Hello Grammar Fans!
This week we are going to take a look at the lowly, but powerful, comma. You may have heard of the added comma that saved Grandma’s life … or the missing comma that cost a large company thousands in overtime pay. I will leave it to you to research those events and find out how the comma got such power.
For this blog, we are looking at the way a comma is used to set apart items in a list. The Oxford comma, or serial comma, is the comma after the next-to-final item in a list.
Serial comma, or no comma?
If I have three sandwiches on the menu, and one is peanut butter and jelly, what is the best way for me to advertise that?
A selection of tuna, roast beef and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
OR
A selection of tuna, roast beef, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
The first option could possibly be construed to mean that we have two selections: tuna or roast beef and peanut butter and jelly. That would not be very appetizing, it seems to me. So, the second option uses the Oxford comma, or serial comma, to set apart each element in the list to help avoid such unappetizing misinterpretations!
Of course, not all style guides insist on the Oxford comma, or serial comma, and prefer to see the sentence rewritten to clarify. A simple rewrite may solve the problem if you don’t want to use bullet points or a list. (Unless you simply change the menu….)
Your choice of tuna, roast beef or peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Writing should be simple and fun for an author. If you are having trouble getting all the thoughts in your head down on paper, or screen, there are plenty of editors, ghostwriters, and content writers to help. Collaborate, connect, and make your prose or poetry even better.
Happy writing!
Liza the Bookworm