GENERAL THOUGHTS ON OXFORD COMMA HOW TO
GENERAL THOUGHTS ON OXFORD COMMA FREE

Feel free to cater your style to the preferences and style guides of your clients. The answer, although I’ll probably debate you on it ( -)), is not at all!Īs a copywriter, you’ll find that some clients prefer it and that some could do without. Is the Oxford comma strictly required in writing? So, learning to use the Oxford comma correctly is essential to ensure that your writing is saying what you want it to say, rather than running away with your purpose. One simple comma can mean the difference between a three-person lake party with a doctor and a hot air balloon enthusiast, and a quality summer outing between sisters. “Angie went into the lake with her sister, a doctor, and a hot-air-balloon enthusiast.”.“Angie went into the lake with her sister, a doctor and a hot-air-balloon enthusiast.”.In addition to being a good practice, learning to use the Oxford comma correctly can have a significant impact on the clarity of your writing.Īfter all, the Oxford comma has the potential to change the meaning of a sentence completely – as we saw in the earlier image.

As such, it’s smart to develop a standard for how you’ll use the Oxford Comma in your online writing.

GENERAL THOUGHTS ON OXFORD COMMA HOW TO

This is a pretty even split, and it provides some insight into why so few people can agree on the Oxford Comma’s place in online writing.Įven though there are a few different schools of thought about how to use the Oxford comma, and where it’s appropriate, anyone familiar with professional writing (either on paper or online) knows that inconsistency looks improper. 57% reported that they were for using it.“Eat Grandma!” Telling Grandma to eat takes quite a turn, without the Oxford comma.)Īccording to a 2014 poll that asked Americans in general about their feelings regarding the Oxford comma: (I like to say the Oxford comma saves lives, because there’s also this fun old quip: “Eat, Grandma!” vs. With the Oxford comma, the characters go back to being who they are, intact, all right in the world. Without the comma, the characters in the still – President Obama and the Queen of England – become acrobats at the party. (See the highlighted blue circle showing where the Oxford comma would go.) This still from the Oxford Dictionaries “ What is the Oxford Comma” YouTube video does an eloquent job at portraying the problem that could occur, should you omit the Oxford comma. It also goes by the nickname “serial comma.” It garners it’s name from being traditionally used by readers, editors and printers at Oxford University Press.

Oxford Dictionaries defines the Oxford comma as an optional comma that precedes the word and, and appears at the end of a list. What is the Oxford Comma, & Why is it Such a Big Deal? How much does it matter to the content writer, and the readability of online content? Let’s dive in and talk about the Oxford comma in relation to online writing. While the Oxford comma may seem like a useless little piece of punctuation, this unique little comma has a major effect on the clarity of a sentence, and can either improve your online content or drive it into the ground depending on how you use it. You should, if you are in search of being a well-read online writer.

General thoughts on oxford comma