The Oxford comma is one of the most debated concepts in the English language, even for those who do not know what it is. Commas in general are not my strong point, mostly because my grasp of grammar is instinctive rather than rule-oriented. I have gotten much better over the years, but I still rely on grammar checkers and proofreaders to detect when I’m using them incorrectly. The Oxford comma, however, is one of those things that is usually cut and dried. Either you use it or you do not, though there is some middle ground that will determine whether it is best to use it. It is not my intention to get into a dry discussion or prove it should be used or not used, but I thought it would be interesting to define it, offer up a few pros and cons, and explain my opinion. (Those paying attention who know what an Oxford comma is should already have a clue about my opinion!)

The comma itself, according to Wikipedia, is attributed to Aldus Manutius, who was a 15th century printer. He used the mark we now identify as a comma to separate words. The word “comma” itself comes from the Greek “κόμμα” which means to cut off. The Oxford comma itself is attributed to Horace Hart, who was the controller and printer at Oxford University in the early 1900s. In 1905 he created a style guide for the employees that mandated the use of the comma, but it was called a serial comma until the 1970s when it became generally known as the Oxford comma.

The Oxford comma is simple and easy to spot. When you have a list of related items in a sentence, the Oxford comma is the last one in the series and usually comes before the word “and.” For example, this is an example of the use of the Oxford comma:

• I like cherries, grapes, bananas(,) and apples.

The comma inside the parenthesis is the Oxford comma, also called the serial comma, or at times the Harvard comma. As with many such usages, the use of the comma can depend (though not entirely) on where you are. In England, the use or omission of the comma is allowed, while in the US, the comma is more common, and by some style guides, mandatory. Generally the use or omission of the comma is dependent on the location, whether including or omitting it will introduce ambiguity, and whether the omission is desirable because of space limitations, such as on a pamphlet or other such documents.

Let’s look at a few examples. There are times when the exclusion of the comma creates ambiguity. From Wikipedia:

• To my parents, Ayn Rand and God.

If left without the Oxford comma, this sentence suggests that the parents are Ayn Rand and God. I do not know about Ayn Rand, but to claim God as your physical parent is quite a claim! If you add the comma, it removes all ambiguity and thanks all three as separate. To my parents, Ayn Rand, and God.

On the other hand, from the same Wikipedia article we can see that the inclusion of a serial comma can also introduce ambiguity.

• To my mother, Ayn Rand, and God.

In reading that, it is unclear whether the sentence dedicates to the mother (Ayn Rand) and God (two people), or to the mother, to Ayn Rand, and to God (three distinct people.)

There are also instances when the inclusion or omission of the comma does not resolve the confusion.

• I had dinner with Clarissa, my friend, and my neighbor.

In this instance are you having dinner Clarissa, who is a friend, or Clarissa, another unnamed friend, and another person who is your neighbor? If you remove the Oxford comma and say:

• I had dinner with Clarissa, my friend and my neighbor.

Are you now saying that Clarissa is your friend and neighbor? In this instance, the only way to achieve clarity is to spell it out.

• I had dinner with Clarissa, who is my friend and neighbor.

There are just about as many exceptions or ways to demonstrated the use or lack of the comma as there are sentences in the English language. Does your head hurt yet? That’s English for you!

As you may already apprehend (or if you have noticed in my books) I generally use the Oxford comma, though there are specific times when I do not use it, such as the examples above where it can introduce ambiguity. I am a Canadian, and in Canada we use many of the conventions and spellings used in England. However, as the majority of my audience is in the United States, I have made a conscious decision to use the US spelling and conventions wherever possible. At the end of the day, the use of the Oxford comma is partly a stylistic choice, but also one that has clearly defined instances where its use or inclusion is preferred for sake of clarity. Thus, I generally err on the side of clarity.

Commas in general can be tricky, but sometimes they are required. Remember:

Not an oxford comma, but my favorite comma joke!

Page sourced for this article:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_comma