The Oxford comma has been in the center of the debate amongst language experts for quite a long time. Is it useful? Is it necessary? Should we use it? Haven’t we got enough punctuation rules already? Can’t we just do without it? And to make things even a little bit more interesting, not everybody knows what the Oxford comma is and how it should be used.
Understanding the Oxford Comma
The Oxford comma is the comma that precedes the conjunction “and” or “or” before the final item in a list of three or more items. For instance:
“This poem is dedicated to Beth, Anna, and Rosemary.”
“This recipe takes: sugar, eggs, and flour.”
It is so called because it has traditionally been used by editors and printers at Oxford University Press although this convention is also followed by Harvard University Press. All throughout the United States, this mark is better known as the serial comma.
The Oxford comma helps to clarify the meaning intended of a sentence when it is placed before conjunctions in a series of words, especially when you are dealing with complicated lists. For instance, the use of the Oxford comma is advisable in this case:
“I would like to thank my parents, Barack Obama, and Oprah Winfrey.” If you omit the comma before the “and” people may think that Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey are your parents!
Besides, it matches the natural speech pattern of pausing before the last item in a series and, therefore, makes a list easier to comprehend.
When Should It Be Used?
Most editors and publishers agree on the fact that the most important thing to remember regarding the usage of this quotation mark is that you should be consistent. In other words: if you start using it, always do. Consistency is the key.
