The Oxford comma holds the distinction of being one of the most controversial grammar rules in English. This short punctuation mark, often referred to as the serial comma, has been vigorously defended – or rejected – by grammarians over the years. Get a comprehensive guide on Oxford Comma so that you can form your own opinion on its usage.
Grammarly editor Brittany Ross once said, “Oxford commas are like the Ugg boots of the world of punctuation marks. People either love them or hate them or don’t know what they are.” So to clear the doubts of many people and to put it simply, Oxford comma is a comma.
How to use Oxford Comma?
The Oxford comma is inserted before a coordinating conjunction in a group of three or more objects. It can be used as a final comma separating groups of items in both “and” and “or” lists. It helps to differentiate between the items on the list, especially the last two, and helps to organize these items. Here are some examples of how to use the Oxford comma for you to know how it works.
Example 1. He loved to read books, draw pictures and take his dog for a walk.
Example 2. When going on a trip, we need to make sure that we pack, make the bed and turn off the lights before we leave.
Example 3. Peter, Paul, Jane and Anna are all going to the meeting today.
Can we omit the oxford comma?
Oxford’s use of the comma is stylistic, meaning that some style guides demand its use while others do not. Many claim that the removal of the Oxford comma can confuse a reader, while those urging its removal claim that even a sentence without the Oxford comma can be understood if written differently.
Here is an example explaining a sentence with and without a comma.
Sentence: I love my parents, Lady Gaga and Humpty Dumpty.
Oxford Without the comma, the above sentence could be interpreted as saying that you love your parents, and your parents are Lady Gaga and Humpty Dumpty.
Here’s the same sentence with an Oxford comma:
There is almost as much controversy about the creation of the Oxford comma as its use. It is easy to understand why the Oxford comma is named this way. In his 1978 Informal History of Oxford University Press, Peter Sutcliffe coined the phrase. It is not clear what the initial invention was. Sutcliffe credits F for creating the Oxford comma. 1912 Author of the Authors and Printers Dictionary, Howard Collins. Collins, in turn, acknowledges Herbert Spencer as a source of information.
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