Friday, September 14, 2012

Ava's First Grammar Lesson

This blog is about to get really dorky. Really, really dorky. Brace yourselves.

While there are two schools of thought on this topic, I am a big fan of the serial comma (also known as the series or Oxford comma). We use the serial comma in our marketing materials at work, and I have become very accustomed to using it. As a result, I can spot the lack of a serial comma from a mile away...and my biggest pet peeve is when a document/article/website/etc. uses it inconsistently. Blerg!!

I mainly prefer its use in order to avoid any ambiguity. For examples of what can happen if you omit the serial comma, please see Exhibit A:

Oxford Comma

And Exhibit B:



(Both images courtesy of the Language Log.)

Because of my penchant for using the serial comma, I have made it a habit to point out the lack of this lovely punctuation mark to Ava when we are reading (I also read the names of the author and illustrator out loud just like LeVar Burton did on Reading Rainbow...it just seems right). Nevertheless, I will support her choice of whether or not to use the serial comma in the future...as long as she is consistent ;).



2 comments:

  1. No way. If she doesn't use the serial comma, I will tell her she is WRONG. Just recently I read an article from The New Yorker that is sort of a half-book-review, half-grammar lesson that CLEARLY STATES: "The book also omits the serial comma, as in "eats, shoots and leaves," which is acceptable in the United States only in newspapers and commercial magazines."

    So you can just tell little Ava that Aunt Char is always right when it comes to grammar.

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  2. I, too, am a fan of the serial comma, although I call it the Oxford comma...mostly because of the awesome Vampire Weekend song of the same name (the first line says "Who gives a fuck about an Oxford comma?" I do, I give a f*ck, and so should Ava! :)

    ReplyDelete

About Me

My name is Catherine, but most of my friends call me Cat. I was born and raised in Austin, went to TCU, and ended up in Dallas for law school (where Josh and I met). I decided that being an attorney was not my cup of tea and pursued a career in legal marketing. I am now a mother of two attempting to balance family with a full-time job, which is always an adventure. I love: my sweet babies, handsome husband, very large family, and fabulous friends; trying new restaurants; wine; TCU football; holidays; cooking; The Bar Method; pajamas; Topo Chico; reading; coffee; Central Market; carbs; the beach; mani/pedis; Anthropologie; binge-worthy TV shows and podcasts; trivia; French 75s; Pinterest; cheese boards; The Ticket; dancing; Sprinkles cupcakes; The Texas Rangers; fresh flowers; thunderstorms; naps; Tex-Mex; the Texas Hill Country; porch-sitting; ranch dressing; throwing parties; and my job. I hate: working-mom guilt; snakes; heights; waking up early; ignorant people; stomach bugs; paper cuts; green fruit; snoring; bad hair days; the sound of people eating (Misophonia); scary movies; bad drivers; pulpy OJ; trimming baby fingernails; and Miracle Whip. That pretty much sums it up.

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