The Oxford comma, sometimes called the Harvard comma or the serial comma, is a controversial piece of punctuation that is placed immediately before the final conjunction (and) in a list of three or more words, phrases, or clauses.
For example:
- I like pink, purple, and yellow flowers.
- She finished her homework, folded the laundry, and made dinner last night.
There are many debates surrounding the use of the Oxford comma, but before we delve into that, here’s a quick overview of its historical roots.
History of the Oxford Comma
The Oxford comma gets its name from the Oxford University Press (OUP) style guidelines that require it. Just like its usage, however, the origins of the Oxford comma are shrouded in confusion and ambiguity. Here are some interesting tidbits about the history of the Oxford comma.
- The word “comma” has its roots in the Greek word koptein, meaning “to cut off.”
- The comma as we know it was introduced by Aldus Manutius, a 15th century Italian printer, as a means to separate items in a sentence.
- The Oxford comma was introduced by Horace Hart, printer and controller of the OUP from 1893 to 1915, in his Hart’s Rules for Compositors and Readers, a style guide published in 1905 for employees of the press.
- The writer Peter H. Sutcliffe is often considered the first person to use the term “Oxford comma” in his 1978 book The Oxford University Press: An informal history.
- Sutcliffe, however, claimed that the term was first introduced by F. Howard Collins in his 1912 grammar rule book Author & Printer: A Guide for Authors, Editors, Printers, Correctors of the Press, Compositors, and Typists.
The Debate over the Oxford Comma
The dispute surrounding this comma stems not from its technicalities, but whether it is required at all. Advocates of the Oxford comma assert that it lends clarity to a sentence, alleviates confusion, and makes reading easier. They contend that eliminating the Oxford comma can cause ambiguity or misunderstandings regarding the meaning of a sentence. A famous example of this would be the following sentence:
“This book is dedicated to my parents, Ayn Rand and God.”
With no Oxford comma preceding “and,” the writer seems to be implying that Ayn Rand and God are their parents. With an Oxford comma, the same sentence would look like this:
This book is dedicated to my parents, Ayn Rand, and God.
In this example, it is quite easy to pick the sentence out as incorrect because we know for sure that Ayn Rand and God do not have a child together. It might not be so easy for other sentences. For example:
- In the bus, Henry sat next to Alyssa, the pretty cheerleader and the class clown.
- I took some pictures of my parents, a famous astronomer and a ballet dancer.
In the first sentence, it is unclear whether Alyssa, the pretty cheerleader, and the class clown are the same person. The second sentence implies that the writer is the offspring of a famous astronomer and a ballet dancer, which may not necessarily be the case. Adding the Oxford comma to both examples would certainly add to their clarity. For example:
- In the bus, Henry sat next to Alyssa, the pretty cheerleader, and the class clown.
- I took some pictures of my parents, a famous astronomer, and a ballet dancer.
Opponents of the Oxford comma allege that it makes a piece of writing sound stuffy and pretentious, makes things seem cluttered, and that it is a redundant piece of punctuation that takes up valuable space on a page. Many writers and editors want the reader to focus on the words in the text and hold that too many punctuation marks, like the Oxford comma, can distract the reader and draw them away from the main ideas presented in the text.
Many claim that the Oxford comma is unnecessary if adequate conjunctions are used in the sentence. Opponents also argue that rephrasing an ambiguous or unclear sentence will have the same result as using the Oxford comma. For example:
This book is dedicated to my parents, Ayn Rand and God.
can be rewritten as
This book is dedicated to God, Ayn Rand and my parents.
and still convey its intended meaning to the reader.
It has also been pointed out that in some cases, even the Oxford comma is unlikely to clarify the meaning of a sentence. In such cases, rephrasing is the only option. For example:
I emailed my boss, the supervisor, and the manager.
In this sentence, despite the use of the Oxford comma, it is unclear whether the writer’s boss is the supervisor or a separate individual. This sentence could be reworded as:
I emailed my boss as well as the supervisor and the manager.
Also, while the Oxford comma can dramatically change the meaning of a sentence, there are instances where its presence doesn’t really make a difference. For example:
- Jason ate an apple, a banana, and a pear.
- Jason ate an apple, a banana and a pear.
The second sentence eschews the Oxford comma but conveys its meaning as clearly as the first.
Style Guides and the Oxford Comma
The use of the Oxford comma is optional – its usage is stylistic, not a rule per se, and therefore depends on the style guide a writer adheres to.
Below is a list of some common style guides and their rules regarding the use of the Oxford comma:
- American Psychological Association (APA) uses the Oxford comma.
- Modern Languages Association uses the Oxford comma.
- Chicago Manual of Style uses the Oxford comma.
- Oxford University Press (OUP) uses the Oxford comma.
- Associated Press (AP) does not use the Oxford comma.
As you can see, most style guides DO recommend using the Oxford comma. The only exception in the list above is the AP guide, a stylebook for newspaper journalists as well as advertising and public relations professionals. There are several reasons why AP does not recommend the use of the Oxford comma, the most important of which is related to strict character limits and the efficient use of space within the narrow confines of printed columns.
Here are some example sentences written in AP style:
- I like pink, purple and yellow flowers.
- She finished her homework, folded the laundry and made dinner last night.
The Final Verdict on the Oxford Comma
Regardless of the origins and history of the Oxford comma, its objective is to make a sentence clear, understandable, and unambiguous. But its usage is also surrounded by perplexity and confusion. So, what does common wisdom state about using the Oxford comma?
A writer can choose to omit the Oxford comma, unless they are drafting a school essay, an in-depth research paper, a professional or academic article, or writing for a publication that adheres to the above-mentioned style guides.
In general, the Oxford comma should be used if it avoids confusion and enhances clarity. As a rule, writers must be consistent in using it throughout a piece of writing. Inconsistent usage can leave a piece of writing open to misinterpretation and, in some cases, cost the writer clarity, time, or reputation. Using it on a strictly discretionary basis must be avoided.
To conclude, it is important to maintain a sense of consistency throughout a document so that it is easier for the audience to read. The same rule applies to the Oxford comma, regardless of whether a writer chooses to use it or not.