For many centuries, people have modified our ways of writing in order for it to look and sound like it makes sense. One new style, developed in 1905, arose from the Oxford University Press… the Oxford comma.
The Oxford comma, also known as the serial comma, series comma, or Harvard comma, is meant to be placed after the penultimate term in a sentence that consists of three or more items or ideas. Although the Oxford comma is regularly used in writing, some recent debate over the comma’s necessity has arisen. In this paper, I will be explaining to you the reasons why I think this comma is necessary in writing.
To begin I will show you an example of where I think the “extra” comma is needed. If I were to explain to somebody via text message what I had just bought at the grocery store, I would tell them, “I bought eggs, peanut butter, and jelly at the store today.” I add a comma before the “and” after the words “peanut butter” because it separates all three items in the sentence. If I were to not include a comma before the “and” after the words “peanut butter”, it would look like I was implying that peanut butter and jelly were a combined item (like how they typically are in a sandwich).
If the Oxford comma was not used in sentences, readers would feel confused, and the writing would seem unclear due to a lack of punctuation.
Now let’s dig deeper into the word “and” and how it is used grammatically. The word “and” is a conjunction word that is used to connect grammatically coordinate words, phrases, or clauses. When using the word “and” if listing three separate items or ideas in a sentence, you want to avoid the idea of combining two things that aren’t related to each other.
There is a solution to this problem. The solution is to add some punctuation into our writing. With all this talk about a silly comma, I want to elaborate on why commas in general are so important. The reasons are endless, but what I can say is that it is most important to use commas to set things apart. They set apart nonessential appositives, interrupters and parenthetical elements, announcing FANBOYS, etc. These things are meant to be separated, especially with a comma.
It’s funny enough that AP style does not wholeheartedly agree with the use of the comma, but the comma isn’t banned in AP style writing. In fact, AP Stylebook lead editor, Paula Froke, told her work team, “The stylebook doesn’t ban the use of a serial comma. Whether you put it in at all times is a different debate.”
However, when book publishers, academics, and trade publications use Chicago Style writing, it is always suggested to use the Oxford comma. The option to have the Oxford comma is open, so it technically isn’t wrong to use the comma at all!
While debates may persist over the perceived necessity of the Oxford comma, its undeniable value in fostering precision and clarity in writing cannot be overlooked. Its presence, like a well-placed punctuation mark, fortifies the foundations of grammatical structure. In the grand tapestry of language, the Oxford comma emerges not as a mere nuance but as a vital thread, weaving together the elements of a sentence with finesse and purpose. Therefore, in the pursuit of linguistic excellence, embracing the Oxford comma is not merely a matter of preference but a commitment to the principles of effective and unambiguous communication.