Why Oxford comma is wrong?
Regardless of the order, a proper noun and a common noun would be next to each other in a list, and an Oxford comma would allow readers to mistake one as a clarification of the previous noun. Another reason to skip the Oxford comma is to save time, both for the writer and reader.
Is the Oxford comma outdated? Chicago style recommends its use in almost all instances, while AP style leans somewhat against it. The AP’s position is squishy, though, as it recently noted in a series of tweets that began u201cWe don’t ban Oxford commas!u201d Rather, they say you should use it when it adds clarity and ditch it when it’s nonessential.
Likewise Why do people argue about the Oxford comma?
Proponents say it provides clarity, and critics say it provides redundancy. It goes by u201cserialu201d and u201cOxford,u201d for the Oxford University Press style guide, which advocates for the serial comma (even though it’s generally more common in American English usage than British English).
Why do people leave out the Oxford comma? While some writing style guides do not use the Oxford comma, supporters say it’s necessary to avoid potential ambiguity. And if there’s one thing writers can agree on, it’s the importance of clarity. In some cases, an extra comma matters.
Who does not use 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
What is the difference between an Oxford comma and a regular comma? When you’re writing a list, you naturally include commas to separate each item, but an Oxford comma is when you also put a comma before the “and [Final Item]”. For example: Without Oxford comma: “Her favourite foods were chocolate, marshmallows, cake and chicken.”
What are the 8 rules for commas?
Commas (Eight Basic Uses)
- Use a comma to separate independent clauses. …
- Use a comma after an introductory clause or phrase. …
- Use a comma between all items in a series. …
- Use commas to set off nonrestrictive clauses. …
- Use a comma to set off appositives. …
- Use a comma to indicate direct address. …
- Use commas to set off direct quotations.
Is but a conjunction? The most common coordinating conjunctions are for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so; you can remember them by using the mnemonic device FANBOYS.
Does the comma go after so?
So is one of seven coordinating conjunctions represented by the mnemonic FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet,and so. When these coordinating conjunctions connect two independent clauses, the conjunction is always preceded by a comma. The grocery store was out of tomatoes, so I borrowed some from my neighbor.
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.
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.
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.
Is there an Oxford semicolon? Because the list items contain commas, we want to use semicolons as “second-order commas”, a pretty standard but somewhat rare usage. …
Does America use Oxford comma?
The Serial/Oxford Comma
The serial comma (also known as the “Oxford comma” in the UK) is a comma placed before the last item in a list of three or more things. Most American English style guies recommend using this comma as standard: I believe in good spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Does Mr have a full stop? British usage favours omitting the full stop in abbreviations which include the first and last letters of a single word, such as Mr, Mrs, Ms, Dr and St; American usage prefers (A) Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr. and St., with full stops. Most other abbreviated titles, however, require a full stop, as shown above.
How are commas used in Australia?
Commas
- Use commas to separate items (words, phrases or numbers) in a series.
- Use a comma to set off introductory words, mild interjections or names at the beginning of a sentence.
- Use a comma before and after interruptions (embedded phrases and clauses) in a sentence.
Why do lawyers not use punctuation?
It makes a document easier to read and can also convey meaning. The use in legal documents is usually only for the former so that the removal of the punctuation will not alter the meaning of the document. … Maybe it is this idea of ‘clarity without punctuation’ coupled with tradition that omits its usage in Wills.
Does the BBC use the Oxford comma? Write a, b and c – not a, b, and c. The latter style is common in American English but in British English is nonstandard, though it is preferred by Oxford University Press, giving the comma its other name – the Oxford comma.
When a misplaced comma Proves Costly?
The misplaced comma
Unfortunately the formula used to work out the price of the aircraft had a typo: a comma that was one decimal place out. A senior Lockheed executive at the time was quoted as saying: “That comma cost Lockheed $70m.”