Soo….
Ever had a friend who thinks their clever because they learnt about the Serial comma also known more famously as the Oxford comma.
Well, they aren’t sorry. Make sure you point it out.
Simply put – You don’t need it.
Put the pitchforks down grammar police and hear me out…
It is a very useful comma and helps to improve readability. That being said…You don’t need it.
Now, raise your hands, how many of you have used the Serial comma just to say “Well I use the Oxford comma, you really should too you know”, you smug little…. anyway.
For those of you who don’t know the Serial comma, also known as the Oxford or Harvard comma, is a grammar style choice that helps with breaking up text to be more easily readable. In it’s simplest explanation…
Putting a comma before the and in a list. For example:
“I wrote a letter my parents, David and Santa Claus.”…
Your parents are David and Santa Claus? Perhaps you meant…
“I wrote a letter to my parents, David, and Santa Claus.” This leads to four separate people, not 2 people being named.
While this maybe very useful in explaining yourself more clearly, you could also argue you’re being lazy by not simply rewording the sentence…
“I wrote a letter to Santa Claus, David and my parents.”…
In American English is can be a mandatory requirement depending on your region, as well as at some universities such as, you guessed it: Oxford and Harvard as a part of their referencing style guide.
It really doesn’t matter if you want to use it or not, however, if you do use it, like all good grammar, you must use it. You don’t spell some words in British English and others in American English, so don’t do it with grammar either. Consistency is what is key to good grammar…ignore mine…what?…
Anyway, that’s my venting done for another day.
What do you all think? Serial comma, yea or nah?
Despite my works I am quite fond of the serial comma…never seen a hypocrite before…anyway…
Anything else, Please Leave a Q.
