The Oxford Comma Great Debate

"After we left Grandma, Mommy and I skipped about in the park."

"After we left, Grandma, Mommy, and I skipped about in the park."  *

 To comma or not to comma – that is a good question.  Writers are taught to use commas to separate items in a series of three or more.   However, many writers tend to question whether a comma is necessary before the conjunctions and & or.  The comma that goes before a conjunction in a series is called an Oxford comma – and that little series comma has caused a whole lot of confusion.  Why?  Probably because sometimes we see writers use the Oxford comma, and sometimes we see writers omit the Oxford comma.  So who is right?

Well, the answer is – both schools of thought are correct.  Use of the Oxford comma is a matter of preference.  The key is consistency – you should either use the Oxford comma throughout an entire piece of writing or not.  However, as in the above sentence about grandma skipping in the park, there are times when a comma will be necessary to avoid confusion.

One of my favorite grammar gurus, Grammar Girl, posted a helpful infographic to help demystify the Oxford grammar.

What’s your style?  Do you prefer to use the Oxford Comma or do your tastes tend to favor leaving the serial comma at home?

*Truss, Lynne, and Bonnie Timmons. Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference! New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2006. Print.