If you write for a living or are a bit of a grammar geek, you probably have an opinion on the Oxford comma. It’s one of those things that you either love or hate.
On the other hand, if you’re not a writer, chances are you won’t know what on earth I’m talking about.
If so, it’s your lucky day! I’m going to tell you all about it.
Also known as the serial comma, the Oxford comma is just a comma placed in a list of three or more items, after the penultimate item and before the ‘and’.
For example, “I went to the shop and bought milk, bread, butter, and cheese.”
The problem with the Oxford comma is that in many cases (like the example above) it’s completely unnecessary if you just have a straightforward list.
“I went to the shop and bought milk, bread, butter and cheese,” is the simpler (and – in my opinion – correct) way to write that sentence.
Nevertheless, a few style guides (mainly US-based, such as the Chicago Manual of Style and the US Government Printing Office Style Manual) insist that the Oxford comma is used in all lists.
Most commonly-used style guides (like The Times, The Economist, the New York Times and Associated Press) caution against it. Ironically, the Oxford University Style Guide agrees with them.
The Oxford comma has nothing to do with Oxford University itself. It doesn’t denote an elite level of grammar usage.
According to Wikipedia, it was attributed to Horace Hart, who ran the Oxford University Press from 1893 to 1915 and wrote a style guide for its employees which mandated the use of a serial comma. However, it didn’t acquire the ‘Oxford’ name until the 1970s.
The Oxford comma can be extremely useful when not using it would create confusion.
For example: “I’d particularly like to thank my parents, Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair,” could raise a few eyebrows in a speech, but adding a comma after ‘Thatcher’ would make it clear that the person is in fact thanking the two ex-prime ministers and his or her parents.
The BBC made a similar blunder (since corrected) when it captioned a picture of the christening of Princess Charlotte with: “Seated at the front, left to right: William, Prince George, Catherine holding her daughter and the Queen.”
The Oxford comma can also add clarity to a list including more than one ‘and’. For example: “My favourite breakfast includes cereal, bacon and eggs, and toast,” or, “I gave them a choice of chilli con carne, fish and chips, and lasagne.”
Anyone responsible for writing contracts will understand that’s it’s vitally important to make sure that nothing can be interpreted in an unintended way.
Oakhurst Dairy in Maine, USA, fell foul of the law in 2017 when its drivers won a legal dispute based on the lack of clarity in the following clause of their contracts, which outlines activities that are not eligible for overtime payment:
“The canning, processing, preserving, freezing, drying, marketing, storing, packing for shipment or distribution of agricultural produce; meat and fish products; and perishable foods.”
The circuit judge noted that the lack of a comma after ‘packing for shipment’ and before ‘or distribution’ meant that the drivers, who do not pack but DO distribute those items, could claim that their work was liable for overtime payment.
So there you have it. The Oxford comma. Nothing to do with being clever; everything to do with being clear.
Could you do with more clarity in your communications? Get in touch to find out how I could help.
