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Story of the comma family: The Oxford, Harvard, and Serial comma

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 04/16/2012 - 20:24
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What is the difference between the Oxford, Harvard, and the Serial comma?

The Oxford comma (also known as Harvard comma or Serial comma) is the comma inserted just before the coordinating conjunction (usually ‘and’ or ‘or’, and sometimes ‘nor’) in the last item of a list of three or more items. For example: Gurpreet's blog is dedicated to Jack, Jill, Red Riding Hood, Captain Kirk, and Spock.

When to use the Oxford Comma?

I use a serial comma ONLY when it satisfies all the following three conditions:

It can be inserted just before the coordinating conjunction (usually ‘and’ or ‘or’, and sometimes ‘nor’)
&
It appears at the end of a list of three or more items.
&
It removes ambiguity in the sentence.

More information on Oxford comma:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_comma
http://technicalwritingtoolbox.com/2012/04/15/oxford_harvard_serial_comma/

I was taught in school not to use the Oxford comma but I often use it to remove ambiguity in the sentence. Where do you stand on the Oxford comma? Leave a comment and let me know.

- Gurpreet Singh
http://TechnicalWritingToolBox.com - A blog on Technical Writing

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Unlearn the original Comma

Submitted by sanjeev (not verified) on Wed, 04/25/2012 - 11:15.

I am back to twin page after long time. Now, reading lot of nice articles.
Yes, in school, we were taught not to use comma at the end of the item in the serial list. However, the correct technique is to use the Oxford comma, to remove ambiguity. So, we need to unlearn the conventional style of using comma and adopt Oxford comma.
Thanks.

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It's known as the Oxford

Submitted by amenityseo.com (not verified) on Sat, 07/21/2012 - 12:16.

It's known as the Oxford comma because it was traditionally used by printers, readers, and editors at Oxford University Press.

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