Generations have experienced a range of grammatical emotion - ranging from confusion to contempt - with regards to both the viability and appropriate usage of the "Oxford comma".
The Oxford comma originated in its grammatical form somewhere in the early 1920s and is attributed to scholarly development applied at both Oxford and Harvard Universities, therefore this author is uncomfortable in laying the ownership to rest at one particular door over another. This author chooses to remain with the reference "Oxford" comma over "Harvard" comma, or even "Serial" comma purely because no-one wrote a song about giving a **** about the Serial comma. Did they?
The Oxford comma originated in its grammatical form somewhere in the early 1920s and is attributed to scholarly development applied at both Oxford and Harvard Universities, therefore this author is uncomfortable in laying the ownership to rest at one particular door over another. This author chooses to remain with the reference "Oxford" comma over "Harvard" comma, or even "Serial" comma purely because no-one wrote a song about giving a **** about the Serial comma. Did they?
Let us explore the fundamental principles of the Oxford comma. A standard comma offers a pause within a listed sentence, and traditionally "and" references the ultimate item in that list. Correct? Correct. However sometimes a sentence contains two lists joined together by their commonality. Confusion arises where the ommission of a comma to pause bewteen these lists can make a reader miss the connection between two segments.
Without the Oxford comma we would have sentences that looked like so:
I would really enjoy a lamb roast dinner with potatoes, parsnip and peas and ice-cream and chocolate topping for dessert.
Which food items are dinner? Which are dessert? I'm beside myself with a lack of clarity! Aren't you?
With the Oxford comma now:
I would really enjoy a lamb roast dinner with potatoes, parsnip and peas, and ice-cream and chocolate topping for dessert.
Using the Oxford comma in this example it's clear to this author that the ice-cream and chocolate topping are items contained within the dessert category of the meal and it is not the case of some crazed food-maniac teaming frozen peas with chocolate sauce all on the one plate!
Applying the Oxford comma to your sentence structure embeds the intent of the sentence in your reader's mind and also offers a sophistication to your prose. This author endorses the care-factor associated with the Oxford comma. Who gives a ****?
I do.
Word.
Without the Oxford comma we would have sentences that looked like so:
I would really enjoy a lamb roast dinner with potatoes, parsnip and peas and ice-cream and chocolate topping for dessert.
Which food items are dinner? Which are dessert? I'm beside myself with a lack of clarity! Aren't you?
With the Oxford comma now:
I would really enjoy a lamb roast dinner with potatoes, parsnip and peas, and ice-cream and chocolate topping for dessert.
Using the Oxford comma in this example it's clear to this author that the ice-cream and chocolate topping are items contained within the dessert category of the meal and it is not the case of some crazed food-maniac teaming frozen peas with chocolate sauce all on the one plate!
Applying the Oxford comma to your sentence structure embeds the intent of the sentence in your reader's mind and also offers a sophistication to your prose. This author endorses the care-factor associated with the Oxford comma. Who gives a ****?
I do.
Word.