The oxford comma (i.e., serial comma)

What is the Oxford comma and why should I care? The Oxford comma, also known as the serial comma, or the Harvard comma, is the final comma in a list of things. In the sentence below, the Oxford comma comes after the word ‘paper’.
  • Please bring me a pencil, paper, and scissors.

Do I need to use the Oxford Comma (i.e., serial comma)?

Some grammar guides insist on the use of Oxford comma while others do not. Which guide is correct? The AP Style Guide does not require the use of the Oxford comma. According to the AP Style Guide, one would write the sentence above as:
  • Please bring me a pencil, paper and scissors.
Whether or not you use the Oxford comma is up to you unless you’re writing a paper for school and your teacher insists that you use the Oxford comma. One should be aware that omitting the Oxford comma may cause ambiguity in certain cases.
  • I detest my sisters, Madonna and Britney Spears.
Without the Oxford comma, the sentence above could be interpreted as stating that you don't like your sisters, and your sisters are Madonna and Britney Spears. What a horrible family that would be! Here’s the same sentence with the Oxford comma:
  • I detest my sisters, Madonna, and Britney Spears.
Now it is clear, you don’t like your sisters, and you don’t like Madonna, and you don’t like Britney Spears. You are beginning to sound like a very negative person! It is important to state that many writers and editors differ on whether to use the serial comma. Those who oppose the use of the serial comma say that an unclear sentence should simply be rephrased. For example:
  • I detest Madonna, Britney Spears and my sisters.


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The need to use commas

One thing is certain, it is necessary to put a comma between the different items in a list. Let’s review the following sentences:
  • The school has a garden in which the students grow tobacco, tomatoes, cilantro, and green beans.
  • Saturday morning started with a hearty breakfast of beans, plantains, eggs, and coffee.
Everyone is in agreement that the items in these lists must be separated by a comma. The only disagreement concerns the final comma in these lists, placed before the word ‘and’. This comma is known as the Oxford Comma (i.e., serial comma). Not all writers use it, but using it can make your writing easier to comprehend. Let’s examine the following sentence:
  • My favorite sandwiches are bologna, turkey and spam and cheese.
It isn’t obvious from this sentence whether the writer is listing three or four of their favorite sandwich fillings: is ‘spam’ one of their favourites and ‘cheese’ another, or is it the combination of spam and cheese that they enjoy so much? Adding an Oxford comma makes the meaning obvious:
  • My favorite sandwiches are bologna, turkey, and spam and cheese.

Example sentences using the Oxford Comma (i.e., serial comma)

  • She took a photograph of her parents, the president, and the vice president.
  • This book is dedicated to my parents, Ayn Rand, and God.
  • My estate goes to my husband, son, daughter-in-law, and nephew.




Example sentences which should have use the Oxford Comma!

  • This award is dedicated to my home boys, Goof Ball and God.
  • A notorious gambler, he owed money to his ex-wives, Hulk Hogan and Jay Z.

Example sentences using the Oxford comma

  • Zinovieff shot over five hundred of the bourgeoisie at a stroke—nobles, professors, officers, journalists, men and women.
  • We had coffee, cheese and crackers, and grapes.

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The Serial Comma

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The Oxford comma

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The Serial Comma

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Example sentences using the Oxford comma

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