It more closely resembles speech (people tend to pause before saying the last item in a list). It takes up space on the page-mainly important in contexts like newspapers, where space is precious. The main ones are summarized in the table below.Īll other list items are separated by commas, so it’s more consistent to add a comma before the final one too. Various arguments are used for and against the Oxford comma. John and Jane went out for dinner and to see a concert.John, and Jane went out for dinner, and to see a concert.My hobbies include reading, writing, hiking and watching movies.īut no commas are used in lists of only two items:.My hobbies include reading, writing, hiking, and watching movies. My hobbies include reading writing hiking and watching movies.You always need commas between the earlier items in the list, whether or not you add the Oxford comma: Note that the other commas in the list are not optional. We can go for pizza, curry, burgers, or tacos. Please don’t throw any parties, damage the furniture, or annoy the neighbors while we’re away. The article is concise, informative, and easy to read. This applies whatever those items are (e.g., nouns, verbs, adjectives, longer phrases) and whether the conjunction used is “and” or “or.” Examples: Oxford commaA wide-ranging author, Johnson wrote poetry, prose fiction, drama, literary criticism and biography, and the famous Dictionary of the English Language. The Oxford comma can be used (or left out) in any list of three or more items.
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