tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650738503631899640.post4294738538899140681..comments2023-12-29T19:35:59.667-05:00Comments on Reading Matters: The Oxford comma: A dissentUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650738503631899640.post-4534603954605694072012-02-09T14:05:56.170-05:002012-02-09T14:05:56.170-05:00These are good points. Thanks, all. I may be convi...These are good points. Thanks, all. I may be convinced, though as grammar atrocities go, I still think apostrophe misuse is a bigger problem.Pam Kelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01740402376536550623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650738503631899640.post-8735058321805018632012-02-07T06:06:10.989-05:002012-02-07T06:06:10.989-05:00Have you seen the poor editing in the CO lately? A...Have you seen the poor editing in the CO lately? Any tool (be it Oxford comma) that adds to clarity is welcome!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650738503631899640.post-56992780552908386982012-02-06T20:22:06.914-05:002012-02-06T20:22:06.914-05:00while yes, you can adjust sentences to work around...while yes, you can adjust sentences to work around the ambiguity, that works best in short-format writing like journalism. Whereas in book-length works, scrutinizing every sentence with any multiple for possible confusion is exhausting, and inevitably something would be missed. Therefore for books, where also length isn't an issue, it's best to just always use the serial (or Oxford) comma to ensure clarity at all times.Carin Siegfriedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278383926500248048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650738503631899640.post-405496696988484612012-02-06T13:44:03.582-05:002012-02-06T13:44:03.582-05:00The Oxford comma is best because it follows the ru...The Oxford comma is best because it follows the rule of thumb taught in elementary schools - if there is a pause in the sentence, mark it with a comma.<br /><br />Not to mention that if you don't use it, it appears that the list consists of a single item and a double item.<br /><br />Ex: "We had corn, beans and rice for dinner" means that the beans and rice were the same dish, whereas "We had corn, beans, and rice for dinner" means they were served separately.<br /><br />Why rely on context when using the Oxford comma removes all ambiguity and always works?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com