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:
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 ;).
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:
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 ;).
