As they make complete sense when the comma is reached, the second clause has the appearance of an afterthought. Chicago, being twice as long as ap, has twice as much to say on this subject and offers several more variations of proper serialcomma usage on which the ap is mum 6. According to the website box office mojo, the topgrossing movies of all time in the united states are currently avatar, titanic, and the dark knight. But when you join three or more elements, the preferred rule requires a comma before the coordinating conjunction. Ielts task 1 and 2, using commas, 12 rules to follow. Although the british are less likely to use serial commas than americans 1, 2, primarily its newspapers that allow writers to omit that final comma 1, 3. In newspaper writing, incidentally, you will seldom find a serial comma, but that is not necessarily a sign that it should be omitted in academic prose. It is used in generally similar ways in other languages, particularly european ones, although the rules on comma usage and their rigidity vary from language to language. In dates, the year is set off from the rest of the sentence with a pair of commas. In his time magazine essay, in praise of the humble comma, author and essayist pico iyer compared the punctuation mark to a flashing yellow light that asks us only to slow down. This final comma is called a serial or oxford comma, because it used to be standard in british.
There are many confusing rules about comma usage, and some conventions are up to the writer to decide. Cormens rules of usage this document contains a list of 39 rules pertaining to usage and punctuation. The comma is the most common mark of punctuationand the most commonly misused. The rules provided here are those found in traditional handbooks. The director, the assistant chief, and the chairperson held a confidential meeting. Whether to use the serial comma is a style issue, which is. The oxford or serial comma is the final comma in a list of things. The following guidelines, condensed mostly from the chicago. If you have a specific question that isnt addressed in the usagov platform style guide, consult the united states government publishing office style manual pdf, download adobe reader. When you join three or more elements in a series, put a comma before the conjunction usually and or or. In lists of three or more elements, put commas between the terms. To better understand the use of the comma, begin by learning the following eight basic uses. This last commathe one between the word and and the preceding wordis often called the serial comma or the oxford comma.
Rules for comma usage guide to grammar and writing. Also known as the oxford comma, the serial comma is the final comma in a list of three items or more, and it is used immediately before and, or, and occasionally nor. A serial comma simply means that a comma will separate each element in a series of three or more, even before the coordinating conjunctions and and before or. Of all the punctuation marks in english, this one is perhaps the most abused and misused. While commas are normally either required or not required, theres one key instance when you can choose whether or not to use a comma and either option is equally correct. Commas are used to set off three or more items in a list. Use a comma to separate items in a list but beware of the serial comma. The serial comma is an extra comma you will often see placed before andor in us based english.
Ap stylethe style guide that newspaper reporters adhere to. In short, aps stance is to omit the serial comma except when it prevents misreading, and chicagos stance is to always include itfor the same reason. Serial commas and serial semicolons the mla style center. Writing principles usagov platform style guide usagov. British english vs american english the serial comma. The elements of an address or place name are separated by commas. Clauses which are essential are called restrictive.
Before coordinating conjunctionsfor compound sentences use a comma before a coordinating conjunction for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so used to connect two independent clauses in a compound sentence ex. Use a comma before and, but, or, nor, for, so, or yet to join two independent clauses that form a compound sentence. Commas are placed between items in lists, as in they own a. An independent clause is a group of words with a subject and verb that expresses a complete. A comma is a punctuation mark that separates elements and ideas within a sentence. The serial comma is the final comma before the conjunction joining a series of three or. Serial commas and serial semicolons by erika suffern serial commas. In journalistic punctuation style, you use commas according to what you think are the needs for clarity. In this lesson, well look at some rules for comma placement. The final comma before the conjunction is known as a serial, or oxford comma. This final comma is called a serial or oxford comma, because it used to be standard in.
Think about new ways to teach commas and other punctuation to students. Generally, british english does not make use of this extra comma, but most publications on the us do. It is better to write aho, hopcroft, and ullman than aho, hopcroft and ullman. Use commas to separate independent clauses when they are joined by any of these seven coordinating conjunctions. Both restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses may begin with a relative pronoun such as who, whom, whose, that, which. In newspaper writing, incidentally, you will seldom find a serial comma, but that is not. On december 12, 1890, orders were sent out for the arrest of sitting bull. Whether to use the serial comma is a style issue, which is why patti and her friends ended up in a debate. This comma precedes the final item in a list or series, before the word and or or. That last comma, known as the serial comma, oxford comma, or harvard comma, causes serious controversy. The final comma sometimes called a serial comma or oxford comma is optional.
Some of the most important rules are explained below. Student grammar and writing books student success grammar ski. These nonessential clauses are called nonrestrictive. The comma allows for a brief pause between separate parts of a sentence, a basic purpose that becomes more obvious if you read a passage aloud. Luc writing center oxford, or serial comma usage 1 the rules. Further, and, is the least specific of connectives. The little girl couldnt decide if she wanted apple juice, orange juice or grape juice for breakfast. In newspaper writing, incidentally, you will seldom find a serial comma, but that is not necesssarily a sign that it should be omitted in.
For example, a list of three countries might be punctuated either as france, italy and spain without the serial comma or france, italy, and spain with the serial comma. Comma punctuation is a good example of this effort to use clearly defined rules in technical writing. At one time the brits did use it, but without wanting to get all historical, lets just make sure we get this right. The question is roughly should writers always use a comma before the last item in a list. The comma is a valuable, useful punctuation device because it separates the structural elements of sentences into manageable segments. Before a coordinating conjunction and, but, for, nor, or, so, or yet joining independent clauses in a sentence. Therefore, comma usage in technical writing is based on the. If the publication you are proofing for uses the serial comma, and an essay youre proofing includes a quotation from a biography that does not use a serial comma, is it permissible to silently add serial commas for readability the relevant rule in the chicago manual of style. As a rule of thumb, always include the serial comma a. The following are simple examples of serial commas. Opinions among writers and editors differ on whether to use the serial comma, and usage also differs somewhat between regional varieties of english. Commas and semicolons click on this link to download a pdf of this chapter. If comma usage is one of the banes of your writing existence, then this handout is for you. It goes by serial and oxford, for the oxford university press style guide, which advocates for the serial comma even though its generally more common in.
Normally, commas can separate three or more items in a list. If in doubt about whether or not to use a comma, read your sentence aloud and consider whether you need a. Morton my english teacher says we have to learn how to use commas. The serial comma grammarians often argue about the serial comma also called the oxford comma in britain or the harvard comma in america. The following list addresses all three of these cases together in seven rules.
A compound sentence is a sentence that has 2 independent clauses. I dont think saving space is a very good excuse for not using the serial comma, especially in the digital age where we still see online newspapers and magazines ignoring the serial comma. Used between independent clauses, it indicates only that a relation exists between them. Commas and semicolons academic assistance and tutoring. Find spelling and punctuation rules, naming conventions, and other traits that characterize the usagov writing style. Using commas in your writing can improve your clarity, avoid confusion, and create natural pauses for your reader. We are having peas and carrots roast beef and cake for dinner. Use commas to enclose clauses not essential to the meaning of a sentence. Here are some examples of correctly using the serial comma. Commas can connect dependent clauses incomplete parts of a sentence that cannot stand on their own. When you use a coordinating conjunction to join two elements of a series, no comma comes before the conjunction. In her will, the woman left jewelry, coins, stocks and bonds, but no cash. Noottee usage of a comma to separate the second to last from the last item is optional.
Perhaps no mark of punctuation ruffles feathers more than the serial comma also called series comma, oxford comma, and harvard comma. The chicago manual of style online is the venerable, timetested guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format. Patti and her friends are debating about the serial commathe comma that comes before the final conjunction in a list. With the exception of newspapers, most publications use the serial. Comma use can be mandatory, prohibited, or optional. My hope is that your textbooks are recent publications and the powers that be are shifting toward making the serial comma a rule rather than a choice. To call this usage the oxford comma seems a bit of americentric legerdemain. There are lots of rules about comma usage, and often the factors that determine whether you should use one are quite subtle. Use of the oxford comma is stylistic, meaning that some style guides demand its use while others dont. The style guide is intended to be read as an interactive pdf, where it can. All the editors i knew in the 1970s1980s1990s called this the serial comma and all knew that its use was a style decision which must be based on context. But this is likely to be viewed differently by different people.
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