Some big publications and guides, including the Oxford Style Manual (hence the name), the Chicago Manual of Style, The MLA Style Manual, Strunk and White’s Elements of Style, and the U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual, mandate use of the Oxford comma, while the Associated Press Stylebook, the New York Times
Is the Oxford comma an American thing?
The Oxford comma did not actually originate at Oxford University in England. One can trace its origin in English guides from the early 20th century. The Oxford comma is “correct” in American Standard English but does not exist in other languages, nor is it mandatory in British or International English.
Who still uses the Oxford comma?
AP Style writing requires the use of the Oxford Comma. Someone who would typically write in AP style is a newspaper reporter. The Oxford Comma is the final comma in a list of three or more things in a sentence, which goes before the “and” or “or” in a sentence.
What countries use the Oxford comma?
“In British practice there’s an Oxford/Cambridge divide … In Canada and Australia the serial comma is recommended only to prevent ambiguity or misreading.” “The so-called ‘Oxford comma’ is an optional comma that follows the penultimate item in a list of three or more items and precedes the word ‘and’ …
Does MLA use Oxford comma?
Even in a poorly written sentence, the Oxford comma ensures that the meaning is clear. The Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), Chicago Manual of Style (CMS), and Oxford University Press all support the Oxford comma.
Why don t British people use the Oxford comma?
Despite being named after a British University, the Oxford comma (the comma used before “and” in lists (e.g., I like wookies, ewoks, and droids)) is not considered standard in UK English because only one style guide (Oxford) recommends it.
Does US have to be punctuated?
In casual writing, when United States is functioning as a noun (as in, “We are traveling to the U.S.”), it’s a matter of personal preference. You can either spell out United States or abbreviate it, with periods or without.
Why is the Oxford comma so controversial?
“This practice is controversial and is known as the serial comma or Oxford comma, because it is part of the house style of Oxford University Press.” The important consideration is whether or not using an Oxford comma will remove ambiguity from a list, or add ambiguity. Language should make communication easier.
Why don t lawyers use the Oxford comma?
Use of the Oxford comma is mostly a matter of preference and varies by region and profession. Lawyers should use the Oxford comma to help avoid ambiguity. Three ambiguities may arise without this comma: Whether the two final items in a list are one combined element or separate.
Why does AP Style not use the Oxford comma?
But when following AP Style, you wouldn’t include a comma there. The reason, Fogarty says, is because AP Style was developed for use in newspapers. Back in ye olde days when print was king, every space counted. So the style gods decided that a simple series made sense without that last comma.
What style of punctuation do Americans tend to use?
American English puts commas and periods inside the quotation marks. The UWSC says that American people write it “this way.”
Why do Europeans use comma instead of point?
In the early 1700s, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, a German polymath, proposed the dot as the symbol for multiplication. Therefore, most of Europe favored the comma as a decimal separator.
Does the queen use the Oxford comma?
Queen’s prefers the Oxford comma or serial comma.
Do law firms use Oxford comma?
The Oxford comma can be controversial for many writers and readers, but there’s one industry where its use is not up for debate: the legal industry. When it comes to laws, contracts, and other legal documents, clarity is key.
Does Harvard use Oxford comma?
The serial comma, also known as the Oxford comma or the Harvard comma (because the Oxford and Harvard University Press style guides require it), is the final comma before the coordinating conjunction “and” in a list of three or more items.
Is the Harvard comma correct?
The serial comma, also called the Oxford comma or Harvard comma, is the comma before the concluding conjunction (and, or) in a series. It appears after the second-last item in a list of three or more items in a sentence. Maya’s favorite colors are green, blue, and black. The serial comma is the one before and.
Why do Brits say isnt it?
‘Innit’ – usually pronounced that way, usually with a regional accent of some kind, often with a Cockney accent of some kind, often with a Jamaican accent – it’s because it’s come really from the fashionable use, in London mainly, by the Asian community and the Jamaican community, popularised by Ali G and others.
Does German use the Oxford comma?
Interestingly, many languages – including French, German and Italian – do not use the Oxford comma at all.
Does the New York Times use the Oxford comma?
It is much more widespread in the United States, although American news organizations tend to leave the second comma out (that includes The New York Times, whose style guide advises that it should not be used unless a sentence is otherwise confusing without it).
Do Americans use commas differently?
British and American English both use the Oxford comma like this, but they differ on when it is used: Typically, in British English, we only use an Oxford comma when a list would be unclear without one, such as in the example sentence above. In American English, it is often standard to use an Oxford comma in lists.
How do you write the U.S. government?
Government should always appear as lowercase and should never be abbreviated. For example, the federal government.