When should you use Oxford comma?

So what is the Oxford comma? Well, appropriately enough, the Oxford Dictionary has the answer. The proper definition of the Oxford comma is “a comma used after the penultimate item in a list of three or more items, before ‘and’ or ‘or’.” For example: “Today I went to lunch with my roommates, Tom, and Molly.”

What is an example of a sentence with a comma?

Compound Sentences Use a comma to separate the independent clauses in a compound sentence: Example: The snow started to fall heavily, so all the schools and universities closed early. The comma is optional if both independent clauses are short and the meaning is clear.

What is the difference between an Oxford comma and a regular comma?

What is an Oxford comma? To give the Oxford comma its technical definition, it is a comma used before the final conjunction in a list of three or more items. When you’re writing a list, you naturally include commas to separate each item, but an Oxford comma is when you also put a comma before the “and [Final Item]”.

Do you use an Oxford comma in a list?

What is the Oxford comma? In a list of three or more items, the last comma is called the Oxford comma (or the serial comma). For example, in He bought eggs, milk, and bread, there’s a comma between each item listed. The comma before and is the Oxford comma.

What are the 4 types of commas?

There are four types of comma: the listing comma, the joining comma, the gapping comma and bracketing commas.

Why is the Oxford comma so controversial?

The Oxford Comma Debate

As far as I can tell, the main argument against using the Oxford comma is that it’s somehow easier to not insert a comma at the end of a list of three or more items. Let’s look at this example: We invited my parents, Thomas and Nancy.

How do you list more than 3 things in a sentence?

Use commas after each item in a list of three or more items. Nurses monitor a patient’s vital signs including temperature, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and pulse. Use semi-colons after each item in a list if one or more items already includes a comma.

When listing 3 things where do the commas go?

Commas should be used when three or more items in a series are listed. A comma should be placed between each of the three items (it is also acceptable to leave out the comma between the second-to-last item and the last item in the series). Items in the series may consist of a word, clause, or phrase.

Can simple sentences have commas?

Simple sentence structures can contain punctuation, such as commas, in addition to a period, exclamation mark, or question mark at their end. Simple sentences can also contain modifiers like adjectives (which describe nouns) and adverbs (which complement verbs).

What does a comma look like?

The comma , is a punctuation mark that appears in several variants in different languages. It has the same shape as an apostrophe or single closing quotation mark (‘) in many typefaces, but it differs from them in being placed on the baseline of the text.

How many commas should be in a sentence?

1 Answer. There’s no set limit, but it has to make sense, and their use can affect the meaning.

Do you put a comma before the word or?

Should you use a comma before or? The answer depends on how you are using or. Always place a comma before or when it begins an independent clause, but if it begins a dependent clause, don’t. In a series (or list) of three or more items, you can use a comma before or, but this is a preference, not a rule.

Does I love you mom need a comma?

English, U.S. The comma is required, because “Mum” (with uppercase M) is a vocative in your sentence; that is, the name (or noun ) of the person being spoken to.

How do you teach commas?

Begin your lessons with simple sentences and simple comma rules, like series. Start by giving your students examples of series, so they can easily identify them in a sentence. Have students practice adding commas to sentences with series in them. Have students practice writing serial sentences with correct commas!

How do you list names in a sentence?

In listing people’s names and jobs you can use two strategies: 1 Like in the example: Name of job followed by the name. Don’t use a comma (,) between the job and the name. 2 Put the name first, followed by the job.

Do I put a comma after hello?

When the salutation in your email starts with Hello or Hi, you should put a comma before the name of the person you’re addressing. It is also an accepted practice to put a comma after the name of the person you’re addressing.

Should there be a comma after Happy birthday?

Do we need a comma after “Happy birthday?” Generally, yes, we do need a comma after writing or typing “Happy birthday” when the message is directly intended for a specific person, a pet, a plant, and so on.

Do you put a comma after Hello everyone?

Do you put a comma after “hello” in “hello everyone”? Strictly speaking, a comma should be placed after “hello” in “hello, everyone” because the statement is an example of a direct address. In informal conversations, such as in online direct messaging platforms, the comma is often left out or omitted.

Do you put a comma after a person’s name?

The comma rule depicted here is simple: use a comma with the name of a person you are directly addressing. If the name comes first, it is followed by a comma: Children, please stop jumping on the beds.

Is there a comma after good morning before a name?

According to most grammar resources, the greeting “Good morning” should have a comma after it and before a person’s name, just like all other greetings. However, many people often get rid of the comma in informal letters and writing.

Why is there a comma after good morning?

However, a comma should separate a direct greeting and a person’s name. So if you were to write “Good morning, Mrs. Johnson,” you’d have to place a comma between “Good morning” and “Mrs. Johnson.”

How do you write someone’s name and title in a sentence?

When the title is placed after the person’s name, offset the title with commas and each word is lowercase. If the title is not a formal title, each word is lowercase. If the title is long, offset it with commas after the name or place it in front of the name with a comma.