r/EnglishLearning • u/Calamity_Jane84 New Poster • Oct 21 '25

📚 Grammar / Syntax Thoughts on the oxford comma?

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Let’s take a poll, who uses the Oxford comma?

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u/PlasticMac New Poster Oct 21 '25

Meh, oxford comma or bust.

Anyways, ever hear of the song “oxford comma” by vampire weekend?

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u/VanillaBovine Native Speaker Oct 21 '25

i love that song. 10/10. I even got to see them perform it live at bonnaroo some time ago

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u/[deleted] Oct 22 '25

Oxford commas are simply not necessary and can be very confusing. It's completely unnecessary.

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u/PlasticMac New Poster Oct 23 '25

Not if you always follow the rules of the oxford comma and not decide to arbitrarily follow them like the video linked.

My mother, Sarah, and James are going out to eat. Is a list. Not naming the mother and then naming james. Because that is what oxford commas are used for to make it clear that it is the last part of the list before the and.

My mother, Sarah, is going out to eat with James.

James and my mother, Sarah, are going out to eat.

These aren’t lists because they aren’t oxford commas. These kind of commas are for names.

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u/[deleted] Oct 24 '25

Oxford commas are not needed and are confusing. You can keep using them if you want to but I'm not and neither are the majority of people.