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Do you use a serial (Oxford) comma? (kbin.social)

submitted 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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A serial comma (or Oxford comma) is an optional comma used before the last item in a list. For example, "bread, butter, and tax evasion" uses a serial comma, whereas "bread, butter and tax evasion" does not.

Do you use it? Why or why not?

I always use it. I don't perceive any less of a pause between the last two items in a list than between any others, so it feels natural to put a comma there as well. Tbh, I'm so used to it that I usually have to do a double-take when it's not there (since it looks like a grammar error to me at first).

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

I use it because it feels like otherwise you are lumping two things together. In your example it would be butter and tax.

Another example could be talking about people:

I'm having Jim, Frank, Ian and Susan over for dinner.

Without the comma I feel like that implies Ian and Susan are in some kind of relationship.

With food:

I had pickles, bacon, ham and cheese for lunch.

That seems to me like someone had a ham and cheese sandwich versus ham and cheese separately.