WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Grammar Minute: Why You Need That Serial Comma

Episode Date: February 5, 2025

People like to argue about the Oxford comma, but there are some very clear scenarios when its use is not optional. Learn more on today's episode of Grammar Minute!

Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we're saving the English language 60 seconds at a time. I'm Lauren Smith and I'm speaking today in defense of the Oxford comma. This little punctuation mark is also called the serial comma. It's the comma that appears in a list before the conjunction. For example, in the phrase peanut butter jelly and bread, it appears after jelly. Some people think this comma is redundant. Doesn't that and already break up the list? Personally, I don't think so.

Most people include a natural pause before the and that should be indicated grammatically by a comma. Also, if your list includes items with multiple nouns separated by and, it's confusing which and belongs to the nouns and which belongs to the list. There's a classic example of a sentence that doesn't work without the serial comma. I dedicate this book to my parents, Einrand and God. That's your Grammar Minute. Visit Thegrammerminant.com for more tips and tricks.