Who cares in regards to the Oxford comma?
Traditionally, the reply has been grammar nerds, Strunk & White, and those that comply with the notorious Chicago versus AP writing type information debate.
And after this lawsuit just a few years in the past, we added dairy driver to the listing.
That’s as a result of an appellate courtroom dominated in favor of Maine dairy drivers in a labor dispute that hinged on the oft-debated piece of punctuation.
For anybody who’s ever questioned what all of the fuss is about over Oxford commas, the circuit decide’s 2017 opinion says all of it:
“For need of a comma, we’ve got this case.”
Barron, Circuit Choose
Let’s get into why the oxford comma could make such a distinction
What’s the Oxford Comma or the Serial Comma?
For these in want of a grammar guidelines refresh, right here’s a fast overview.
Typically referred to as the serial comma, the Oxford comma is a comma positioned between the final two gadgets in a collection of three or extra.
For instance, the Oxford comma falls after “hat” on this sentence:
“She wore a jacket, hat, and mittens.”
Whereas some writing type guides don’t use this comma, supporters say it’s essential to keep away from potential ambiguity. And if there’s one factor writers can agree on, it’s the significance of readability. In some circumstances, an additional comma issues.
Does AP Type Use the Oxford Comma?
The brief reply: No.
Many writers, together with journalists, dwell by the Related Press stylebook. AP type doesn’t use Oxford commas.
Nonetheless, Chicago type does require Oxford commas. That’s the Chicago Handbook of Type, which is usually utilized by e-book publishers, lecturers, and commerce publications.
So the choice about whether or not to make use of the serial comma depends on what sort of writing you’re doing, and which type information applies to that venture.
Should you’re writing for a information web site, you most likely wish to comply with AP type and skip the additional punctuation. Should you’re writing a novel you intend to undergo publishers, you most likely wish to comply with Chicago type, which does use the Oxford comma.
An Instance to Comply with
Let’s overview how the Oxford comma works.
Right here’s an instance of a sentence with the Oxford comma:
“I like my dad and mom, Gandhi, and Mom Teresa.”
It’s clear on this instance that I like my dad and mom, in addition to Gandhi, and Mom Teresa.
However take away that serial comma, and the sentence reads, “I like my dad and mom, Gandhi and Mom Teresa.”
One may argue that, written this fashion, the sentence implies that Gandhi and Mom Teresa are my dad and mom. Whereas the common particular person would know this isn’t more likely to be the case, it illustrates how simply a lacking comma can change the that means of a sentence.
Dictionary.com presents extra humorous examples
It was exactly this kind of ambiguity that led to the Maine case with the dairy farmers.
The Oxford Comma Debate, And A $10 Million Comma
On this class motion lawsuit, drivers for Oakhurst Dairy sued the corporate over its failure to grant them time beyond regulation pay.
Employees in Maine are entitled to 1.5 instances their regular pay for hours labored over 40 per week, in line with state legislation. Nonetheless, there are exemptions to this rule. Particularly, the legislation states, firms don’t must pay time beyond regulation for the next actions:
The canning, processing, preserving, freezing, drying, advertising and marketing, storing, packing for cargo or distribution of:
- Agricultural produce;
- Meat and fish product; and
- Perishable meals
Be aware the top of the opening line, the place there is no such thing as a comma earlier than the “or.”
Oakhurst Dairy argued its drivers didn’t qualify for time beyond regulation as a result of they have interaction in distribution, and the spirit of the legislation meant to listing “packing for cargo” and “distribution” as two separate exempt actions.
Nonetheless, the drivers argued the letter of the legislation stated no such factor. With out that telltale Oxford comma, the legislation may very well be learn to exclude solely packing—whether or not it was packing for cargo or packing for distribution. Distribution by itself, on this case, would not be exempt.
With out that comma, because the decide maintained, this distinction was not clear-cut:
If that exemption used a serial comma to mark off the final of the actions that it lists, then the exemption would clearly embody an exercise that the drivers carry out. And, in that occasion, the drivers would plainly fall inside the exemption and thus outdoors the time beyond regulation legislation’s safety. However, because it occurs, there is no such thing as a serial comma to be discovered within the exemption’s listing of actions, thus resulting in this dispute over whether or not the drivers fall inside the exemption from the time beyond regulation legislation or not.
Barron, Circuit Choose
In consequence, the courtroom present in favor of the drivers, costing the dairy an estimated $10 million.
Comma Guidelines: To Comma, or To not Comma?
As a diehard Oxford comma loyalist, this ruling made my day.
Whereas lots of the websites I write for as a freelance blogger comply with AP type, which is sans-serial comma, I nonetheless sneak one in when it appears wanted to keep away from confusion. This case backs up that behavior as extra than simply an old-school tic I haven’t but let go.
Whereas the talk should rage on over whether or not Oxford commas are obligatory on a regular basis, this ruling upholds the follow of utilizing them once they’re important to push back ambiguity.
So, who care in regards to the Oxford comma? The reply, in line with the courts, is formally: anybody who’s keen on readability.
Take that, AP type!
That is an up to date model of a narrative that was beforehand revealed. We replace our posts as typically as doable to make sure they’re helpful for our readers.
Photograph by way of Lamai Prasitsuwan/ Shutterstock