Serial comma facts for kids

The Oxford comma is a special comma that sometimes goes right before the last item in a list of three or more things. It's also called the serial comma.

Imagine you are listing three friends: "Alice, Bob, and Charlie." The comma after "Bob" is the Oxford comma. If you write "Alice, Bob and Charlie," you are not using it.

Some writing guides like to use the Oxford comma, while others prefer not to. It can be very helpful because it sometimes makes sentences clearer and prevents confusion.

Why Use the Oxford Comma?

Using the Oxford comma can help avoid misunderstandings. For example, imagine a sentence like: "Please bring Marcus, a musician and a skater to the dinner event today."

Without the Oxford comma, someone might think that "a musician and a skater" describes Marcus. They might believe Marcus is both a musician and a skater, and you only need to bring one person (Marcus).

However, if you use the Oxford comma: "Please bring Marcus, a musician, and a skater to the dinner event today." Now, it's clear you are asking for three separate people: Marcus, a musician (who is a different person), and a skater (who is also a different person). The comma helps separate each item in the list clearly.

Avoiding Confusion Without the Comma

If a writing guide tells you not to use the Oxford comma, you can often rearrange your sentence to avoid confusion. For instance, instead of "Marcus, a musician and a skater," you could say: "Please bring a musician, a skater, and Marcus to the dinner event today." This way, the meaning is still clear, and you don't need the extra comma.

The choice to use the Oxford comma often depends on the specific style guide you are following. Both ways are correct, but one might be clearer in certain situations.