COMMA DRAMA

By Kristen Di Gennaro

Each semester in my college writing classes, I ask students to share their pet peeves about language. Invariably someone mentions the use of commas and the classic meme comparing “Let’s eat, Grandma” with “Let’s eat Grandma.” An online version even includes the caption “commas save lives.”

I’m unaware of a situation in which a comma saved a life, but I know of a legal case in which its absence cost a company millions of dollars. The comma in “Let’s eat, Grandma” is necessary (to avoid potential cannibalism?), but the comma in the legal case is optional. Yes, it’s the contentious Oxford comma.

Ellen Jovin, a grammar groupie who toured the country collecting grammar rants and language questions, notes that the Oxford comma is the one issue people mentioned in all 50 states. A reader of Matters Magazine includes it on his list of pet peeves as well. Although I tend to use the Oxford comma in my own writing, I don’t usually object to its absence in other people’s writing. Matters Magazine, in fact, only uses the Oxford comma when needed for clarity. Yet there’s clearly something about this tiny character that sparks discussion if not debate.

Also known as the serial comma, the Oxford comma is the optional comma before the final item in a (written) list, as in “I need to buy a loaf of bread, a container of milk, and a stick of butter” (another memorable meme). It’s also perfectly acceptable to write “I need to buy a loaf of bread, a container of milk and a stick of butter.” As it pertains to punctuation, the comma is more an issue of style than grammar. And style is about options.

If it’s optional, why all the fuss? For those opposing its use, perhaps the name, associated with the eminent university, adds an air of pretension. Or it creates unnecessary clutter before “and” or “or,” words that already signal the end of the list. For those in favor, perhaps slow readers (such as myself) or those who read aloud, the comma’s presence coincides with a speaker’s intonation.

I suspect the strong feelings that this particular punctuation point evokes stem from it not really being an option at all. Writers who follow the AP style guide are told that omitting the comma is preferable, but writers who follow the APA style guide are told the comma is required. So the choice doesn’t really exist for many writers. Take away people’s choices and they suddenly have very strong preferences when they were previously indifferent.

For readers who believe the Oxford comma is worth fussing over, remember it’s just a comma. Commas may lose lawsuits, but they’re unlikely to lose lives.

What are your thoughts? Is the Oxford comma worth all the fuss? Can its adopters and omitters co-exist without further comment? Please share your thoughts on these and other language matters with your local linguist at languagematters@mattersmagazine.com.

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Kristen di Gennaro is an associate professor of English at Pace University, where she teaches courses in linguistics. She lives in Maplewood and sometimes gathers language data during her commute on the train. To quote a poster in her office, “Keep your mouth open – linguists need data!”