Sarah's Smart-Mouthed Grammar Blog: Part 1
Written By: Sarah Rushakoff
Okay, look. I used to be a really stubborn, whiny baby about grammar, judging everyone’s writing no matter where I saw it. After a lot of learning from people who definitely didn’t have to teach me anything, I have a more open mind about variations in language depending on context, medium, and audience. My new philosophy is to do what’s appropriate for whoever I’m trying to reach.
My only remaining unshakable peeve? Inconsistency. If you’re going to do something your way (what baby-me would have called “the wrong way”), do it the same your-way every time. Some writers collect all their your-way quirks into a style guide, so they can stay consistent. I love a style guide, and I love when all the writers in the same group use the same one. Not because it’s the one right way, but because it’s the consistent way.
Comma drama
What follows may be the most controversial thing I’ve ever written. I prefer the Oxford comma. Also known as the serial or Harvard comma, and no I don’t only like it because it’s named after schools I wouldn’t have gotten into. I love it because, in my eyes, it’s never wrong.
Gaye here! Do you also love the Oxford comma? I love it too. Would you like to read what I wrote about it back in August?
“Sally has apples, oranges, and bananas.” The second comma there might not be essential for clarity, but its presence doesn’t change the meaning of the sentence or cause trouble in any way. It’s just there, hanging out. We could say, “Sally has apples, oranges and bananas.” That would also be correct, if you don’t like the look of commas and only want to use them where absolutely necessary.
“Meet my parents, Leslie Knope and Liz Lemon.” Okay. What am I doing with this sentence?
Introducing my two parents who are Leslie Knope and Liz Lemon?
Or am I introducing my unnamed parents to Leslie Knope and Liz Lemon?
OR am I introducing my unnamed parents as well as Leslie Knope and Liz Lemon to yet another unnamed entity?
Let’s say my intention is 3. Adding another comma would make things a lot clearer for the reader. “Meet my parents, Leslie Knope, and Liz Lemon.” I’m there, so are however many parents I have, so are two fictional women, and apparently so is the person I’m speaking to.
I could go on, but many other people have already come up with much sillier examples than I can think of. So I’ll just bring back my main point: a serial comma isn’t always necessary, but it’s never wrong. Since switching back and forth would feel inconsistent to me—MY ONE UNSHAKABLE PEEVE—I always use the serial comma in my own writing.
