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5 Reasons I Will Defend The Oxford Comma To My Grave, AP Style Be Damned

I will fight you on this.

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Paris

In This Article:

As a very passionate English major, I have something to say: the elimination of the Oxford comma is not okay. In case you don't know, by definition, the Oxford comma is the last comma in a list, typically right before the conjunction.

I have grown to love this comma, as it provides the clarity many list-oriented sentences need. There is absolutely no reason to eliminate this comma, and I will continue to defend my point of view for these five reasons.

1. List items are equal

Superhero Grammer

If the sentence above were to be spoken in real life, the speaker would be attempting to refer to three different entities. Because the first entity includes two people, it appears that the speaker is specifying the who the people in the first entity are. If there was a comma between "Superman" and "and," the fact that the speaker is talking about three entities would be much

2. Differentiates one item from another

US Comma Court Case

The separation powers of the Oxford comma can be make-or-break in lots of sentences containing lists of tasks. Unclear situations can cause all sorts of problems. Just take a look at this court case.

3. It sounds fancy

Oxford

If your mind doesn't automatically go to beautiful images of England when you hear the word "Oxford," we need to talk. Oxford is fancy, period end of story.

4. Pleasing to look at

Comma Meme

Don't tell me you don't find the Oxford comma aesthetically pleasing. It provides an immense amount of visual organization that is unmatched by any other punctuation.

5. Taught to us in school

Comma Joke

I was a teenager when the Oxford comma started to disappear from grammar textbooks. My peers and I had been taught to use this comma for our whole grammar education. Don't you dare try to take it away from me now.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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