case letters enclosed in parentheses; do not use periods after the numerals or letters.
• The items listed should be separated by using commas except in these situations:
  • The items listed consist of independent clauses, in which case the items should be separated by semicolons.
  • Commas appear within one or more of the items listed, in which case the items should be separated by semicolons.
• While the final comma in an embedded list is optional (as The spider consumed the fly, the mosquito, and the entire grasshopper.), including the comma most often increases clarity.