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Profile of a Serial Comma

© Barb Alexander

A serial comma (also called the Oxford comma)is the comma right before the conjunction that leads to the last item in a series:

The colors of the U.S.A. are red, white, and blue.
(The serial comma is between "white" and "and.")

Would you like ketchup, mustard, or both on your hamburger?
(The serial comma is between "mustard" and "or.")

Use of the serial comma is a matter of style. The Chicago Manual of Style supports it; the AP stylebook advises against it.

I, for one, believe that the serial comma saves a lot of confusion. Take, for example, the sentence:

The cars raced down the track in this order: blue and gold, black and white, red and yellow and green.

How many cars are there? What are their colors?

Three cars
Blue and gold
Black and white
Red and yellow and green

Or is it...

Four cars
Blue and gold
Black and white
Red
Yellow and green

Enter: the serial comma!

The cars raced down the track in this order: blue and gold, black and white, red and yellow, and green.

Now I get it! There are clearly four cars:

Blue and gold
Black and white
Red and yellow
Green

Consider, too, this example:

The menu will feature Caesar salad, hot dogs, macaroni and cheese and cookies and coffee.

Whoa! Someone found a way to include some of my favorite things all in one dish: macaroni, cheese, cookies, and coffee! But I'm not sure I'll want to taste this concoction, as I imagine the coffee will make the cookies soggy and everything else quite bitter.

Serial comma to the rescue!

The menu will feature Caesar salad, hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, and cookies and coffee.

Although it's not a stated rule of grammar, use of the serial comma is advised by Yours Truly-it will make your writing much more crisp, clean, and easily understood.

The copyright of the article Profile of a Serial Comma in English Grammar is owned by Barb Alexander. Permission to republish Profile of a Serial Comma in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.