Serial comma
Comma before the conjunction in a list / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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In English-language punctuation, the serial comma, also referred to as the series comma, Oxford comma, or Harvard comma,[1][2] is a comma placed immediately after the penultimate term and before the coordinating conjunction (and or or) in a series of three or more terms.[3][4][5] For instance, a list of three countries might be punctuated without the serial comma as "France, Italy and Spain" or with the serial comma as "France, Italy, and Spain". The serial comma can serve to avoid ambiguity in specific contexts, though its employment may also generate ambiguity under certain circumstances.[6]
Usage of the serial comma varies among writers and editors and also varies among the regional varieties of English. British English allows both the inclusion and omission of this comma,[7] whereas in American English the comma is common and even considered mandatory by several style guides, with the APA style,[8] The Chicago Manual of Style, Garner's Modern American Usage,[9] Strunk and White's The Elements of Style,[10] and the U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual[11] either recommending or requiring it. In contrast, the Associated Press Stylebook and The New York Times Style Book[12] advise against its use. The Canadian Press stylebook in Canada similarly recommends against its employment. The majority of British style guides do not mandate its use, with The Economist Style Guide noting that most British writers use it solely to avert ambiguity.[13] Notably, The Oxford Style Manual advocates it (hence the name, "Oxford comma").[14] However, the University of Oxford Style Guide (2014 edition) recommends against indiscriminate use.[15]
The Oxford Companion to the English Language notes: "Usage varies as to the inclusion of a comma before and in the last item. ... This practice is controversial and is known as the serial comma or Oxford comma, because it is part of the house style of Oxford University Press."[16]