Oxford (serial) commas

The Oxford comma is the final comma in a list of things.

Remember, punctuation is about meaning. We use it to make the meaning clear. The Australian Government Style Guide recommends using the Oxford comma where leaving it out would cause ambiguity.

Here are two sentences containing the same words. The use or omission of the ‘Oxford comma’ affects the meaning.

1. My heroes are my parents, Superman, and Wonder Woman. (Note the ‘Oxford comma’ after Superman)

2. My heroes are my parents, Superman and Wonder Woman. (In this sentence the ‘Oxford comma’ has been omitted)

In the first version, there are four inspirational individuals—Mum, Dad, Superman, and Wonder Woman.

In the second version, there are two inspirational individuals—Mum (who is Wonder Woman) and Dad (AKA Superman)!

A simple rule is if you can follow the first comma with ‘who is/are’ or ‘which is/are’, that second comma could be the difference between:

• I went to lunch with my friend, a doctor, and a comedian.
• I went to lunch with my friend, (who is) a doctor and a comedian.

Remember, writing in plain English is about accuracy, brevity and clarity. If your sentences are short, you won’t need so many commas.

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