The Oxford Comma Explained

The Oxford Comma Explained Theres not a subject more divisive to grammarians, writers, and editors than the usage of the Oxford (or serial) comma. The Oxford comma is the last comma used in a list of three or more items and is stylistic in its usage, which essentially means that you use it depending on what kind of writing youre doing. Proponents of the Oxford comma say that this last comma provides clarity and helps the reader. However, those anti-Oxford comma writers out there say that this last comma clutters up the page and that the use of it may even contribute to more confusion.So, how do you know if you should use it in your writing? Why should you use it (or why should you not)? Here is a guide to all things Oxford comma to help you determine which side of the argument you fall on.What is the Oxford comma?The Oxford Dictionarys website defines the Oxford comma as, an optional comma before the word and at the end of a list†¦ its known as the Oxford comma because it was traditionally used by printer s, readers, and editors at Oxford University Press. Not all writers and publishers use it, but it can clarify the meaning of a sentence when the items in a list are not single words.The history of the Oxford comma is a bit murky, but according to an article on Business Insider, the first person to write down this powerful little punctuation mark as rule was a man named Frederick Howard Collins who was a British indexer and writer. He featured commentary on the serial comma in his 1912 book published by Oxford University Press entitled, Authors Printers Dictionary: A Guide for Authors.In his reasoning for using the serial comma, Collins wrote:The late Herbert Spencer [the Victorian philosopher and scientist] allowed me to quote from his letter:- whether to write black, white, and green, with the comma after white, or to leave out the comma and write black, white and green- I very positively decide in favour of the first. To me the comma is of value as marking out the component eleme nts of a thought, and where any set of components of a thought are of equal value, they should be punctuated in printing and in speech equally. Evidently therefore in this case, inasmuch as when enumerating these colours black, white, and green, the white is just as much to be emphasized as the other two, it needs the pause after it just as much as the black does.Frederick Howard CollinsSo essentially what Collins was saying (through Spencer) is that just because something is last in a list doesnt mean that it shouldnt get the same pause and treatment as the first two or more items in a list. For the last century, Oxford University Press and other institutions of style and grammar have insisted on the usage of this last comma.When should you use the Oxford comma?Now that we know a little bit about the history of the Oxford comma and that its used to clarify sentences with two or more items in a list, how do we know when to use it in our writing? Because it is stylistic in its usage- meaning that its just the preferred style of the way a sentence looks and not a rule per se- you arent always going to be using the serial comma.Here is a list of some of the most common style guides you will be using while writing, and whether or not they use the Oxford comma:Associated Press Style (AP) does not use the Oxford comma.American Psychological Association Style (APA) does use the Oxford comma.Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) does use the Oxford comma.The Modern Languages Association (MLA) does use the Oxford comma.The Oxford University Press (OUP) does use the Oxford comma.You may have noticed that the only common style guide we have listed here that does not use the Oxford comma is the Associated Press (or AP) style guide. This guide is the stylebook for journalists, public relations, and advertising professionals. There are several reasons why AP does not use the Oxford comma, but its mostly not used as a way to use space efficiently within their paragraphs.So now that we know when we are supposed to use it, lets look at some examples to show us how its done. Here are some sentences that could be clarified using the Oxford comma:Example 1I love my parents, Russell Westbrook and Ariana Grande.Why this should be corrected:Though it would certainly be cool to have Russell Westbrook and Ariana Grande as parents, its unlikely that this is what the writer of this sentence intended. Its very easy to pick out that this sentence is incorrect because we know for sure that Ariana Grande and Russell Westbrook dont have a child together, but in other sentences it might not be so easy. Putting the last comma in will clarify that the author actually meant that they liked all of those people separately.Example 2Jamie sat on the plane next to Will Ferrell, the famous comedian, former SNL star and a large German shepherd.Why this should be corrected:Clearly Will Ferrell isnt a famous comedian and also a large German shepherd at the same time. This sentence could ea sily be clarified with a serial comma, which would separate the words and let us know that Will Ferrell is indeed a human and not a dog. Opponents of the Oxford comma would likely say that the sentence doesnt need to add a comma but instead needs to be revised to indicate that Jamie is sitting next to both Will Ferrell and a dog.Example 3I will be enjoying cereal, eggs and coffee this morning for breakfast.Why this should be corrected:This breakfast is starting to sound appetizing until you get to the word and. Is the author putting eggs in her coffee? Is she pouring coffee over her eggs? In either case, we have to decline the invitation to brunch at her house. In all seriousness, adding that one little comma at the end clarifies that the writer intended to say she is having coffee alongside of her eggs and not on top of them.Arguments against using the Oxford commaFor every devotee to the Oxford comma, there is another person who is staunchly against its usage. Why wouldnt someone want to use this tool of language if it makes things easier to understand? An anti-Oxford comma person would argue that it could sometimes lead to more ambiguity in a sentence.Another anti-Oxford comma argument is that commas can litter up a page. Many writers and editors want the most important things to shine through in the text: the words. They argue that spilling commas and dashes and other punctuation marks throughout the text can distract the reader from what is most important and detract from the main idea.Lastly, anti-Oxford comma arguers say that most ambiguity in sentences with lists can be fixed by simply rewriting them. They argue that the sentences need to be restructured instead of merely adding some punctuation and then claiming that its no longer ambiguous.So now that we know some arguments on why we may not want to use it, here are some examples to show us what that might look like. Heres how to fix sentences without the Oxford comma:Example 1I love my parents, Russ ell Westbrook and Ariana Grande.How this could be corrected without the Oxford comma:I love my parents, but I also love Russell Westbrook and Ariana Grande.Instead of adding the last comma, we have added in words that can specifically tell us that Russell Westbrook and Ariana Grande are not the authors parents. We could even take it a step further and query the author to ask why these two thoughts would be connected in the first place. We could also ask her if they could feasibly be separated because they seem to be two completely different thoughts.Example 2Jamie sat on the plane next to Will Ferrell, the famous comedian, former SNL star and a large German shepherd.How this could be corrected without the Oxford comma:Jamie sat on the plane next to Will Ferrell, the famous comedian and former SNL star, as well as a large German shepherd.We have corrected the ambiguity of whether or not Will Ferrell was a dog comedian (or a comedian who had possibly turned into a dog) by adding in a few words. Now we know that the author was sitting next to Will Ferrell and a large German shepherd on the plane. We could also take this one step further by asking the author for more detail here. Was this Will Ferrells dog or did the author just get really lucky to sit by both on her plane ride? Was the dog just allowed to sit without being on a leash? If we simply fixed it with a comma then we still might not have all the information that we need.Example 3I will be enjoying cereal, eggs and coffee this morning for breakfast.How this could be corrected without the Oxford comma:For breakfast this morning, I will be enjoying cereal and eggs while drinking coffee.In this sentence we completely rearranged the order of the clauses so that it was less ambiguous what the author was doing. Theres no question now if she is putting eggs in her coffee or pouring coffee in her eggs because we know now that she is drinking coffee while eating those breakfast items.Do I have to use the Oxford c omma if Im not using a style guide?If you are not using a style guide and are writing something for personal usage, then its not necessary to use the Oxford comma. The main thing about punctuation is that no matter how you use it, just be consistent. For example, if you are writing something that does not have to adhere to a style guide, you can choose to spell out numerals over 10 if it makes sense for the audience- but just be consistent with your rules. The reason why we have style guides is to maintain a sense of consistency throughout documents so that its easier for the audience to read. If you are writing something besides a research paper or a piece of news, then just be sure to apply good writing style consistently and ask an editor if you are questioning something.Pay attention to your style guideThough you may have your personal opinions about the Oxford comma, its important to set those aside when you are working with a specific style guide that dictates whether or not i ts used. Its also crucial to make sure that youre not just following a style guide blindly and that you are making good writing decisions with every sentence. Confused on whether or not the Oxford comma is making your sentences unclear? Ask a teacher or an editor who can help you sort it out and make your writing clear.

1 Essays - Ancient Athenians, Ancient Greeks, Philaidae, Free Essays

1 Essays - Ancient Athenians, Ancient Greeks, Philaidae, Free Essays Reflective essay Student's name Institution affiliation Instructor's name Course date of submission Thucydides Thucydides was a Greek philosopher and an author of the Peloponnesian war, there i s an aspect of war. In his work the "Peloponnesian war" Thucydides have highlighted some aspects that are critical even in modern world concerning effects of war and its impact on human race Morley, N. D. G. (2018) . His work rotates on the impacts of the war and the negative effects that resulted from the war. The aspect of war is vividly portrayed in Thucydides work. A lot of people lost their lives in the Peloponnesian war, this is also witnessed in modern world. In his work he tries to show how this war created great rift between Athens and Sparta. Thucydides say, "beginning at the moment that it broke out, and believing that it would be a great war and more worthy of relation than any that had preceded it . This clearly shows the impact that Peloponnesian war had (Wu, 2018) . Another feature that is evident in Thucydides work is use of direct prose, he achie ved this through compelling numerous sources into a single persuasive voice. The aspect of revenge is also apparent in his work, after the outbreak of the Peloponnesian war there was increased political instability thus forcing Athens and Sparta to revenge against each other. Thucydides says, " At the time, Athens was a high sea power with a democratic political system and innovative leadership that made it a formidable force.'' Many lives were lost during this time, thus making Thucydides work to show vividly the effects of war (Tsakmakis, and Tamiolaki, 2013) . Machiavelli Power and Control Machiavelli was an Italian philosopher, one aspect of his work is on power and control. According to Machiavelli's his view of politics, philosophy, and the human person would enable a prince who adopted them to acquire power and keep it for a substantial period. Machiavelli was a realist rather than a moralist (Lucchese, 2017) . His perception of human beings was as they are and not as they should be. Subsequently, he recognized that human beings are predisposed not to follow the advice that philosophers give. Machiavelli, therefore, chose to provide people with practical information rather than idealistic advice. Machiavelli's description of politics and human behavior was it was as opposed to a visionar y perspective ( Nederman, and Bogiaris, 2018 ). Machiavelli's philosophy was therefore feasible on the basis that is identified the flaws in human character that made them unable to take general advice. His advice was formulated on the knowledge that practicalit y was essential for information to be useful to human beings. Machiavelli's strategy would be feasible at this time because it was necessary for the state to be in control of its subjects by giving them incentives such as peaceful coexistence and protection to remain part of the country. Machiavelli's philosophy would create enduring political philosophy because it would be built on visionary leadership that appreciates and understands the importance of the power of leadership (Hoipkemier, 2018) . Machiavelli's political philosophy observes that the leader in the state and the state is the leader. The leader, therefore, has to be visionary and needs to be on the same level as the state for the leadership to be effective. The virtues, vision, and mission of the leader will set a precedent for the state to follow. An enduring political state will, therefore, require leadership that recognizes the role of leadership in directing the state towards stability and prosperity . References Wu, C. X. (2018). The Thucydides' Trap, Rationalist Theories of War, and China-US Relations. Rationalist Theories of War, and China-US Relations (August 23, 2018) . Nederman, C. J., Bogiaris, G. (2018). Niccolo Machiavelli. In The History of Evil in the Early Modern Age (pp. 63-78). Routledge. Hoipkemier, M. (2018). Machiavelli and the Double Politics of Ambition. Political Studies , 66 (1), 245-260. Lucchese, F. D. (2017). Machiavelli and constituent power: The revolutionary foundation of modern political thought. European Journal of Political Theory , 16 (1), 3-23. Morley, N. D. G. (2018). Thucydides: origins of realism ?. Edinburgh University Press. Tsakmakis, A., Tamiolaki, M. (Eds.).

Beyonce Knowles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Beyonce Knowles - Essay Example This essay "Beyonce Knowles" outlines the life and creative career of one of the most successful artists in the World. Although she has gone solo, Beyonce is still a part of the Destiny’s Child music group. Music consumers have purchased more than 15 million of the Destiny’s Childs records. Their multiplatinum Survivor, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's music chart and generated the highest first-week total for a female group and the biggest opening sales in Columbia Records' history. Survivor opened at No. 1 in nine other countries as well. It follows the success of the group's second CD, The Writing's On the Wall (1999), which has sold more than 10 million copies. Beyonce Knowles has achieved a phenomenal solo success in film acting, having co-starred in Austin Powers in Goldmember and the highly successful film, the The Fighting Temptations. She shares her personal perspective on success: "When you love and accept yourself, when you know who really cares about you, and when you learn from your mistakes, then you stop caring about what people who don't know you think. Usually the person talking is just jealous or sad about themselves, and it takes going through this to realize that's how life is." Beyonce’s parents were instrumental to her success and they continue to manage her singing career. Mathew Knowles, a Fisk University graduate and former corporate marketing and sales star, has built a reputation for being an astute, hands-on manager who engineered Destiny’s Child group’s success. 's Child group's success. He manages a music empire that includes a management firm, record label and production studio. Tina Knowles is the style maven who crafted the group's edgy, sassy image. She has received praise for her dazzling, trendsetting costumes and hairstyles for the group. The Knowleses have been supportive from the very beginning, when Beyonce and a group of young girls decided they wanted to be dancers and singers. They hel ped to train and to rehearse the girls, to select and sew the costumes, and to style hair. The Knowleses booked and helped to transport them to performances. She got her work ethic from her parents. She is a very focused artist. She knows her goals. She does whatever it takes to get the job done. She has come out in Pink Panther with Austin Myers and in Dreamgirls. 2.1 Current Product Beyonce is 27 years old, 5ft 7in, brown-eyed and brown-haired musical star. She has long, muscular legs but is tall, thin and very curvy and hopes to stay that way by looking after her body. To keep herself in top