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Wikipedia wrote:The serial comma (also known as the Oxford comma or Harvard comma) is the comma used immediately before a grammatical conjunction (nearly always and or or; sometimes nor) that precedes the last item in a list of three or more items. The phrase "Portugal, Spain, and France", for example, is written with the serial comma, while "Portugal, Spain and France", identical in meaning, is written without it.

Yeah, I give a fuck about an Oxford comma. I'm for it, unless it introduces ambiguity, in which case I'd rephrase the whole thing.

If you don't always stick to a particular style, as many don't, vote for the one that you would choose if you had to stick to one or the other for all cases.

I tend to use the serial comma in long, complex lists, but not for short lists.

I use it frequently, even though sometimes i'm not sure if i'm supposed to or not.

I use it when trying to emphasise how long the list I'm saying is supposed to sound (incl. in speech). Otherwise, no.


Edit: Oh, to answer the poll, I can't say I'm against them.

The correct answer is "for;" you are incorrect if you choose any other option.
Omitting the serial comma makes it seem like the last two items in the list are associated with each other as a group (e.g. as "salt and pepper" in "bring the cumin, rosemary, salt and pepper, garlic, and ground baby hearts"), and that you forgot to give the 'and' entirely (or 'or').

I use commas like they're going out of fashion, so I'm all for them.

Tsukatu wrote:The correct answer is "for;" you are incorrect if you choose any other option.
Omitting the serial comma makes it seem like the last two items in the list are associated with each other as a group (e.g. as "salt and pepper" in "bring the cumin, rosemary, salt and pepper, garlic, and ground baby hearts"), and that you forgot to give the 'and' entirely (or 'or').

I agree.

Izzy wrote:

Tsukatu wrote:The correct answer is "for;" you are incorrect if you choose any other option.
Omitting the serial comma makes it seem like the last two items in the list are associated with each other as a group (e.g. as "salt and pepper" in "bring the cumin, rosemary, salt and pepper, garlic, and ground baby hearts"), and that you forgot to give the 'and' entirely (or 'or').

I agree.

Who doesn't?

I've always used the serial comma.

blue_tetris wrote:I've always used the serial comma.

Same here.

It has always bugged me when I see it left out in official documents.

Damn it maestro, now whenever I read something I keep checking for serial commas.

oh. a oxford comma /shouldn't/ be used in most cases. but there are some cases where it should which i will mention later if i remember (dinner)

fingersonthefrets wrote:oh. an oxford comma /shouldn't/ be used in most cases. but there are some cases where it should which i will mention later if i remember (dinner)

QFE without mistake

shouldn't this be in the debate fourom? instead of Message board games?
I always use serial commas, even though my English teacher counted off on my 4 page essay for useing them.

wumbla wrote:shouldn't this be in the debate fourom? instead of Message board games?
I always use serial commas, even though my English teacher counted off on my 4 page essay for useing them.

Nah, it's not a full blown argument, just a general inquiry.

fingersonthefrets wrote:oh. a oxford comma /shouldn't/ be used in most cases. but there are some cases where it should which i will mention later if i remember (dinner)

Sorry, no. Use of a serial comma is usually better because it better matches the spoken cadence of sentences and because its use matches practice with other means of separating items in a list. And in times where its use could lead to ambiguity, a little rephrasing will do the trick. If you don't believe me, read this discussion on Wikipedia. I think this is one of those things where you grow to like whatever way you were taught.

Tsukatu wrote:

What suki said.

4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, and 4.

I find it astounding that people who know how to use comma's correctly would be in the right mind to say that a serial comma is wrong. Furthermore, if you are going to use comma's at all then why leave out an enormous part of the comma "world".

BlckNWhteNnja wrote:I find it astounding that people who know how to use comma's correctly would be in the right mind to say that a serial comma is wrong. Furthermore, if you are going to use comma's at all then why leave out an enormous part of the comma "world".

That could only be funnier if we were talking about "inverted comma's".

wumbla: Fun & Games isn't a direct replacement for Messageboard Games. It's Tests & Inquiries and Messageboard Games squished into one.

Also, I always thought the Oxford comma was a more ambiguous and up-to-the-writer kind of thing, rather than a right/wrong thing.

Yeah, I do this in all of my formal, typed, and shared lists. They always told me it was optional, but I never believed them.

Plus, it's sort of comforting to have that extra comma.

When I first saw this poll I thought that I'd be against them, however when I actually thought about it I realise how often I do actually use serial commas. :/

My alphabet cereal never had commas.

maestro wrote:

BlckNWhteNnja wrote:I find it astounding that people who know how to use comma's correctly would be in the right mind to say that a serial comma is wrong. Furthermore, if you are going to use comma's at all then why leave out an enormous part of the comma "world".

That could only be funnier if we were talking about "inverted comma's".

Y,know' I,m thinking I,m going to start inverting my comma use' just for the hell of it.