It is the indispensable reference for writers, editors, proofreaders, indexers, copywriters, designers, and publishers, informing the editorial canon with sound, definitive advice. This case backs up that habit as more than just an oldschool tic i. As a general rule, you dont need a comma before as well as. As well learn in the ebook developing a powerful writing style and its section on. In short, aps stance is to omit the serial comma except when it prevents misreading, and chicagos stance is to always include itfor the same reason. The oxford or serial comma is one of the more divisive parts of the english language even more so than the singular they, and it looks like the hyphen will be relegated to the same battlefield. The 2019 edition of the associated press stylebook and briefing on media law includes more than 200 new or revised entries, with chapters covering data journalism, business, fashion, food, religion and sports terms, as well as media law, news values, punctuation, social media, polls and surveys and a new chapter on health and science. Is clarity essentially the only rule determining when a serial comma should be included. It has the same shape as an apostrophe or single closing quotation mark in many typefaces, but it differs from them in being placed on the baseline of the text. The only authorities who advocate omitting the final comma are newspaper style guides which. As you noted, the primary reason journalistic writing removes the. Writers trained in ap style know when and when not to use oc. Use of the oxford comma is stylistic, meaning that some style guides demand its use while others dont. Serial commas and serial semicolons the mla style center.
The comma, is a punctuation mark that appears in several variants in different languages. What is ap s style on the militarys dont ask, dont tell policy. What is aps style on the militarys dont ask, dont tell policy. This week we address the serial comma, seventh in the list of the top 10 most common apa style errors as identified by onwuegbuzie, combs, slate, and frels 2010 also known as the oxford comma, the serial comma is the final comma in a list of three items or more, and it is used immediately before and, or, and occasionally nor. Jun 15, 2017 serial commas and serial semicolons by erika suffern serial commas. According to new harts rules, house style will dictate whether to use the serial comma, and the general rule is that one style or the other should be used consistently. Mar 04, 2020 heres a post from the write life on the oxford comma debate. While many of the sites i write for as a freelance blogger follow ap style including this one, which is sans serial comma, i still sneak one in when it seems needed to avoid potential confusion. What is the oxford comma and why is it so important. After much searching and many letters from thoughtful readers such as you, i have discovered only two sets of authorities that approve of dropping the serial comma. Top 5 tips to edit and write in chicago or ap style proedit. Also known as the oxford comma, the serial comma is the final comma in a list of three items or more, and it is used immediately before and, or, and occasionally nor. Apr 03, 2011 serial comma definition is a comma used to separate the secondtolast item in a list from a final item introduced by the conjunction and or or called also harvard comma, oxford comma. Coordinate adjectives are adjectives in a row that each separately modify the noun that follows 1, as in heavy, bulky box.
The oxford comma or serial comma is a comma placed between the last two items in a series of three or more. Oxford style requires the use of the comma to avoid confusion, hence the name oxford comma. The apa style guide, library of congress style guide, the ama style guide, zen comma, elements of style etc. Some typefaces render it as a small line, slightly curved or straight but inclined from the vertical, or with the appearance of a. May 29, 20 as mignon fogarty explained in a grammar girl piece in 2011, the first style book to recommend using the serial comma came out in 1905 in england, and strunks first edition of the elements of.
Your letters and my further research have revealed this. It attempts to provide guidance, rather than blackandwhite rules. As mignon fogarty explained in a grammar girl piece in 2011, the first style book to recommend using the serial comma came out in 1905 in england, and strunks first edition of the elements of. Last week the ap updated its style guide and sortabutnotquitekilled the rule on hyphens. It tells writers to omit the last comma unless omitting it would create confusion or ambiguity. But the aps rule isnt as simple as just omitting the comma before an and or an or. There is a reason this is called a punctuation guide. I use the ap standard which omits the serial comma except in the case where it is needed for clarity. She was glad she had looked, for a man was approaching the house. A majority of american style guides mandate use of the serial comma, including apa style, the chicago manual of style, garners modern american usage, the mla style manual, strunk and whites elements of style and the u. Spiralbound book, updated each spring 2019 ap stylebook. Journalistic writing is largely governed by the rules of associated press ap style.
Dear readers, many thanks to all who responded to my plea for help in tracing the origin of the wrong rule about omitting the final comma in a series red, white and blue instead of red, white, and blue. This comma precedes the final item in a list or series, before the word and or or. The following are simple examples that use serial commas. Whether to use the serial comma is a style issue, which is. How to use commas in associated press style pen and the pad. In ap style, omit the comma before the last item in a simple series, such as joe, john and steve. Proponents of the oxford comma say its necessary to avoid potential ambiguity. If youre new to news writing or switching from one to another, youll want to keep this ap cheat sheet handy and refer to it when in doubt. The language isnt governed 100 percent by hard rules.
As a rule of thumb, use a comma if the subject of each clause is expressly. If the series includes internal commas that necessitate semicolons or uses a conjunction such as and, include the comma. Put a comma before the concluding conjunction in a series, however, if an integral element of the series requires a conjunction. Ap stylethe style guide that newspaper reporters adhere todoes not require. This week we address the serial comma, seventh in the list of the top 10 most common apa style errors as identified by onwuegbuzie, combs, slate, and frels 2010. Associated press style guide ap style the serial commaoxford commas. Katlyns favorite authors are twain, hemingway, and steinbeck. The oxford commaalso called the serial commais one of the most divisive linguistic devices in the english language.
The grammatical use of punctuation is fairly settled. Use commas to separate elements in a series, but do not put a comma before the conjunction in a simple series. When a conjunction such as and, but or for links two clauses that could stand alone as separate sentences, use a comma before the conjunction in most cases. Also called the oxford comma, this term refers to a comma that separates the penultimate item in a list from the final item introduced by a conjunction and or or. The ap style as its known in the trade is quite different from the new york times style or chicago manual of style. For instance, ap would use the serial comma in this sentence. Rules by ap stylebook, bad grammargood punctuation, chicago manual of style, gregg reference manual, and morsons ap stylebook with equal adjectives. Although the british are less likely to use serial commas than americans 1, 2, primarily its newspapers that allow writers to omit that final comma 1, 3. Aps stance is to omit the serial comma except when it prevents misreading, and. As a diehard oxford comma loyalist, this ruling made my day. The new ap stylebook will not end the oxford comma debate. Use commas to separate a series of adjectives equal in rank. The rationale for the serial comma daily writing tips. Lucky for us, ap and chicago agree on one thing before they part ways.
The chicago manual of style online is the venerable, timetested guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format. If the commas could be replaced by the word and without changing the sense, the adjectives are equal. Relaxing studying music, brain power, focus concentration music. My assumption on the omission of the serial comma in publications is to save a bit of space as well as for the same reasons that there are no longer two spaces between sentences.
Serial comma definition of serial comma by merriamwebster. According to the website box office mojo, the topgrossing movies of all time in the united states are currently avatar, titanic, and the dark knight. Serial commas and serial semicolons by erika suffern serial commas. Ap stylethe style guide that newspaper reporters adhere todoes not require the use of the oxford comma. The associated press style guide canonizes this omitthelastcomma convention.
Grammarly s writing assistant can help you make sure your punctuation, spelling, and grammar are tiptop on all your favorite websites. Its founded on the idea that people must write briefly so as much information as possible can fit onto pages. Commas can be tricky, but they dont have to trip you up. Heres an overview of how the serial comma works and why its important for clarity. Specific ap comma rules in ap style, omit the comma before the last item in a simple series, such as joe, john and steve. The oxford or serial comma is the final comma in a list of things. In a simple series, ap doesnt use a comma before the last item.
The 2019 edition of the associated press stylebook and briefing on media law includes more than 200 new or revised entries, with chapters covering data journalism, business, fashion, food, religion and sports terms, as well as media law, news values, punctuation, social media, polls and surveys and a new. Perhaps no mark of punctuation ruffles feathers more than the serial comma also called series comma, oxford comma, and harvard comma. The strategy i happen to use is pretty brainfree, which is to say that it follows ap style. Dec 30, 2010 whether to use the serial comma is a style issue, which is why patti and her friends ended up in a debate. However, the ap style rule is that you do not include that final comma unless its necessary. When you join three or more elements in a series, put a comma before the conjunction usually and or or. It is also required by the chicago manual of style and mla style. Following the recent launch of the 2019 ap stylebook, we spoke with paula froke, editor of the ap stylebook and executive director of apme associated press media editors, on the evolution of language and some of the books new updates for this year froke, who is based in philadelphia, has been the stylebooks lead editor since 2016 and a member of the stylebook team since. The associated press style is the goto style for journalism and news writing. Thus, only numbers one through ten are written out numerals are used for higher numbers, state names use the postal code, and the oxford or serial comma is nowhere to. Mar 22, 2017 the associated press style guide canonizes this omitthelastcomma convention. Ap wants hyphens to literally go the way of the oxford comma.
Patti and her friends are debating about the serial commathe comma that comes before the final conjunction in a list. If youre new to news writing or switching from one to another, youll want to keep this ap cheat sheet handy and. As you noted, the primary reason journalistic writing removes the comma is to save space, not to improve clarity. I adhere to this rule in my own writing and in the writings of those i edit. Comma before the and the serialcomma rule finds impressive support. But when you join three or more elements, the preferred rule requires a comma before the coordinating conjunction.
Heres a post from the write life on the oxford comma debate. Observations on the oxford comma legal writing editor. Some other punctuation and usage example for ap style numbers, 3 ounces. Ap style does not use the serial comma, while chicago style does. Well see where each of the heavyhitters come down on the subject. The school offers courses titled arts and entertainment. In short, ap s stance is to omit the serial comma except when it prevents misreading, and chicagos stance is to always include itfor the same reason. Ap style thats the associated press stylebook, which many journalists live by does not use an oxford comma. Instructions on the comma are lengthy in both cmos and ap. A serial comma simply means that a comma will separate each element in a series of three or more, even before the coordinating conjunctions and and before or. Chicago, being twice as long as ap, has twice as much to say on this subject and offers several more variations of proper serialcomma usage on which the ap is mum 6. When you use a coordinating conjunction to join two elements of a series, no comma comes before the conjunction. Ap style dictates specific comma placement in a series and with dialogue, dates, numbers and titles like jr.
In contrast, the associated press stylebook advises against it. Lowercase the first word unless it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence. That final comma before the and in a list is called an oxford comma, or serial comma. No association with region or dialect is suggested, other than that its use has been strongly advocated by oxford university press. The jumper is available in green, yellow, and black and white. Feb 05, 2014 in ap style there is the rule of serial commas stating not to place the last comma in a simple series u. Ap style, the oxford comma, and communication the daily campus. While many of the sites i write for as a freelance blogger follow ap style including this one, which is sansserial comma, i still sneak one in when it seems needed to avoid potential confusion. The family meal was soup, fish and chips, and ice cream. The comma rule comes down to the difference between two kinds of adjectives. An oxford comma is the final comma used before an and at the end of a list and is used to avoid ambiguity. For starters, associated press style is aimed at newspapers. Refer to your style guides for a full treatment of this punctuation mark. With the exception of newspapers, most publications use the serial.
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