How do I use wildcards to search for ", [any word] and" ?

[Guest]

I need the wildcard string that would basically search for any single word
preceded by specific formatting and followed by a specific additional word.

Specifically: I need to copyedit a 500 page manuscript where the author
doesn't use the serial comma. (In other words, she writes "dogs, cats and
mice" and we want "dogs, cats, and mice")

I tried to search for ", <*> and" thinking that the "<*>" would yield any
single word, but instead I'm still getting long strings of words.

I also tried ", <?{2,9}> and" but that yields similar results (a comma,
followed by a long string of words and even more commas, and finally the
"and")

This is so frustrating because I know there must be a way to do this!!!!

Furthermore, assuming there is a way to do this search, how would I then
replace a comma after the "mystery word"?

 

[Graham Mayor]

I agree with your author as to the use of the comma here, however it would
be simpler to search for the 'and'. ie
a wildcard search for > and
replace with >, and
You will have to step through the file to eliminate other 'ands'
and you need to put a space after both 'ands' to avoid finding and as the
part of a word.
See http://www.gmayor.com/replace_using_wildcards.htm

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[Greg Maxey]

Try:

Find: >(, <[a-z]@>) (and)
Replace with: \1, \2

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

Side note, alternate approach:

FYI, I just noticed that in Tools | Options, Spelling and Grammar panel, if
you click on Settings, "comma required before last list item" appears to be
a setting you can tell Word to check for when you run the grammar check.