If you’re an author or an avid reader, you’re no doubt familiar with basic accepted, standardized rules for grammar and punctuation. You might also be familiar with, or at least aware of, multiple style guides that the writing industry uses. Three of the most well-known formats include the Modern Language Association (MLA) rules, the Associated Press (AP) rules and the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS). Within the world of writing, there’s a perpetual debate regarding use of the Oxford comma.
Some writing styles (MLA and CMS, to be exact) still use the Oxford comma. AP guidelines have omitted it. The Oxford comma is a comma that is placed after a penultimate (second to last in a series of three or more) term in a sentence. An example would be: I prefer juice, eggs, toast, and bacon for breakfast on Saturdays. In this sentence, toast is the penultimate term. The AP guide would omit the comma after toast in the sentence. In certain circumstances, such as in a court of law during litigation, a missing Oxford comma can be a big deal.
Sentence meaning often changes when an Oxford comma is omitted
What’s so important about using or not using the Oxford comma? Those who support its use say that omitting it often causes ambiguity in writing. For instance, consider the following two sentences, one that includes the Oxford comma (often called a serial comma) and one that does not:
- My best friends are my brothers, George, and Joseph.
- My best friends are my brothers, George and Joseph.
In the first example, which includes the serial comma, it is clear that George and Joseph are two people in addition to the writer’s brothers. Upon omission of the Oxford comma, it is less clear. In fact, readers might think that George and Joseph are merely the names of the writer’s brothers.
Dairy drivers won a massive victory because of the Oxford comma
A group of dairy drivers filed a lawsuit claiming that their employer owed them overtime. The employer cited written company policy, which listed certain activities that were exempt from overtime. The written rules for exemption omitted the serial comma. The workers stated that this omission created ambiguity in the sentence, which made it possible, as written, that the work they had completed was eligible for overtime pay.
The judge agreed. The court ruled that use of the Oxford comma would have made the written policy clear. However, as it was, there were several ways to interpret the sentence. Therefore, the court ruled in favor of the workers. The judge ordered the employer to pay $10 million in overtime pay to the dairy drivers.
Various writing assignments or work require use of specific guides
Those writing research papers or citing sources under the topics of liberal arts and humanities typically follow the MLA writing guide. AP writing rules are the go-to for journalists and those who write magazine or newspaper articles. Students writing dissertations or thesis papers, as well as editors and publishers, most often use CMS guidelines.
While certain writing guidelines no longer use the Oxford comma, it will never be totally obsolete. There’s a joke in the writing industry that demonstrates its relevance by omitting it. It goes like this: The tombstone inscription stated, ”Here lies Joe Smith, a husband, a father, an attorney and a good man.” Those who read the stone often wonder how they fit them all in one grave.
