Oxford Comma
PROGRAM: “IN A WORD”
EPISODE: THE OXFORD COMMA
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
[FADE MUSIC]
I’m Candace Schaefer with “In a Word,” your weekly communication tip.
The Oxford comma, sometimes called the Harvard comma or the serial comma, can be a surprisingly contentious topic among writers. The Oxford comma is the comma that comes before the coordinating conjunction in a list of three or more things. (Or, more simply: it separates the last two items in a list). If you said, “I enjoy reading, writing, and listening,” a comma before the “and” would be an Oxford comma.
But is that comma necessary? A poll conducted by the website fivethirtyeight.com showed a narrow difference in opinion; 57 percent of people surveyed preferred lists that used an Oxford comma, while 43 percent found it unnecessary. Those who rated their grammar skills highly were more likely to prefer it.
Those in favor of using the Oxford comma believe it reduces the potential for ambiguity by clearly separating the individual items in a list. For example, consider a sentence like this: I rode on the parade float with my cousin, a retired police officer [,] and a famous circus clown. If you omit the comma before “and,” the reader may wonder if you rode on the float with just your cousin (who has a rather colorful employment history, having worked as both a cop and a clown) or if you rode with your cousin and two other people.
Those who don’t use the Oxford comma often consider it redundant because the conjunction (whether “and” or “or”) in the list makes it unnecessary. Additionally, they believe a sentence like the earlier example just needs a simple re-ordering of the elements to avoid ambiguity. They may suggest writing: "I rode on the parade float with a famous circus clown, a retired police officer [,] and my cousin."
Many academic style guides and publications call for using the Oxford comma in all lists of items or adjectives. For instance, the Modern Language Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Medical Association, and the Chicago Manual of Style all recommend using the Oxford comma.
On the other hand, many popular newspapers and magazines omit it. The Associated Press, The Economist, and the New York Times, for example, all forgo the comma.
Some writers, however, prefer to take a sentence-by-sentence approach. They use the comma if it reduces ambiguity and omit it when it seems unnecessary.
My advice? Follow your style guide, if you’re using one. If not, pick a side in the debate and stick to it.
After all, being a writer is about expressing your opinion—even when it comes to commas.
This has been “In a Word,” a program made possible by the Texas A&M University Writing Center and a production of KAMU FM on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station. For more writing and speaking tips, visit our website at writingcenter.tamu.edu. I’m Candace Schaefer, helping you make every word count.
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
EPISODE: THE OXFORD COMMA
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
[FADE MUSIC]
I’m Candace Schaefer with “In a Word,” your weekly communication tip.
The Oxford comma, sometimes called the Harvard comma or the serial comma, can be a surprisingly contentious topic among writers. The Oxford comma is the comma that comes before the coordinating conjunction in a list of three or more things. (Or, more simply: it separates the last two items in a list). If you said, “I enjoy reading, writing, and listening,” a comma before the “and” would be an Oxford comma.
But is that comma necessary? A poll conducted by the website fivethirtyeight.com showed a narrow difference in opinion; 57 percent of people surveyed preferred lists that used an Oxford comma, while 43 percent found it unnecessary. Those who rated their grammar skills highly were more likely to prefer it.
Those in favor of using the Oxford comma believe it reduces the potential for ambiguity by clearly separating the individual items in a list. For example, consider a sentence like this: I rode on the parade float with my cousin, a retired police officer [,] and a famous circus clown. If you omit the comma before “and,” the reader may wonder if you rode on the float with just your cousin (who has a rather colorful employment history, having worked as both a cop and a clown) or if you rode with your cousin and two other people.
Those who don’t use the Oxford comma often consider it redundant because the conjunction (whether “and” or “or”) in the list makes it unnecessary. Additionally, they believe a sentence like the earlier example just needs a simple re-ordering of the elements to avoid ambiguity. They may suggest writing: "I rode on the parade float with a famous circus clown, a retired police officer [,] and my cousin."
Many academic style guides and publications call for using the Oxford comma in all lists of items or adjectives. For instance, the Modern Language Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Medical Association, and the Chicago Manual of Style all recommend using the Oxford comma.
On the other hand, many popular newspapers and magazines omit it. The Associated Press, The Economist, and the New York Times, for example, all forgo the comma.
Some writers, however, prefer to take a sentence-by-sentence approach. They use the comma if it reduces ambiguity and omit it when it seems unnecessary.
My advice? Follow your style guide, if you’re using one. If not, pick a side in the debate and stick to it.
After all, being a writer is about expressing your opinion—even when it comes to commas.
This has been “In a Word,” a program made possible by the Texas A&M University Writing Center and a production of KAMU FM on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station. For more writing and speaking tips, visit our website at writingcenter.tamu.edu. I’m Candace Schaefer, helping you make every word count.
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]