Once we’ve mastered the basics of writing: capital letters, full stops, finger spaces etc., the comma comes naturally. It is our chance to take a little breath while continuing with the same thought. It is a way of making lots of short choppy sentences into a longer flowing sequence. Some people throw them in too often, choosing the punctuation they know best rather than flirting with the mysteriousness of a semi colon, an en dash or any other scary punctuation that they’re really not sure how to use correctly. The comma is a safe bet. Until, that is, we look at lists. Then the simple comma can become a more complex beast, thanks to the Oxford comma (aka the serial comma).
Typically people fall into either the ‘I always use it’ category or the ‘I never use it’ group. But there is also a group of smarty-pants who use it only when it is necessary to avoid ambiguity. I grew up in the UK where we don’t use it (despite its name). I was taught that an ‘and’ at the end tells us that have arrived at the last point in a list of any sort and I was perfectly happy with this explanation. However, my feelings about the Oxford comma have switched dramatically in the last few years. I have now embraced it and have come to realise how useful it can be. It really does remove all confusion. In the simplest of examples, I could say that my favourite ice cream flavours are strawberry, hokey pokey (a kiwi speciality), and mint choc chip. Three separate flavours. Whereas without the Oxford comma I would be saying that my favourite flavours are strawberry, hokey pokey and mint choc chip. Which could be two flavours: 1. strawberry 2. hokey pokey and mint choc chip. But it could also be three – ambiguous isn’t it? However, if the list items are perfectly clear ‘milk, chocolate and washing powder’ then there’s no need for the Oxford comma as the last two items are completely separate.
The Oxford comma is not used in the UK, it is only used to avoid ambiguity in New Zealand, Australia and Canada, but it is widely used in the US. The Chicago Manual of Style (CMoS), the Modern Language Association (MLA), the Publication Manual of the American Psychology Association (APA) and, not surprisingly, the New Oxford Style Manual all require the Oxford comma. However the Associated Press Style (AP) doesn’t; this is mainly because newspapers are so conscious of their character count, that the comma is the first thing to disappear.
Some people will remain staunch advocates of the Oxford comma, whilst some will be completely opposed to it, and some of us will flirt with it when it’s necessary. What’s your stance on the Oxford comma? Love it or leave it?
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