No discussion of competing style guides would be complete without considering the Oxford (or serial) comma debate. Exactly why this quirk of comma usage stirs such passion is hard to say, but this may have something to do with it: The Associated Press (AP) Stylebook doesn’t ban the Oxford...
the mark is also known as the series comma (a term more common in US English), the serial comma, the Oxford comma, or the Harvard comma: the last two names are used probably because its use is recommended by the Oxford University Press and...
As AP Stylebook lead editor Paula Froke told a roomful of colleagues this spring, “The stylebook doesn’t ban the use of a serial comma. Whether you put it in at all times is a different debate.” That’s hardly a hard-and-fast declaration, but the Oxford comma is divisive, as anyon...
If you ever want to rile up a room full of writers, copyeditors and grammar enthusiasts, just ask about whether they prefer the Oxford comma. You’ll receive a range of answers when you start a debate about the good old Oxford Comma. Some insist that it shouldalwaysbe used, no matter ...
There’s this little thing in the grammar world called an Oxford comma. Basically, it is the comma placed before the conjunction in a series of words in a sentence. And yes, it’s totally confusing and the cause of much debate. Let me try to break it down for you. Here are two ...
However, there is some debate over whether or not to include a comma before the final “and” in the list. This is known as the Oxford comma, and while it is not always necessary, it can help to avoid confusion in certain situations. Using commas correctly can greatly improve the ...
We hope our guide has settled the Oxford comma debate once and for all. However, if you’d like a punctuation expert to check your writing for misplaced or missing commas, our proofreaders can help. Why not send us afree sampletoday and see how we can help you refine your writing?
The debate about language as being ‘good’ or ‘bad’ permeates many areas of modern life. While highbrow linguists battle furiously over the Oxford comma, a teenage school pupil is rebuked by her teacher for stating that she ‘literally died’ because she saw a member of McFly in her loc...
The debate rages on regarding inclusion of the Oxford, or serial, comma. Our GrammarBook.com Rule 1 of Commas recommends, "To avoid confusion, use commas to separate words and word groups with a series of three or more." We would like to share the below
But the resolution means there will be no ruling from the land’s highest courts on whether the Oxford comma—the often-skipped second comma in a series like “A, B, and C”—is an unnecessary nuisance or a sacred defender of clarity, as its fans and detractors endlessly debate. (In mo...