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ESL forum >
Message board > Interesting article about the "Oxford comma"
Interesting article about the "Oxford comma"
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yanogator
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Interesting article about the "Oxford comma"
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Bruce |
18 Mar 2017
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Jayho
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Very interesting, Bruce.
Although it�s optional now, in some situations, that Oxford (serial) comma could make or break you.
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18 Mar 2017
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ldeloresmoore
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I saw that over the weekend! And people scoff at my love for the Oxford comma. HA!! #Vindicated |
18 Mar 2017
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almaz
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That story has been doing the rounds in one form or another lately, and is being touted by some* as a justification for the Oxford comma. As more than a few linguists and legal experts have since pointed out (and it�s even suggested in the article Bruce linked to), Maine legislators just don�t use the Oxford comma in lists. So, it boils down to the decision of a court in favour of one side or the other, and really has nothing to do with the serial comma. Here�s a link to a post on the matter by Dennis Baron, professor of English and Linguistics, and an authority on interpreting legal documents: And Jason Eisner (an expert on natural language processing) over at Language Log:
*Despite its name, we tend not to be overly bothered by the Oxford comma in Britain (see, for example, RL Trask�s Penguin Guide to Punctuation)
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19 Mar 2017
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cunliffe
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Good story Bruce, thanks for sharing. I must confess, I am a green - referring to the pie chart jayho has posted.  |
19 Mar 2017
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Gi2gi
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Well, the serial comma does not exist at all in some languages (including mine) and I �m quite happy it doesn �t �:), why would one make English, whose main purpose is now to serve for international or intercultural exchanges, more complex with things like that comma, Oxford, Harvard, serial or whatever. Interesting article , though, thanks Bruce.
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19 Mar 2017
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almaz
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The Oxford comma is just another style choice, not a rule. Many of its devotees insist it removes ambiguity, but what about a sentence such as "We invited Peter, my uncle, and a good friend of mine"?
The real story should be on how the ruling has been misrepresented. The media focus on the Oxford comma in this case is a good example of singing to the choir (the legions of, mainly American, Oxford comma lovers), while blithely underplaying all other arguments (the use, or omission, of the Oxford comma had no bearing on the outcome).
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20 Mar 2017
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