An infographic that will ensure you never misuse the Oxford comma again.
The Oxford comma—also called the serial comma and the Harvard comma—is a regular source of confusion and angst. Whether you use the comma is a matter of style, meaning that some style guides call for it and some don’t.
Yet people are often taught that they should always use it or never use it. They think there is a right way and a wrong way, they’re doing it the right way, and everyone else is doing it the wrong way.
In rare instances, the comma is needed to clear up confusion. These examples make the case, and make you laugh:
- I’d like to thank my parents, Ayn Rand and God. (a classic example)
- We invited the strippers, JFK and Stalin.
I’ve covered the comma a couple of times already:
Today, I’m pleased to include this new infographic from OnlineSchools.com.
Courtesy of: Online Schools
About the Author
Mignon Fogarty is the founder of the Quick and Dirty Tips network and creator of Grammar Girl, which has been named one of Writer's Digest's 101 best websites for writers multiple times. The Grammar Girl podcast has also won Best Education Podcast multiple times in the Podcast Awards, and Mignon is an inductee in the Podcasting Hall of Fame. Mignon is the author of the New York Times best-seller "Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing" and six other books on writing. She has appeared as a guest on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" and the "Today Show" and has been featured in the New York Times, Business Week, the Washington Post, USA Today, CNN.com, and more. She was previously the chair of media entrepreneurship in the Reynolds School of Journalism in Reno, NV. She hates the phrase "grammar nazi" and loves the word "kerfuffle." She has a B.A. in English from the University of Washington in Seattle and an M.S. in biology from Stanford University. Mignon believes that learning is fun, and the vast rules of grammar are wonderful fodder for lifelong study.
