Why do People Misuse the Oxford Comma?

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Replies

  • QuixoticPanda
    QuixoticPanda Posts: 40 Member
    Making good use of Wikipedia I see. :P
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    I'm a "Grammar Nazi". I've never heard that term....or the Oxford Comma. I mean, why don't they just call it a comma? It's not THAT hard, haha.

    Eh? Because, it's easier to say or write "Oxford Comma" than "the comma used immediately before a coordinating conjunction".
  • 10acity
    10acity Posts: 798 Member
    I'm a "Grammar Nazi". I've never heard that term....or the Oxford Comma. I mean, why don't they just call it a comma? It's not THAT hard, haha. I also don't like the word "lol", but I will use it occasionally.
    Remember, when combining two sentences, use a conjunction like I did. Fifth sentence shows two sentences: I also don't like the word "lol" and but I will use it occasionally.
    Combining those with "but", I get that sentence up there. Use the comma, young ones. It makes you sound educated. If you want to find out if you can use a conjunction to combine two sentences, take the two sentences you find suitable for a conjunction. Say them separately like a sentence.
    Example:
    1. I also don't like the word "lol".
    2. But I will use it occasionally.
    Can the second sentence be said normally like a real sentence? If the answer is yes, then find the appropriate conjunction: and, or, or but.

    I was an overachiever in English, and I felt like giving you an English lesson today.

    I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure punctuation nearly always falls inside quotation marks. I happen to like using the abbreviation "lol," but it depends on the situation. :flowerforyou: Everyone makes mistakes or forgets a rule from time to time. I know I do! :)

    Punctuation inside quotation marks is an American thing. There is actually a very convincing argument against it-- which makes so much sense I changed my ways about a year ago! See: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/the_good_word/2011/05/the_rise_of_logical_punctuation.html
  • Feathil
    Feathil Posts: 162 Member
  • TheLongRunner
    TheLongRunner Posts: 688 Member
    I love the Oxford Comma.

    Me too.
  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member
    I am siding with my favorite Vampire Weekend song of the same name....

    Who gives a **** about an oxford comma...
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,458 Member
    I'm a "Grammar Nazi". I've never heard that term....or the Oxford Comma. I mean, why don't they just call it a comma? It's not THAT hard, haha.

    Eh? Because, it's easier to say or write "Oxford Comma" than "the comma used immediately before a coordinating conjunction".

    Taso, you are smart, handsome, and strong. "Coordinating conjunction...." *swoon*
  • jenna_scott
    jenna_scott Posts: 56 Member
    I thought diagramming sentences was fun!

    But I'm waiting for a person of importance, or a person in deep despair to utter these words; "Quick I need these sentences diagrammed IMMEDIATELY!". As if the future of the world, depended on it. And if the future of the world depended on ME doing the diagramming, we are screwed!

    Can we get a ruling on proper comma usage on the last two sentences here??

    and the first??

    Never mind the proper comma ruling, whatever happened to not starting a sentence with a conjunction? Is that one out the window too like the final comma? What is this world coming to?
  • mommared53
    mommared53 Posts: 9,543 Member
    Hmm. I was taught that the "and" or "or" took place of that comma. To this day I never use it! Right or wrong, I like being the grammatical rebel.

    This ^^^
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