What Is the Oxford (or Serial) Comma?
What Is the Oxford (or Serial) Comma?Answer: The Oxford comma is the comma that precedes the conjunction before the final item in a list of three or more items: • This song is dedicated to Moe, Larry, and Curly. • This website is dedicated to Moe, Larry, Curly, Shemp, Joe, and Curly Joe. • This book is dedicated to my roommates, Nicole Kidman, and God. The Oxford comma is so called because it has traditionally been used by editors and printers at Oxford University Press. New Englanders may favor the term Harvard comma (the convention is also followed by Harvard University Press). Throughout the U.S. the mark is commonly called the serial comma. When Should We Use the Oxford Comma? Most U.S. style guides say, “Use it–always.” Garner’s American Usage (Oxford, 2009) makes the standard case for clarity: Whether to include the serial comma has sparked many arguments. But it’s easily answered in favor of inclus
