Here is the University of Oxford's style guide web page with the entry for commas.
I'm not an insanely staunch believer in the series comma. At least not to the point that I can't do without it when the situation calls for it. Say Sally wants coleslaw, eggs and ham for breakfast. The eggs and the ham go together but the coleslaw doesn't match at all, hence no second comma. But what if she wants toast, eggs, and ham for breakfast. That sentence NEEDS the second comma!
I'm worried I won't be able to break this habit. I've already broken the 'only one space before sentences instead of two,' that one was actually easy. But this one, I'm stuck on it. I'm not ok with skipping out on something that is necessary to break up three (or more) separate ideas!
4 comments:
I only recently came round to the ways of the Oxford comma and this saddens me. It's a useful little piece of punctuation.
I LOVE the Oxford comma! They can't get rid of it! Oh, that makes me so sad. Who knew punctuation could have such an affect on my feelings? :)
Apparently Chicago Manual of Style is still keeping the Oxford comma (thank goodness). I hope they don't change, otherwise, how am I going to introduce my parents, the Pope and Mother Theresa?
Ugh, I have the hardest time with this because the research works I edit have style guides that require them to use the serial comma. I honestly feel like the worst writer sometimes simply because I have to be a good editor when I'm working!
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