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Topic: Oxford comma

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comma punctuation

Pythagorean comma

syntonic comma

Comma separated values

Serial comma

inverted commas

comma free code

Oxford comma

Inverted Comma Narekovaj

Southern Comma

Armenian comma

decimal comma

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	Rules for Comma Usage
		One of the most frequent errors in comma usage is the placement of a comma after a coordinating conjunction.
		We cannot say that the comma will always come before the conjunction and never after, but it would be a rare event, indeed, that we need to follow a coordinating conjunction with a comma.
		Use a comma to set off parenthetical elements, as in "The Founders Bridge, which spans the Connecticut River, is falling down." By "parenthetical element," we mean a part of a sentence that can be removed without changing the essential meaning of that sentence.
	grammar.ccc.commnet.edu /grammar/commas.htm (1956 words)

	Serial comma - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
		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) that precedes the last item in a list of three or more items.
		The terms "Oxford comma" and "Harvard comma" come from Oxford University Press and Harvard University Press, where use of the serial comma is the house style.
		Use a comma also before the concluding conjunction in a complex series of phrases: The main points to consider are whether the athletes are skillful enough to compete, whether they have the stamina to endure the training, and whether they have the proper mental attitude.
	en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Serial_comma (1675 words)

	Comma (punctuation) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
		In the first case, "which were over six feet tall" is set off by a comma because it is a non-restrictive clause (i.e., its removal doesn't alter the meaning of the sentence).
		The comma is used to separate two independent clauses (a group of words that can function as a sentence) that are joined by a co-ordinating conjunction ("for", "and", "nor", "but", "or", "yet", and "so" when they are used to connect; the acronym "fanboys" can be used as a memory aid).
		Although the Oxford comma is not always used, it is essential in certain sentences to avoid ambiguity.
	en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Comma_(punctuation) (1626 words)

	Coma - Supporting the state's local music scene.
		The comma is a valuable, useful punctuation device because it separates the structural elements of sentences into Use one comma before to indicate the beginning of the pause and.
		The comma tells the reader to pause, just as the blinking yellow light tells a driver to slow writers can tell where a comma is needed by reading their prose.
		Comma usage is in some respects a question of personal writing style: some writers use commas liberally, while the option of using a comma or not, you may find it.
	www.destarter.com /comma/coma.html (627 words)

	Tomato Nation (Site not responding. Last check: )
		The last comma in a series which precedes a conjunction, called the "Harvard" or "Oxford" comma by usage experts, is the subject of much fevered debate.
		In the example cited, suppose the last comma in the series is omitted; freight and communications costs could then be read as one category, though it is not meant to be.
		Neither of the examples you give is incorrect, exactly, but the Oxford comma usage -- the first one -- is the clearer one, and therefore preferred.
	www.tomatonation.com /vi050702.shtml (983 words)

	Fun Facts about Oxford \| Oxford City Guide
		The first colleges of Oxford were built in the 13th century, but it wasn't until 1878 that women were admitted to the university, 1920 when they were awarded degrees, and 1974 when the last of the all-male colleges opened their doors to women.
		Oxford's Ashmolean Museum was the first museum in the world to be opened to the public when it was officially opened in 1683 according to the Guinness Book of Records.
		The comma used before a conjunction (such as "and" or "or") in a list of three or more items is known as the Oxford Comma.
	www.oxfordcityguide.com /FunFacts.html (1272 words)

	Waitrose.com - Jancis Robinson - Waitrose Food Illustrated
		There are funny little quirks that an Oxford Companion editor has to get used to, such as the Oxford comma.
		If you have a list of a, b, c and d, everybody else puts the comma after a and b, but the Oxford comma goes after c as well, so you get a, b, c, and d.
		The Oxford Companion to Wine is a massive tome, 864 pages long, with 32 maps, 31 colour plates, 4,000 entries from about 100 contributors, 600 on grape varieties alone.
	waitrose.com /food_drink/wfi/foodpeople/writersandcritics/9911034.asp (1259 words)

	Writing Specifications
		A list is the first an usual application for a comma as they're used to divide the items.
		Usage of the comma is correct when it can be replaced by the word and or or.
		Use the Oxford Comma is you wish and astound people by being uncharacteristically geeky; also knowing the the Americans leave it in.
	home.clara.net /marin/swpm/punct/comma.htm (319 words)

	The Oxford Comma
		The comma is one of the most versatile items in the writer's tool box; employing one can turn a philosophical question ("What is the thing called love?") into an inquiry asked of a significant other ("What is thing called, love?").
		But as versatile as the comma is-- and just how many sentences depend on the careful placement of the comma we'll never know-- there is one special type of comma that serves a very direct purpose and can only further complicate an intricate sentence if used inappropriately.
		The serial (or Oxford) comma is a prime example of this, as it can greatly alter the meaning of a sentence, the ease of which prose is read, and the impact the text has on a reader.
	www.absolutewrite.com /freelance_writing/oxford_comma.htm (1529 words)

	Oxford Commas in ZhurnalWiki (Site not responding. Last check: )
		And like the fellow who was surprised to find he had been speaking in prose all his life, I only learned yesterday that there's a term for the comma that I habitually put before the conjunction in a list of three or more items.
		I use the Oxford Comma because it's logically consistent and reduces ambiguity.
		In the AP Stylebook, it was referred to as a 'serial comma' (and may be referred to as that in other references.
	www.zhurnal.net /ww/zw?OxfordCommas (296 words)

	The Mavens' Word of the Day (Site not responding. Last check: )
		A comma after the next-to-last item in a list, when the next-to-last item and the last item are separated by a conjunction, is known as a series comma or a serial comma (or, in England, as the Oxford comma).
		Some people, chiefly journalists, think that the serial comma should be avoided unless the sentence is ambiguous, on the grounds that the conjunction makes the preceding comma superfluous.
		Most, however, recommend using the serial comma in all cases, since the inclusion of the comma is always clear and doesn't force the writer to evaluate every sentence for possible ambiguity.
	www.randomhouse.com /wotd/index.pperl?date=19970708 (257 words)

	How would you punctuate here
		Their son’s test came back stating that he was qualified to be either a carpenter or a seamstress.
		My understanding is that the so-called "Oxford comma" is one used before a conjunction in a list; e.g.
		Oxford camma--abosolutely correct and essential comma, as I like to call it.
	www.englishforums.com /English/40877/Print.htm (391 words)

	Commas
		NO comma is required here because the sentence has a compound predicate but is NOT a compound sentence.
		The final comma in a series (right before the and) is called an Oxford comma.
		Many grammar books will tell you that this final comma is optional--unless needed for clarity: These items are available in fl and white, red and yellow, and blue and green.
	www.puc.edu /Faculty/Rosemary_Dibben/Grammar/commas.shtml (634 words)

	Tomato Nation (Site not responding. Last check: )
		Someone recently edited a sentence that I wrote, removing a comma that I had used.
		I've looked at my Gregg Reference Manual, but since all the comma usage advice is grouped by headings like "independent this," and "dependent, non essential that," I don't see an example the addresses the construction in question.
		If you're called on it again, ask the editor to flip the clauses so the sentence reads, "Joining the company's full line...applications new XYZ Type widegets...show." You'd still need a comma, of course, because otherwise the sentence is a run-on mess; the same principle applies to the original, but perhaps it isn't as obvious.
	www.tomatonation.com /vi033005.shtml (2532 words)

	[No title]
		Sometimes, though, the "because clause" must be set off with a comma to avoid misreading: I knew that President Nixon would resign that morning, because my sister-in-law worked in the White House and she called me with the news.
		And, instead of a comma, use a colon to set off explanatory or introductory language from a quoted element that is either very formal or long (especially if it's longer than one sentence): Peter Coveney had this to say about the nineteenth-century's use of childrenin fiction: "The purpose and strength of.
		Note that we use a comma or a set of commas to make the year parenthetical when the date of the month is included: July 4, 1776, is regarded as the birth date of American liberty.
	www.nic.edu /writingcenter/punctuation/commas.doc (2037 words)

	Geese Aplenty: Living every week like it's Shark Week.
		The serial comma is where you use a comma after the last item in a sentence to designate a list.
		Despite the title of her book being an homage to the confusion caused by the lack of the serial comma, she writes: “My own feeling is that one shouldn’t be too rigid about the Oxford comma.
		The commas appear to be setting off “Ayn Rand” from the rest of the items, suggesting that the writer’s mother is Ayn Rand.
	www.geeseaplenty.com (3933 words)

	[No title]
		In the sentence "I'd like to thank my parents, Ayn Rand, and God.", the Oxford comma is the last one.
		Oxford and Harvard both say you should use it always; I agree.
		In general, I like the comma, but I think the most important thing is to be consistent in use across a publication.
	yiff.mit.edu /jesusfaq (1464 words)

	the Oxford/Harvard/Donovan comma
		But both styles are "correct" and both can be found in reputable style manuals.
		In general, at least in the USA, technical publishers tend to prefer the use of the serial comma, for the very good reason that the risk of ambiguity is far less when it is used.
		In contrast, journalists and advertising copy writers tend to prefer not using it.
	www.trulydonovan.com /wordworks/oxfordcomma.htm (208 words)

	Oxford Comma - Home (Site not responding. Last check: )
		All music & lyrics were written and recorded by Oxford Comma.
		9/25: The remaining members of Oxford Comma are currently looking for a new lead singer.
		The rest of Oxford Comma will remain in Gainesville and attempt to fill the void left by Steve and Lindsay.
	www.oxfordcomma.com /home.html (126 words)

	Profile of a Serial Comma
		Use of the serial comma is a matter of style.
		Although it's not a stated rule of grammar, use of the serial comma is advised by Yours Truly—it will make your writing much more crisp, clean, and easily understood.
		I was taught that the conjunction replaces the comma betw...
	www.suite101.com /article.cfm/english_grammar_style/70779 (341 words)

	A Book Review by Jonathan Cook (WAC at Eastern Illinois University)
		Far too often, a seemingly intelligent discussion of, for example, the comma is interrupted by a humorous-yet-pointless digression involving James Thurber or Aristophanes.
		There are people who embrace the Oxford comma and people who don’t, and I’ll just say this: never get between these people when drink has been taken.
		If anything, the situation worsens, as Truss wish-washes her way through the issue, concluding that the Oxford comma may be used sometimes and not other times.
	www.eiu.edu /~writcurr/review.htm (791 words)

	Edward Champion’s Return of the Reluctant » 2006 » February
		Booksquare has written a passionate defense of the serial comma, pointing to Brenda Coulter’s equally vivacious endorsement of a puncutation mark too frequently used by investment bankers.
		While it is true that Strunk & White endorse the serial comma (under Section II, Rule 2), I contend that this particular puncutation rule does not apply, because their hearts are not completely into it.
		Let us also consider that the hard-core serial comma boosters are found most frequently in law firms and investment banking firms.
	www.edrants.com /?m=20060209 (518 words)

	dictForum (Site not responding. Last check: )
		I noticed the same thing for quite some time and have often wondered whether that comma rule I learned back in school was wrong or whether it simply isn't followed by everybody or not anymore.
		A comma before ''and'' makes send when the second part is somewhat different from the part before the ''and''.
		If you have a list of more than three items, I definitely prefer a comma before the and; it makes it clear to me as a reader that each of the items is one of the items on a list (e.g.: salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cinnamon).
	dict.leo.org /archiv.ende/2003_02/17/20030217100014l_en.html (1153 words)

	comma before "and"?
		Yes, but leaving the comma out is not a serious problem.
		I thought about that, and put the comma in deliberately.
		comma to separate it from the main clause to which the parenthetical comment
	www.vocaboly.com /forums/post-1023.html (555 words)

	2.2 Announcement comma - Please no comma before 'and' \| Apache \| Docs
		Whether or not to use the commas is a decision
		This was the one example I noted without the Oxford comma, and I always
		As was pointed out before, this is a very old argument: it's the Oxford comma to me, and I personally like it, but it is a matter of style.
	www.gossamer-threads.com /lists/apache/docs/301131 (593 words)

	Edward Champion’s Return of the Reluctant » The Oxford Comma
		And I celebrate the Oxford comma, for it not only removes ambiguity but provides an opportunity to pause and enjoy the beauty of a well-crafted sentence.
		The silliness and faux rebelliousness of a sentence such as “Of course, when we add the Oxford comma, the sentence becomes disappointingly clear” is, er, disappointing.
		With non-fiction, unless the publisher specifically says the commas must be used to conform with house style, I also leave everything as written.
	www.edrants.com /?p=2740 (1392 words)

	LEO Archiv: Komma in Aufzählung vor ''and''[...] (Site not responding. Last check: )
		This last comma — the one between the word ''and'' and the preceding word — is often called the serial comma or the Oxford comma.
		My father, a lawyer, remembers a good example from law school: an estate left to ''Fred, John, and George'' is split three ways while arguements have been made that an estate left to ''Fred, John and George'' should be split two ways: half to Fred and the other half divided between John and George.
		If the sentence is a long list of items, each separated by a comma and each clearly separate, then I would invariably omit any comma before the 'and' ahead of the final item.
	dict.leo.org /archiv.ende/2005_08/11/20050811123827e_en.html (672 words)

	Punctuation Sticklers Unite - Erik Deckers - Humor Guru
		She condemns the illiterate, stupid, and greengrocers of the world, who misuse and abuse proper punctuation.
		These are the people who put apostrophes in things like "DVD's," "1970's," or "it's" for the possessive of "it." They misplace commas, and are never sure if they mean "woman, without her, man is helpless" or "woman, without her man, is helpless."
		A club made up of people who know things that others don`t, like the true name of "dot dot dot," or what an Oxford comma is. (It`s the last comma before "and," as in "gold, silver, and bronze.")
	www.humorguru.com /dojo/190/v.jsp?p=/erik/punctuation (737 words)

	happyboogie's Xanga Site (Site not responding. Last check: )
		We've been in a debate at my office about whether to use a comma before the word 'and' in a series of items.
		There is, in fact, a long-standing debate about the use of this comma.
		The lady then clarified that in recent years, especially in technical writing, the use of the Harvard comma is going away.
	www.xanga.com /happyboogie (2660 words)

	SpecGram--The Oxford Comma: A Solution--Eliza Doolittle
		he Oxford Comma has once again raised its nasty little head in linguistic circles, thanks largely to the efforts of one Ms Truss and her book, Eats, Shoots and Leaves.
		For those of you wondering what the Oxford Comma (OC) actually is, I have one question: what on earth are you doing reading an up-market linguistic magazine like this?
		I further submit that the name be abbreviated from Oxford Comma to OdCom, suggestive of modern technological developments.
	specgram.com /CL.2/03.doolittle.odcom.html (267 words)

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