The Oxford Comma Debate 2
Last Modified: 19/11/2016
The use of the Oxford comma is optional and depends on whether it will help avoid confusion.
- 1The argument over the Oxford comma has raised such strong passions over the years...
- 2...that a sort of truce has been reached.
- 3The common wisdom is that its use is optional,...
- 4...and depends on whether it will help to avoid confusion.
- 5For one thing, you're supposed to keep your use or avoidance of the Oxford comma...
- 6...consistent throughout a whole piece of writing.
- 7So, using it only where necessary is not an option.
- 8And the very idea of a grammatical rule being optional is a bit odd.
- 9Imagine that you hadn't messed up the party planning and read the next day that...
- 10...everyone had a great time: ninjas, pirates, vikings, old and young.
- 11If the Oxford comma were standard, you would notice it missing...
- 12...and conclude that old and young must describe the awesome guests already listed.
- 13But as things stand, you will always wonder...
- 14...whether it means that a bunch of regular, boring kids and old people showed up as well.
- 15Ultimately, the serial comma may be useful or annoying,...
- 16...but your opinion on it, as for many optional things,...
- 17...probably has something to do with whichever style you were raised on
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