The New Intimacy

Oxford comma and you: Know when to use it.

Skip to last post
Set alerts
Updates
Forum search
Contributor: GirlOnGirl GirlOnGirl
We met two strippers, JFK, and Stalin
03/15/2013
Contributor: spiced spiced
I'm an Oxford comma fan, and I like "logical punctuation", too.
03/15/2013
Contributor: TJtheMadHatter TJtheMadHatter
Quote:
Originally posted by El-Jaro
Here's a hint:

Oh My God! I love this!
03/16/2013
Contributor: aluminummm aluminummm
So much love for the Oxford comma. Not being able to use it when I was a journalism major was the absolute fucking worst.
03/26/2013
Contributor: Adriana Ravenlust Adriana Ravenlust
I was NEVER taught the Oxford comma, which means that 20+ years of education haven't cared about it d=
03/26/2013
Contributor: FieryRed FieryRed
Quote:
Originally posted by UnknownGirl
It's a trick question. Both sentences are correct. The use to the serial comma is a grammar suggestion not a rule. Mostly it depends on the type of writing in question. There are even differences in it's usage between the various English dialects.
Both sentences are grammatically correct, yes, but they have different meanings. The general rule in writing is to make your meaning as clear as possible, so if Stalin and JFK were not the two strippers in question, then the comma is needed for clarification. (Also, an apostrophe in "it's" always signifies a contraction of "it is"; the possessive form does not contain an apostrophe.)
03/27/2013
Contributor: SneakersAndPearls SneakersAndPearls
If JFK and Stalin are not the strippers in question, it is actually clearer and more polished to order it like this:
We met JFK, Stalin, and two strippers.

Or, if you are younger than me:
We met JFK, Stalin and two strippers.

Shut up. I have an English degree and I'm going to use it when I can.
03/30/2013
Contributor: El-Jaro El-Jaro
Quote:
Originally posted by SneakersAndPearls
If JFK and Stalin are not the strippers in question, it is actually clearer and more polished to order it like this:
We met JFK, Stalin, and two strippers.

Or, if you are younger than me:
We met JFK, Stalin and two strippers.

Shut ... more
JFK and then Stalin with his two strippers?
04/01/2013
Contributor: FieryRed FieryRed
Quote:
Originally posted by SneakersAndPearls
If JFK and Stalin are not the strippers in question, it is actually clearer and more polished to order it like this:
We met JFK, Stalin, and two strippers.

Or, if you are younger than me:
We met JFK, Stalin and two strippers.

Shut ... more
Agreed, agreed! Unless, of course, one is listing them in the order in which they were met.
04/01/2013
Contributor: TheirPet TheirPet
I like the stripper JFK.
04/01/2013