Why is the Oxford comma controversial?

This practice is controversial and is known as the serial comma or Oxford comma, because it is part of the house style of Oxford University Press." There are cases in which the use of the serial comma can avoid ambiguity and also instances in which its use can introduce ambiguity.

Are Oxford commas grammatically correct?

Contrary to what most students believe, the Oxford comma isn't grammatically correct. But that doesn't mean it's wrong to use it. Instead, it's grammatically optional.

Why did they get rid of the Oxford comma?

For example, the Oxford comma falls after “hat” in this sentence: “She wore a jacket, hat, and mittens.” While some writing style guides do not use the Oxford comma, supporters say it's necessary to avoid potential ambiguity. And if there's one thing writers can agree on, it's the importance of clarity.

What is the big deal about the Oxford comma?

The blue-blood punctuation mark, named after the Oxford University Press, acts as a social signifier, a sieve for the bookish and studious (and, perhaps, pretentious). It suggests personality traits that extend far beyond punctuation preferences. There are other ways of doing this in your Tinder profile, of course.

What is the comma controversy?

The relatively small-scale dispute gained international notoriety last year when the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit ruled that the missing comma created enough uncertainty to side with the drivers, granting those who love the Oxford comma a chance to run a victory lap across the internet.

Is the Oxford Comma Controversial? Not for Lawyers

How does a comma cost a million?

Rather than a missing comma, an unwanted comma in US Tariff Act of 1872 cost the US Government two million dollars (around $38.4 million in today's money). The issue arose because of a clause that exempted “fruit plants” from import tariffs. Or that was the intention, at least.

Does Cambridge use Oxford comma?

In its own text, the guide by Cambridge omits serial commas; Oxford's retains them. So for British English, use serial commas or omit them, but do so consistently. And if you go without, make sure to add a comma wherever its absence might create ambiguity.

What is the opposite of Oxford comma?

AP Style—the style guide that newspaper reporters adhere to—does not require the use of the Oxford comma. The sentence above written in AP style would look like this: Please bring me a pencil, eraser and notebook.

Is the Oxford comma dead?

It is more of a stylistic choice rather than following a universal rule of grammar, such as the rule that a noun and verb are required to make a complete sentence. Some style guides don't require the use of the Oxford Comma, but there are exceptions. AP Style writing requires the use of the Oxford Comma.

Does Grammarly use Oxford comma?

Brittney notes that Grammarly is pro-Oxford comma, in part because many long-timers (“the OG Grammarly users”) have voiced fondness for it. “It's really carried over into our blog, social media, emails,” even in settings where AP style might be more typical: “We've kept the Oxford comma just to keep things consistent.”

Is the Oxford comma used in Australia?

In Australia, most style guides recommend leaving out the Oxford comma. However, public service style guides, for example, allow them to be used where confusion could arise or where the items in the list are more complicated than simple one-word names. In other words, a fair amount of judgement is involved.

Why is it called Oxford comma?

The Oxford comma has been attributed to Horace Hart, printer and controller of the Oxford University Press from 1893 to 1915, who wrote Hart's Rules for Compositors and Readers in 1905 as a style guide for the employees working at the press. However, at that time, the comma was not called the Oxford comma.

Why do some people hate the Oxford comma?

Why don't they use it? Many opponents of the Oxford comma claim that it makes a piece of writing sound more pretentious and stuffy, and that it can make things seem cluttered and redundant. Many magazine publishers renounce its use as well, because sentences loaded with commas take up valuable page space.

Does Chicago style use Oxford commas?

Chicago has a few rules about commas that are easy to overlook. The most important is that Chicago “strongly recommends” using a serial (or Oxford) comma for lists of three or more items.

Does MLA use Oxford comma?

The Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), Chicago Manual of Style (CMS), and Oxford University Press all support the Oxford comma.

Is the Oxford comma the same as the Harvard comma?

The serial comma, also called the Oxford comma or Harvard comma, is the comma before the concluding conjunction (and, or) in a series. It appears after the second-last item in a list of three or more items in a sentence. Maya's favorite colors are green, blue , and black . The serial comma is the one before and.

Who uses Oxford comma?

In a sentence with a list of three or more items, the Oxford comma is the comma you place right before the coordinating conjunction and last item in the list. It is also known as a serial comma, a series comma, or a Harvard comma. The Oxford comma is considered optional by American English language grammarians.

Which style guides use Oxford comma?

Certain style guides require you to use the Oxford Comma, like the Oxford Style Manual, Chicago Manual of Style, and the MLA Style Manual. So if you're writing for editors who conform to one of these styles guides, you'll want to include the Oxford Comma.

Can you put a comma before and in a sentence?

It is grammatically correct to use a comma before "and" (and other coordinating conjunctions such as "but", "or", "nor") only when it splits two independent clauses (i.e. if you remove the "and" you will be left with two complete sentences), or if you're using it as an Oxford comma.

Why do legal documents not have punctuation?

It makes a document easier to read and can also convey meaning. The use in legal documents is usually only for the former so that the removal of the punctuation will not alter the meaning of the document.

Why Commas make a difference?

The absence or presence of a comma can change the entire meaning of a sentence. For example, there's a cannibalistic difference between “Let's eat grandma” and “Let's eat, grandma.” The same holds true for apostrophes, hyphens, colons, and other punctuation marks.

How many punctuation marks are in the English language?

What are the 14 Punctuation Marks in English? There are 14 punctuation marks that are used in the English language. They are: the period, question mark, exclamation point, comma, colon, semicolon, dash, hyphen, brackets, braces, parentheses, apostrophe, quotation mark, and ellipsis.

What is the Walken comma?

But remember Christopher Walken, who speaks… very… slowly. He pauses so much if he put a comma wherever he pauses, his sentence would look like this: “I, would like, (pausing to think) more, cowbells.”

Should I use Oxford comma UK?

British and American English both use the Oxford comma like this, but they differ on when it is used: Typically, in British English, we only use an Oxford comma when a list would be unclear without one, such as in the example sentence above. In American English, it is often standard to use an Oxford comma in lists.

Should Dr have a full stop Australia?

The difference here is that Australian English does not place a full stop after a title when it ends with the same letter as the full version (e.g. 'Mr', 'Mrs' or 'Dr'), whereas American English does: Australian English: Mr and Mrs Douglas walked home. American English: Mr.