A Frequently Asked Comma Question

Today's topic: The Oxford (or "serial") comma 

Quick quiz.  Which is correct? 

A. I bought apples, oranges and bananas. 

OR 

B. I bought apples, oranges, and bananas. 

Note that in both examples, we have a list of three items.  The difference is whether the author used the Oxford (a.k.a. "serial," a.k.a. "Harvard") comma, a comma that in a series of three or more items comes between the second-to-last item and the "and."  In the example above, the Oxford comma is highlighted in yellow.  So let's have the results of our quiz... 

If you said A, you're right.  

If you said, B, you're right. 

Everybody wins, huh?  Not so much.  The irritating fact is that there is no true consensus on whether to use the Oxford comma.  Some style manuals say to always use it, some say to never use it, and some say to use it only in certain circumstances.  Ugh, ambiguity. 

Both the Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab) and the 6th edition APA handbook say to use the Oxford comma.  However, the AP manual (used by journalists) says not to use it.  Also, amusingly, Oxford University no longer recommends using the comma that bears its name.

So how should we determine whether to use the Oxford comma?  Since there isn't a consensus, I think the rule of thumb should be to use it when it is necessary to avoid confusion.  For example, take this sentence: 

I'd like to thank my parents, former Secretary of State Madeline Albright and Colin Powell.  

The way that's punctuated, it looks like the author's parents are Madeline Albright and Colin Powell.  On the other hand, if you use the Oxford comma... 

I'd like to thank my parents, former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, and Colin Powell. 

In that example, it's clear that the author is thanking four people.  She's thanking her parents, and she's also thanking Madeline Albright and Colin Powell.   

So.  In sentences where omitting the Oxford comma might cause confusion, I say put it in.  However,  you should definitely make sure to check the author guidelines of the journals to which you submit, as well as any style manual required by a professor or journal editor.  

For information on which style guides and organizations say to use the Oxford comma and which say to omit it, check out this entertaining chart:  http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/oxford-comma-pictures?page=all 

I hope you found this week's post helpful.  Happy scribbling!