Many writers ignore using of serial comma in their writing even though it seems important. What could be the possible effect?
I don't know too much about this, but I have habitually used the Oxford Comma, since long before I knew what it was!
I understand it to be an instruction to the reader to pause, breaking up a passage so it is read as intended by the author.
Failing to punctuate in this way risks losing meaning at the expense of decent references, and publication.
Christopher NOCK
The serial comma or series comma is so called as a comma is used immediately before a coordinating conjunction such as ‘and’ and ‘or’ preceding the last item in a list comprising of three or more items. For example:
- After land preparation, you may sow, dibble, or drill the seeds.
Please note that most style guides, for example, the CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers (CSE, 2014) recommends the use of serial commas. This serial comma is also called Oxford comma or Harvard comma because the Oxford University Press and the Harvard University Press have traditionally been following this type of comma usage in their publications.
The serial comma is recommended for clarity and to avoid misreading. If a particular journal or publishing company insists for serial comma, there is no other option but to follow it!
C George Thomas i found your comment very useful, sir. I searched for the CSE Manual but could not have access to it.
Dear Alhaji Malah Galti , the book is not free, but you can sign up for a free trial . Try the following link .
https://www.scientificstyleandformat.org/Home.html
For a more lighthearted look at punctuation (and the Oxford comma), see the book "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" by Lynne Truss--NY Times best seller, available at Amazon.
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