Who does not use the Oxford comma?

Use of the Oxford comma is stylistic, meaning that some style guides demand its use while others don’t. 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.

What is the big deal about the Oxford comma? Also known as the serial comma, the Oxford comma is the one that goes before “and” (or “or”) in a list of three or more things: “The American flag is red, white, and blue.” Fans of the Oxford comma think it prevents ambiguity.

Likewise What is the opposite of the Oxford comma?

“To separate the elements (words, phrases, clauses) of a simple series of more than 2 elements, including a comma before the closing ‘and’ or ‘or’ (the so-called serial comma). Routine use of the serial comma helps to prevent ambiguity.” “Whether to include the serial comma has sparked many arguments.

When should you use Oxford comma? Well, appropriately enough, the Oxford Dictionary has the answer. The proper definition of the Oxford comma is “a comma used after the penultimate item in a list of three or more items, before ‘and’ or ‘or’.” For example: “Today I went to lunch with my roommates, Tom, and Molly.”

Does the New York Times use the Oxford comma?

(In most cases, The Times stylebook discourages the serial comma, often called the Oxford comma because it was traditionally used by the Oxford University Press.) It appears the Maine Legislature has learned its lesson, at least.

Is Oxford comma pretentious? The last comma in that sentence above is an Oxford comma, also known as the serial comma or the Harvard comma. Its name is always pretentious, and its purpose is always the same: it comes before the conjunction (in this case, “and”) in a list.

Is the Oxford comma used in legal writing?

Lawyers should use the Oxford comma to help avoid ambiguity. Three ambiguities may arise without this comma: Whether the two final items in a list are one combined element or separate.

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.

Should I use serial comma?

The serial comma is used right before the conjunction (and, or) that precedes the final item in a series. Although not grammatically necessary, the use of this comma is preferred in academic and other formal writing, especially in American usage.

Who created the 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.

Are commas real?

The most important thing to remember about the comma is what it does is separate sentence elements. It can separate clauses, it can separate items in a list, it can separate dates. Usually, when you’re trying to make a separation within a sentence, you use a comma. … So, commas can’t go at the end of a sentence.

Do Brits use the Oxford comma? Serial/Oxford Comma

Despite being named after a British University, the Oxford comma (the comma used before “and” in lists (e.g., I like wookies, ewoks, and droids)) is not considered standard in UK English because only one style guide (Oxford) recommends it.

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.

Who invented the 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.

Where do you put a semicolon?

Use a semicolon to join two related independent clauses in place of a comma and a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet). Make sure when you use the semicolon that the connection between the two independent clauses is clear without the coordinating conjunction.

Do we use comma before but? Comma Before But

If you are joining two independent clauses, use a comma before the word but. Where the but is not joining two independent clauses, do not use a comma. The comma is a useful and multifunctional part of English grammar, it can help the flow of a piece of text and provide a small break for the reader.

When did the Oxford comma start?

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.

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. Many love the Oxford comma because they were taught to use it growing up, and old habits die hard.

Is Oxford comma used in Australia?

Typically, in Australian 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.

Why is the Oxford comma so called? What Is the Oxford Comma? The Oxford comma is the final comma that comes before the conjunction in a list of three or more items. Its name comes from the Oxford University Press (OUP), where for over a century it has been standard in the Oxford Style Manual.

Which countries use the Oxford comma?

Although its use is widespread in North America, the Oxford comma is not as widely used in Australia and the UK. The Australian government’s Style Manual for Authors, Editors and Printers merely says “sometimes a comma is placed between the last two items to ensure clarity” and doesn’t use it in the manual’s title.

Is there a comma before Unless? The clause which follows unless is a subordinate clause (sc): it needs a main clause (mc) to make a complete sentence. When unless comes before the main clause, we use a comma: … When the main clause comes first, we don’t need a comma: [MC]They won’t come unless [SC]you invite them.

Where do you put the period?

A period is a small dot-shaped punctuation mark that is used at the end of any sentence that is intended to make a statement. As with other punctuation marks that end sentences, the period should be placed directly behind the last letter of the last word of the sentence.