Writing Mixtape: The Oxford Comma

I’m a GenXer, so I’ve decided to corral all my writing-related posts under the header of “Writing Mixtape.” Here’s my first entry…

Comma, Comma, Comma, Chameleon. Today’s post is on the Oxford Comma (the serial comma). It’s the punctuation in front of the conjunction when there is a list or a series of items. (The comma after “ice cream.” I like pie, ice cream, and chocolate.)

Using it or omitting it are both correct, and there has been a battle royal going on for years between the two camps. It all boils down to which style guide you follow. Book publishers tend to use the Chicago Manual of Style (#TeamOxfordComma), and journalists tend to follow the Associated Press Stylebook (#TeamNoOxfordComma).

The caveat is that the Oxford comma is recommended if there is confusion without it. For example:

My heroes are my parents, Godzilla and King Kong.

Without the serial comma, it looks like the speaker’s parents are Godzilla and King Kong. To make it clearer:

My heroes are my parents, Godzilla, and King Kong.

I have always been on #TeamOxfordComma. That’s the way Mrs. Hooper taught it in the third grade, and it stuck. It can be difficult for writers if your editors use different style guides. When they do, it’s a good idea to make a note, so that you follow their requirements. You’ll use your preference by default. Habits are hard to break.

What’s your preference?