By Yael Goldstein
Talon Staff
I am a strong proponent of the Oxford comma. There, I said it. And I am far from ashamed.
My reasoning is supported by the gorgeous parallelism resulting from its use, and perhaps the more compelling fact that the Oxford comma reduces ambiguity at little cost.
I understand that the former reasoning is somewhat subjective. Sure. But maybe less so than one might believe. Take these two sentences, for example:
I bought apples, bananas, pineapples, cranberries, and arugula.
I bought apples, bananas, pineapples, cranberries and arugula.
Maybe I’m overthinking things (very plausible), but I simply believe that the first sentence just presents itself with an elegance that the second sentence lacks. If this stylistic reasoning is unconvincing to you, let me offer an alternative:
I purchased hot dogs, oatmeal, shrimp and grits, and tomato soup.
I purchased hot dogs, oatmeal, shrimp and grits and tomato soup.
The difference is significant here. One is obviously far more aesthetically desirable than the other and I think we all know which one that is. If you need me to spell it out for you, it’s the first one. Obviously.
Still skeptical? I don’t blame you—aesthetics are hardly concrete enough to support such a controversial argument. Let me offer some more objective evidence to satiate your troubled, inner grammarian. Aesthetics vary from person to person, but nearly everyone can agree that the ultimate goal of written language is to clearly express meaning. Consider this example:
I admire my parents, Marylin Monroe, and John F. Kennedy.
In this sentence, it is clear that I am referring to three parties. I admire three separate entities. In the following sentence, however, this is not as clear:
I admire my parents, Marylin Monroe and John F. Kennedy.
Now this is positively scandalous. This sentence, sans Oxford comma, indicates that my parents are Marylin Monroe and JFK. Such a statement will inevitably cause an uproar. The general idea is that the Oxford comma prevents the initial part of the list from being perceived as an appositive (a word or group of words that renames the noun next to it ex: John, my father, is an engineer.)
There are real-world consequences that concern the Oxford comma as well. In 2017, drivers for the Oakhurst Dairy company won $5 million of overtime pay that they were previously denied for four years. The dispute was principally decided by the lack of an Oxford comma in a Maine statute concerning exemptions from overtime pay.
According to the New York Times, the exemption of an Oxford comma resulted left the law unclear.
Thus, one simple comma can be the difference between millions of dollars or none at all. And what is the cost of making this change, you ask?
Absolutely nothing.
Use the Oxford comma.
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