What’s your opinion on the Oxford comma? (1 Viewer)

[litc]

How are they bad at grammar if they follow all grammar rules though?

You said the list was unclear

a list shouldn’t be unclear if it has items of the same type , has commas between the other items, is capitalized at the beginning, and the proper parts of speech are used, as well as appropriate punctuation if there are descriptors for items in the list

 

[Ahsoka]

You said the list was unclear

a list shouldn’t be unclear if it has items of the same type , has commas between the other items, is capitalized at the beginning, and the proper parts of speech are used, as well as appropriate punctuation if there are descriptors for items in the list

So which part does this break?
I went to a party with my friends, Josh and Jacob.

 

[litc]

So which part does this break?
I went to a party with my friends, Josh and Jacob.

Yeah, it’s not unclear. So the Oxford comma isn’t needed, it’s still clear

 

[Ahsoka]

Yeah, it’s not unclear. So the Oxford comma isn’t needed, it’s still clear

So who did they go to the party with?

 

[PloryWinxyMYBlnk]

So which part does this break?
I went to a party with my friends, Josh and Jacob.

If I recall correctly, I think the comma is usually input when at least 3 subjects are mentioned.

E.G. ~ Josh, Jacob, and Jack.

I think the comma represents a split-second pause. So it's almost like saying "Josh... and Jacob" if a comma is inserted before the and in this instance.
Also, if the comma is inserted after friends like this "friends, Josh, and Jacob," you already have 3 subjects when reading so that just sounds weird.

I don't know; I think that was how I was taught in class and when reading books.

So who did they go to the party with?

Since the statement said their names, both of them.

 

[Ahsoka]

If I recall correctly, I think the comma is usually input when at least 3 subjects are mentioned.

E.G. ~ Josh, Jacob, and Jack.

I think the comma represents a split-second pause. So it's almost like saying "Josh... and Jacob" if a comma is inserted before the and in this instance.
Also, if the comma is inserted after friends like this "friends, Josh, and Jacob," you already have 3 subjects when reading so that just sounds weird.

I don't know; I think that was how I was taught in class and when reading books.




Since the statement said their names, both of them.

The problem here is that it could be a list of 3, but that’s not a guarantee. Either 4+ people (2+ friends, Josh, and Jacob) went or 2 people went (Josh and Jacob, who are the friends). Neither are incorrect as far as I’m aware, but within writing neither is clear either. If the list has an Oxford comma you definitely know it was 4+ people, if it’s not there it is either 2 or 4+ people and you don’t know unless you ask or already knew before reading it.

 

[ani07]

“I love my parents, who are named Jesus and Jenna Marbles” is a completely correct interpretation of the sentence as well for US English speakers at least.

if thats the meaning, I would write it like that: "I love my parents Jesus and Jenna Marbles". the comma after parents is the one making ppl misunderstand. like I said before, I still would have not understood your meaning, with or without comma. the meaning would have still been the same to me.

 

[Ahsoka]

if thats the meaning, I would write it like that:"I love my parents Jesus and Jenna Marbles". the comma after parents is the one making ppl misunderstand. like I said before, I still would have not understood your meaning, with or without comma. the meaning would have still been the same to me.

That’s grammatically incoherent to say "I love my parents Jesus and Jenna Marbles" though no? If the the “Jesus and Jenna Marbles part was essential for the sentence it wouldn’t need commas but it’s not essential, just useful, so they do need a comma before. So while you might get away with it in unimportant stuff what do you do when grammar is needed?

 

[ani07]

That’s grammatically incoherent to say "I love my parents Jesus and Jenna Marbles" though no? If the the “Jesus and Jenna Marbles part was essential for the sentence it wouldn’t need commas but it’s not essential, just useful, so they do need a comma before. So while you might get away with it in unimportant stuff what do you do when grammar is needed?

like I said, I would have understood wrong, even with a comma.

 

[Ahsoka]

like I said, I would have understood wrong, even with a comma.

Are you saying you would have understood "I love my parents, Jesus and Jenna Marbles" wrong or you would have understood "I love my parents, Jesus, and Jenna Marbles" wrong?

 

[ani07]

Are you saying you would have understood "I love my parents, Jesus and Jenna Marbles" wrong or you would have understood "I love my parents, Jesus, and Jenna Marbles" wrong?

both have the same meaning to me. the one I wrote before.

 

[Ahsoka]

both have the same meaning to me. the one I wrote before.

Yes that’s my point. If the Oxford comma was required this confusion would be only possible to make when you misread, but because the Oxford comma is optional it means you can misinterpret the sentence.

 

[ani07]

Yes that’s my point. If the Oxford comma was required this confusion would be only possible to make when you misread, but because the Oxford comma is optional it means you can misinterpret the sentence.

I would still be confused cause I never use it and never heard of it before.

 

[Ahsoka]

I would still be confused cause I never use it and never heard of it before.

I would assume most native speakers are familiar with it even if not by name and if it was taught as necessary that number would probably only go up. Either way I'm just pointing out that theoretically it makes more sense for people to use it to make things clearer. If you learn English not as a first language and your first language doesn't have it maybe some wouldn't have the knowledge but I think the times it really truly matters the people writing the rules or laws or whatever are sufficient in English understanding that they would have learned a grammar rule like that, whether they have English as a first language or second. At the end of the day when it comes to typing/writing, proper grammar is not always use, I myself omit commas and apostrophes and survive without having people be overly confused. But for a case of actually important things that require proper grammar? Those I feel the Oxford comma should be followed, just ask that dairy company who got sued $5 million for omitting an Oxford comma.