Questions tagged [oxford-comma]

For questions about the Oxford comma; this is the comma placed before the final item in a series of three or more terms, used generally for stylistic or disambiguatory purposes.

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Oxford comma list with more than one verb

A friend has pointed out that in an Oxford comma separated list, either every clause needs a verb, or each clause must be the object of the first verb. This seems to make sense to me, but would this ...
Mike's user avatar
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The way to join multiple relative clauses

One sentence on this website says: It is caused chiefly by kleptocratic governments or private interests in league with governments that make market exchange unprofitable, that make investment in ...
nomen's user avatar
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Is a comma needed in a sentence with repeated “to-phrases”?

Is a comma or any other punctuation needed between each “to-phrase” in a sentence like this one (which is meant to say that the trait has been passed on first from Generation I to Generation II, then ...
user287279's user avatar
-3 votes
1 answer
65 views

Why is the Oxford comma a stylistic choice? [closed]

I've gone through the threads on the Oxford comma and I am wondering why it is a stylistic choice rather than a standard practice, particularly with 3/+ items connected with "and"? My point ...
Jacob.C's user avatar
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1 answer
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Is there a proper/better way to write a serial comma separated list of dates? It feels like I shouldn't be mixing date commas with the serial commas

For example, consider the following sentence: The company mentioned the project in press releases dated September 13, 2020, May 21, 2022, and June 8, 2022. Is that the correct way to write it? It ...
Jay's user avatar
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Can I use a comma before "and" to show information at the end of a sentence only applies to the latter subject?

Take this sentence: It applies to EU institutions and national governments when implementing EU law The 'when implementing EU law' could be interpreted as being the case for both subjects (EU ...
The Codesee's user avatar
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1 answer
94 views

How to write a list of items, where the last item is a compound item? [duplicate]

I have a sentence that contains a list of items, and the last item in the list contains an "and" (e.g. like a pet shop may sell "hampsters" and "cat and dog beds", but ...
Lawrence Wagerfield's user avatar
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0 answers
31 views

When to put comma only or comma with conjunctions to separate items inside brackets (,) (, and ) [duplicate]

I was wondering about when to put comma only or comma with connectors to separate items inside brackets (,) (, and ). This is an example: Health status (physical, mental, biological, psychological) ...
M Bourmad's user avatar
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1 answer
12 views

a project involving training for children, teachers, and parents(,) was the most effective [duplicate]

is adding the comma before was necessary? a project involving training for children, teachers, and parents(,) was the most effective
M Bourmad's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
118 views

Different conjunctions in a series (blank, blank, and blank, but blank) [closed]

The example sentence is just an example meant to highlight my question, not something I've come across in writing. It's a bit rough, and I honestly don't know much about policy/bills/what have you, ...
Chara Nah's user avatar
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1 answer
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Omitting a comma before "aka" and then using a serial comma in the end of a series [closed]

When we use also known as as aka, we don't precede it with a comma. John Smith aka Big Nose was a famous <...> But what about the case where aka is followed by items in a series? Given name ...
user90726's user avatar
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5 votes
3 answers
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Can I use a comma before an ampersand?

Question Can I use a comma (,) before an ampersand (&)? If no, then why not? Example The same products attracted all European countries to India: spices, silk, & cotton.
Maadhav Bhatt's user avatar
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Use of comma after a conjunction

Operationally, collective behavior was detected and quantified using correlations, or, more recently, by mutual information estimated either locally or globally. Here should it be "or more ...
Harpreet Singh Kapula's user avatar
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0 answers
352 views

The use of comma in these sentences

Thus, the differences between the critical and average delays for BCLAs and KSAs are small, and, consequently, RPTs in multipliers with BCLAs and KSAs should be easily detected than those in ...
Harpreet Singh Kapula's user avatar
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0 answers
41 views

Using the oxford comma to separate two entities of which one has an article

Considering that I do not want to switch the positions of the italicized nouns in this sentence: "Taken as examples are the Limboagan effect, and hysteria." Will it be correct to use the ...
Mr. Butterfly's user avatar
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120 views

Comma before "as well as" in a series

I am writing a text in which I use the serial comma ("Oxford comma"). Example: She used to play with Ben, Alice, and Tom. Do I still need a comma if I replace the and with as well as? ...
Janothan's user avatar
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1 answer
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What do missing an Oxford comma and having it mean respectively here? [duplicate]

A tweet in trending says The highlights of his waning administration include encounters with Rudy Giuliani, a healthcare disaster and a dildo collector. A response says People keep telling me this ...
Tim's user avatar
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Should there be a semicolon after the third name and title?

Should there be a semicolon after the third name and title in this sentence (names and titles are not real), or is a single comma sufficient? Join John Smith, President and CEO, X Corporation; Mark ...
debbiesym's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
2k views

Does the Oxford comma apply to ampersands?

I came across this text on a shoe description: Durable but light, & flexible enough to move with the foot. I am well aware of the Oxford Comma, so the text would use durable but light, and ...
fedorqui's user avatar
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1 answer
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Usage of Oxford comma in particular case [closed]

In the sentence I had eggs, toast, and orange juice. we're clearly speaking of three different items (eggs + toast + orange juice). My question is, if I don't use the oxford comma in that case I ...
Tiago Martins Peres's user avatar
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What is the correct way to punctuate this text?

I would like to know your thoughts on how to correctly punctuate this text: One of the most visited places here in Manila is Binondo, often referred to as the business capital at the time, before ...
Celine's user avatar
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1 answer
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Usage of. comma

1) I bought a tie and a shirt and a hat. 2) I bought a tie, a shirt, and a hat. Are both 1 and 2 correct? Please let me know the difference between 1 and 2.
mahiv816's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
157 views

Coordinating conjunction for connecting list items

In compliance with the Oxford comma when listing three or more items a comma is used between the items and before and. What if in a list of three items two of them have a word in common (edge ...
Alexander's user avatar
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1 answer
126 views

Serial comma before "and should be approved" or is it a compound predicate that does not require a comma?

In this particular situation, I cannot decide if the comma before "and should be approved" is needed because it is part of the series before it, or it is a compound predicate situation in which the ...
user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
223 views

How to punctuate an adverb that immediately proceeds from a serial comma?

Research completed: * CMS 16th Edition How would I correctly punctuate an adverb that immediately proceeds from a serial comma? For example, "The contents of your bag will include cheese, crackers, ...
parergon's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
560 views

Serial comma in academic papers in mathematics and computer science [duplicate]

Is there a predominant style in academic papers in computer science concerning the usage or the omission of the serial comma? What do ACM and IEEE do in general? I failed to find it out on my own. Is ...
user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
98 views

Oxford comma in subject [closed]

I know that there are different opinions regarding Oxford comma, but I am taking IELTS soon, and I want to know if I should use it when my list is the subject of a sentence. Example: Spain, Austria, ...
Анна Скуба's user avatar
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0 answers
15 views

Regarding Punctuation [duplicate]

Which of the following is correct ? 1) A, B, C and D 2) A, B, C, and D
ERP CW's user avatar
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1 vote
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Comma - American versus British, Really? [duplicate]

So, from my writing infancy, my High School Teacher Mom taught me never to place a comma before the conjunction in any list of more than 2 things and yet there seems to be quite some debate about it, ...
Jennei Preston's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
2k views

Oxford comma with nonessential phrases

So, I've got the following list containing a nonessential phrase ("ultimately"), non-Oxford comma: stifling curiosity, creativity and, ultimately, progress. Is it then correct, when converted to ...
dwelle's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
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What is the two-item list equivalent of the Oxford comma?

I was recently told that the Oxford comma is only for lists with three or more items. A preliminary search confirms this, as far as I can tell. I'm wondering if there is an equivalent word for a comma ...
devigner's user avatar
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1 answer
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Please, is a comma required after the word 'lists'?

I have written many poems, topped lists and helped other poets. Also, is a comma required after the word 'wells' here? I spent years trimming flowers, digging wells and doing dishes.
Jane Coldins's user avatar
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1 answer
63 views

Is it acceptable to state conditions one after the other separated by commas but not have "and" or "or" in the end?

I found a duplicate question here, but am asking my question since the nature of my sentence is a little different. The sentence: "You need to know your employees well. Who is unhappy at not ...
Nav's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
1k views

using comma within the appositive

If you have a list of items separated by commas, can it be used as an appositive if you separate it from the rest of the sentence by yet another by comma? Here's an example: The factory produces ...
afrin sultana's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
286 views

Why does President Trump add a second comma in this sentence to Kim Jong Un?

In the President's letter to Kim Jong Un, I noticed a comma which confused me : I felt a wonderful dialogue was building up between you and me, and ultimately, it is only that dialogue that matters....
Nigel J's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
2k views

Is Microsoft Word's usage of commas correct?

Now I was fairly certain that my comma usage is accurate, but Microsoft Word is second-guessing me, and I can't be certain whether it's correct or not. I have a sentence like this: Based on his ...
Lou's user avatar
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6 votes
1 answer
171 views

Is the solution of the Maine Legislature to the Oxford Comma Case.....clunky?

The Oxford Comma Case (Oakhurst Dairy in Portland, ME vs its drivers) has been settled for five million dollars. According to The New York Times The relatively small-scale dispute gained ...
ab2's user avatar
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0 votes
2 answers
4k views

Commas surrounding a name

I am currently working on an essay, and I have a question about a certain pair of commas. Consider the following sentence: One of my classmates, Simona Stoyanova, and I carried out independent ...
Ognyan Simeonov's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
445 views

Using "and" multiple times within a list

The sentence in question is: Today I went to the store, bought eggs, cheese, and milk, and bread. Is it ever proper to write the first and? Other cases I find use the and to connect one thing ...
Jonathon M's user avatar
-3 votes
2 answers
340 views

Serial comma causing ambiguity [duplicate]

EDIT: This question is not addressed by Oxford Comma Conventions, if I'm wrong, then please provide a link to a particular answer or comment that does address my question. (Such links appear in ...
user2768's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
135 views

What punctuation should I use? [closed]

What punctuation should I use here? Hester needs to be more grateful and focus on: her baby, Pearl; and her sewing.
Shannon Guerin's user avatar
-1 votes
1 answer
316 views

Using 'and' in an incomplete list [duplicate]

For my CV, I want to list a selection of units I have done at university. This list is not a complete list of all my units. Do I therefore need to add an 'and' at the end of the list? What I mean is: ...
user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
63 views

What's the best way to solve this run on sentence (lots of "and"s)?

I have to change a description for something in our app, and I was given this sentence: Create, edit and delete camera assignments and camera and DVR settings. Now the lack of an Oxford comma is ...
joh04667's user avatar
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10 votes
3 answers
16k views

Is there an "Oxford semicolon"?

I must admit that I don't use semicolon lists very often. (In some instances, I probably should have.) I will also admit that I'm neither-here-nor-there with the use of an Oxford comma. Sometimes I ...
Dog Lover's user avatar
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4 votes
0 answers
7k views

The Oxford Comma and its relation to a list with only two entries. [closed]

The sentence is as follows: I work in disaster management and prevention, and international aid and development. 2 Questions: Can a list include just two entries as above? Can the Oxford comma be ...
Mark's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
1k views

Can linking verbs and action verbs be together as elements of the same list?

I am writing a sentence that contains a list of elements in it. Some of the elements are formed with linking verbs and some with action verbs. For example: Laura is a sexy lady, smells heavenly, ...
Juanch0p's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
139 views

How can I divide this sentence?

It also generally implies a particular view of reality of what man, society, and even the physical world like in the nature, behavior and relationship to one another. Could you divide this sentence ...
L.Day's user avatar
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0 votes
0 answers
56 views

Is the Oxford comma necessary in small, single-worded lists? [duplicate]

The main argument: which is advisable of the following two? A, B and C A, B, and C Oxford (or serial) comma is useful to avoid ambiguities in phrases that involve lists such as the example ...
Ébe Isaac's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
101 views

Description after comma belongs to?

Let consider below example: Varicella Zoster, the virus that causes chickenpox and shingles, a far more dangerous, harmful, and longer-lasting disease in older adults that impacts the nervous ...
Joshna Gunturu's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
689 views

Comma in a series of two series?

I'm writing some documentation for code I'm writing and had a question regarding commas with a series of two series. You cannot add setting_A and setting_B, or setting_X and setting_Y in the same ...
Sam Lehman's user avatar