The Oxford (or serial) comma is the final comma in a list of things. For example: Please bring me a pencil, eraser, and notebook. The Oxford comma comes right after eraser.

Where is the Oxford comma most used?

So what is the Oxford comma? Well, appropriately enough, the Oxford Dictionary has the answer. The proper definition of the Oxford comma is “a comma used after the penultimate item in a list of three or more items, before 'and' or 'or'.” For example: “Today I went to lunch with my roommates, Tom, and Molly.”

Is the Oxford comma used in British English?

Typically, in British English, we only use an Oxford comma when a list would be unclear without one, such as in the example sentence above. In American English, it is often standard to use an Oxford comma in lists.

Who still uses the Oxford comma?

AP Style writing requires the use of the Oxford Comma. Someone who would typically write in AP style is a newspaper reporter. The Oxford Comma is the final comma in a list of three or more things in a sentence, which goes before the “and” or “or” in a sentence.

Why Oxford commas are bad?

Relying on the Oxford comma for list-making may be clarifying, but it often interferes with good composition. Assuming the example phrase is humorous, the humor relies on the incongruity between thanking one's parents and thanking a pair of fictitious superheroes.

Grammar's great divide: The Oxford comma - TED-Ed

Why is the Oxford comma important?

The Oxford comma is the final comma before the conjunction (e.g., and, or) in a series. ... It's important to include Oxford commas in your writing because, in English, we also use what are called “commas of direct address” to separate what we're saying from the person/object we're addressing.

What is the difference between an Oxford comma and a regular comma?

What is the Difference Between an Oxford Comma and a Regular Comma? ... Technically, the Oxford comma is no different since it's still a comma. However, unlike the regular comma that holds grammatical significance, the use of an Oxford or serial comma is a stylistic choice.

Is Oxford comma used in Australia?

Australian and American English both use the Oxford comma like this, but they differ on when it is used: Typically, in Australian English, we only use an Oxford comma when a list would be unclear without one, such as in the example sentence above. In American English, it is standard to use an Oxford comma in all lists.

What is the last comma in a series called?

The Oxford (or serial) comma is the final comma in a list of things. For example: Please bring me a pencil, eraser, and notebook. The Oxford comma comes right after eraser.

Does the New York Times use the Oxford comma?

(In most cases, The Times stylebook discourages the serial comma, often called the Oxford comma because it was traditionally used by the Oxford University Press.) It appears the Maine Legislature has learned its lesson, at least.

Is the Oxford comma incorrect?

An Oxford, or serial, comma is the last comma in a list; it goes before the word "and." Technically, it's grammatically optional in American English. However, depending on the list you are writing out, omitting it can lead to some confusion.

Is there a comma before and UK?

Whether or not you put a comma before and depends on how you're using and. There's no single rule that applies to all situations. You usually put a comma before and when it's connecting two independent clauses. It's almost always optional to put a comma before and in a list.

Does Cambridge use Oxford comma?

The joke is based on the Oxford comma, also known as the serial comma, which is a well-established aspect of English punctuation. ... It is the comma placed before the last item in a list; it takes its name from Oxford University Press, where it is the house style.

When did the Oxford comma become a thing?

The Oxford comma has been attributed to Horace Hart, printer and controller of the Oxford University Press from 1893 to 1915, who wrote Hart's Rules for Compositors and Readers in 1905 as a style guide for the employees working at the press.

Does Chicago style use Oxford comma?

Chicago has a few rules about commas that are easy to overlook. The most important is that Chicago “strongly recommends” using a serial (or Oxford) comma for lists of three or more items.

What do three commas mean?

It is online slang, generally used to indicate a more emphasized trail-off, somewhat like a mixture between an ellipsis and comma, like you'd hear after saying "anyhow".

Does the Oxford comma apply to semicolons?

Because the list items contain commas, we want to use semicolons as “second-order commas”, a pretty standard but somewhat rare usage. ... Now, when the guy who was writing this section of the paper wrote it, he only used one semicolon, separating CFA and CCA.

When listing 3 things where do the commas go?

Commas should be used when three or more items in a series are listed. A comma should be placed between each of the three items (it is also acceptable to leave out the comma between the second-to-last item and the last item in the series). Items in the series may consist of a word, clause, or phrase.

Who hates the Oxford comma?

2. The Comma. Gertrude Stein had no use for the Oxford comma, or any kind of comma at all; in fact, she found the use of them “degrading.” In her Lectures in America, she said, “Commas are servile and they have no life of their own …

Does Australia use the serial comma?

The simple answer is that in Australia and New Zealand, we don't routinely make use of the serial comma. That means you definitely don't put it before every 'and' in a list of more than two items. In fact, we only use it when it is necessary for clarity or to avoid confusion.

What style guides use Oxford comma?

Certain style guides require you to use the Oxford Comma, like the Oxford Style Manual, Chicago Manual of Style, and the MLA Style Manual. So if you're writing for editors who conform to one of these styles guides, you'll want to include the Oxford Comma.

Does AP style use the Oxford comma?

The AP Stylebook — the guiding stylebook for many news outlets, including The Daily Tar Heel — advises against using the Oxford comma in most simple series.

Do Lawyers use the Oxford comma?

Lawyers should use the Oxford comma to help avoid ambiguity. Three ambiguities may arise without this comma: Whether the two final items in a list are one combined element or separate.

Can you start a sentence with but or and?

It's perfectly acceptable to begin a sentence with "And," as well as the other words that we are often taught to avoid such as "but" or "or." Writing samples tracing back to the 9th century, including Bible translations, break these "sacred" rules, which stem from attempts to curb school children from stringing too ...

Does the comma go before or after but?

Often, a coordinating conjunction will connect two independent clauses — like the word "but." But — and it's a big but — your middle school teacher may have told you to always throw a comma before "but." Don't do that! You should only put a comma before "but" when connecting two independent clauses.