In other situations, such as a description of your free Android app for GooglePlay app store, act at your discretion it will not be a mistake. We recommend using the serial punctuation symbol only in ambiguous cases. There are many discussions and disputes on this topic taking place in journalistic circles. Other publications, for example, from the University of Oxford, consider its use mandatory. Most of the stylistic guides for journalists do not recommend using the Oxford comma. In the American version, it is used more often than in the “British” cases. In ordinary situations, the rules for using the Oxford comma differ in various directories and dictionaries. Therefore, the English grammar rules require the serial comma to always be put in ambiguous cases, which can be understood in different ways. If you meant the second option and forgot to put the Oxford comma, the reader might get confused and may not understand whether Amy and John are friends to you or not. It becomes clear that Amy and John are a continuation of the list, and not the names of friends. If you use a serial comma, it shows enumeration. In the first case, Amy and John refer to the common word “friends”, and the comma in the sentence serves as a colon. I invited friends, (as well as) Amy and John. I invited friends: (whom exactly) Amy and John. In some cases, it helps avoid ambiguity and double meaning. The use of the Oxford comma is rather controversial. My estate goes to my husband, son, daughter-in-law, and nephew. The Oxford comma is used to separate words and word groups in a simple series of three or more items. There is no real difference between the two. Thus, the above list can be written without a comma, with no effect on the meaning. The peculiarity of the serial comma in English is that it is not necessary to use it in most cases. The first punctuation symbol used in the list is ordinary, while the second one is the Oxford comma. The Oxford comma example: bread, butter, and jelly. The punctuation symbol is placed before the conjunctions, such as “and”, “or”, “nor”, and is always used before the last item in the list consisting of three or more elements. Understanding the nuances of using the Oxford comma is quite simple - you just have to pay attention to the differences in the context. GET INSTANT HELP When to use Oxford comma? However, in the end, there was only more mess as some publications recognize the phenomenon of this comma, while others still do not recommend using it.ĭoubt to be an English grammar expert? Looking for someone to explain to you the nuances of punctuation or do the writing assignment for you? No problem - have all your problems solved at once with our professional writing assistance! We are always happy to help. It was in Oxford where people first began to use this punctuation mark in a sentence before the conjunction when listing several elements in order to avoid the confusion. It was first defined as the stylistic element of English grammar by Oxford University. The Oxford comma is also known as the serial or Harvard. So what is the Oxford comma? How to use it so that the reader could interpret your writing in the right way? What are the Oxford comma rules? Let’s find out. Some grammar experts claim that this serial punctuation mark causes nothing but confusion, whereas others are convinced it allows you to put accents in the sentence right. In English, both American and British, the question of the Oxford comma use is sometimes difficult to answer. Why do people argue about the Oxford comma?.Put In or Leave Out: When to Use an Oxford Comma?.
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