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Jun 15, 2017 · Perhaps no mark of punctuation ruffles feathers more than the serial comma (also called series comma, Oxford comma, and Harvard comma). This comma precedes the final item in a list or series, before the word and or or. With the exception of newspapers, most publications use the serial comma, because it helps writers avoid ambiguity.
Jul 15, 2021 · Oxford Comma Explained: How to Use the Oxford Comma. Written by MasterClass. Last updated: Jul 15, 2021 • 2 min read. The Oxford comma appears near the end of a list right before the conjunction.
Aug 30, 2023 · The Oxford comma is placed before the coordinating conjunction (usually and or or) in a list of three or more items. The comma clarifies the separation between the final two items in the list, especially when they are closely related or their placement could cause confusion. For example:
Note: When the last comma in a series comes before and or or (after daughter-in-law in the above example), it is known as the Oxford comma. Most newspapers and magazines drop the Oxford comma in a simple series, apparently feeling it's unnecessary. However, omission of the Oxford comma can sometimes lead to misunderstandings.
The word comma comes from the Greek word koptein, which means "to cut off." 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.
Use commas after introductory a) clauses, b) phrases, or c) words that come before the main clause. Use a pair of commas in the middle of a sentence to set off clauses, phrases, and words that are not essential to the meaning of the sentence. Use one comma before to indicate the beginning of the pause and one at the end to indicate the end of ...
May 15, 2023 · Updated on May 15, 2023 Grammar. Whether or not you put a comma before and depends on how you’re using and. There’s no single rule that applies to all situations. You usually put a comma before and when it’s connecting two independent clauses. It’s almost always optional to put a comma before and in a list. Give your writing extra polish.
