PSA: Serial/Oxford Commas
February 2, 2012
Hi users! I would like to advise all of you, but mostly the international users, that this wiki uses American English, and as such, we use the serial comma. Although it is widely regarded as redundant, both American and European English are supposed to use serial commas. The simplified (incorrect) "rule" about ignoring serial commas ("You don't need a comma before and") is even more troublesome, as it results in users ignoring the comma needed in a compound sentence. Serial commas must be used on this wiki, no exceptions. If you still do not support this, please read the following excerpts from various texts.
Examples
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| Wilson Follett, . Edited and completed by Jacques Barzun in collaboration with Carlos Baker, Frederick W. Dupee, Dudley Fitts, James D. Hart, Phyllis McGinley, and Lionel Trilling. NY: Hill & Wang, Inc., 1966, pages 397-401. This text remains unchanged in the 1998 version of Modern American Usage: A Guide, despite the substantial changes done to other parts of the book. |
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| What, then, are the arguments for omitting the last comma? Only one is cogent — the saving of space. In the narrow width of a newspaper column this saving counts for more than elsewhere, which is why the omission is so nearly universal in journalism. But here or anywhere one must question whether the advantage outweighs the confusion caused by the omission. The recommendation here is that [writers] use the comma between all members of a series, including the last two, on the common-sense ground that to do so will preclude ambiguities and annoyances at a negligible cost. |
| Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers, 5th Edition, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987, Chapter 3.68. |
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A series of three or more words, phrases, or clauses (like this) takes a comma between each of the elements and before a conjunction separating the last two: Example: "Dishes had been broken, cutlery lost, and carpets damaged." |
| Chicago Manual of Style, 14th Edition, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993, Chapter 5.5. |
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In a series consisting of three or more elements, the elements are separated by commas. When a conjunction joins the last two elements in a series, a comma is used before the conjunction: Examples: "Attending the conference were Farmer, Johnson, and Kendrick." "We have a choice of copper, silver, or gold." |
| William Sabin, Gregg Reference Manual, 8th Edition, New York: Glencoe, 1993, paragraph 162. |
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When three or more items are listed in a series, and the last item is preceded by and, or, or nor, place a comma before the conjunction as well as between the other items. Example: Study the rules for the use of the comma, the semicolon, and the colon. |
| Council of Biology Editors, Scientific Style and Format, 6th Edition, NY: Cambridge University Press, 1994, Chapter 4.15.6. |
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To separate the elements (words, phrases, clauses) or a simple series of more than 2 elements. A comma should precede a closing "and" or "or." This rule applies to adjectives each modifying the following noun. Example: "The tomatoes, beans, and peppers were planted in April." |
| Strunk and White, Elements of Style, 2nd Edition, New York: Macmillan, 1972, Chapter I. Elementary Rules of Usage, Rule 2. |
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In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last. Thus write: "Red, white, and blue". "Gold, silver, or copper". "He opened the letter, read it, and made a note of its contents.". |
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