home
up
contents
fiction
nonfiction
services
miscellany
faq

the Oxford/Harvard/Donovan comma

One of the questions that comes up often in discussions of English usage is whether one should write
                    red, white and blue
            or
                    red, white, and blue

That comma after the "white" in the second example is known as the "serial comma" and is often referred to as the "Oxford comma" in England and the "Harvard comma" in the US (indeed, I've heard people argue about whether it is the Harvard comma or the Oxford comma--some people will argue about anything) because it is the preferred style of those two institutions.

But both styles are "correct" and both can be found in reputable style manuals. In general, at least in the USA, technical publishers tend to prefer the use of the serial comma, for the very good reason that the risk of ambiguity is far less when it is used. Ambiguity makes technical publishers nervous. In contrast, journalists and advertising copy writers tend to prefer not using it. (In both cases, careful writers will ensure that any possible ambiguity is removed.)

So what do you do? If you don't have a publisher looking over your shoulder and telling you what you must do, you are free to choose your own style.

However, and this is a BIG however, whichever you choose, stick to it. Some writers can't seem to make up their minds and bounce around between the two styles as if it really didn't matter, never realizing that readers can get really bugged about such things. Of course, at some level it doesn't matter, and it also doesn't matter if some readers go read somebody else.

As for my personal choice, the title on this page ought to make that clear.

[ home ] [ up ] [ contents ] [ fiction ] [ nonfiction ] [ services ] [ miscellany ] [ faq ]
send e-mail
page updated: August 28, 2000

website design: lunemere