The Oxford Comma: a Very Brief Guide.

An Oxford comma, also known as a serial comma, is a comma used before the conjunction in a list of three or more items. The purpose of the Oxford comma is to clarify the meaning of a sentence by separating items in a list and avoiding ambiguity.

For example, consider the following sentence without an Oxford comma:

• "I had lunch with my parents, Beyoncé and Lady Gaga."

Without an Oxford comma, it is unclear whether the speaker had lunch with four people (their parents, Beyoncé, and Lady Gaga) or whether the speaker had lunch with only their parents, and separately mentioned that they had also met Beyoncé and Lady Gaga at a different time.

However, with an Oxford comma, the sentence would read:

• "I had lunch with my parents, Beyoncé, and Lady Gaga."

In this sentence, the Oxford comma makes it clear that the speaker had lunch with three people: their parents, Beyoncé, and Lady Gaga.

Here are five additional examples that demonstrate the use of the Oxford comma:

• Without the Oxford comma: "She loved her dogs, Elvis and Priscilla."
• With the Oxford comma: "She loved her dogs, Elvis, and Priscilla."
• Without the Oxford comma: "The dinner guests included the Prime Minister, a senator and a photographer."
• With the Oxford comma: "The dinner guests included the Prime Minister, a senator, and a photographer."
• Without the Oxford comma: "I'd like to thank my parents, Michelle Obama and Jesus."
• With the Oxford comma: "I'd like to thank my parents, Michelle Obama and Jesus."
• Without the Oxford comma: "We invited the strippers, Stephen Fry and Clint Eastwood."
• With the Oxford comma: "We invited the strippers, Stephen Fry, and Clint Eastwood."
• Without the Oxford comma: "We saw the statues of the three wise men, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny."
• With the Oxford comma: "We saw the statues of the three wise men, Santa Claus, and the Easter Bunny."

Despite its clear benefits in avoiding ambiguity, the use of the Oxford comma is a source of disagreement among writers. Some argue that the Oxford comma is unnecessary and can make sentences look cluttered, while others believe that it is essential for clarity. Ultimately, the decision to use an Oxford comma is a matter of personal preference and style.