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Oxford (Serial) Comma

How many commas belong in the following?

red, white, and blue / red, white and blue

The answer is more than a little divisive. The comma before the word and is a serial comma, which is defined as the comma before the conjunction in lists of three or more items:

I want pizza, a burger, or spaghetti.

But that last comma is optional. It’s just as legitimate to write:

I want pizza, a burger or spaghetti.

Most academic writing and book publishing favors serial commas, with the Chicago Manual of Style specifically advocating their use. News media and business writers tend to eschew serial commas, with the Associated Press Stylebook instructing followers not to use them.

Passions run high on this controversy. Members of the pro–serial comma faction argue that the serial comma prevents ambiguity in sentences like this:

I’d like to thank my parents, God and Martha.

Without a serial comma, it’s possible to construe God and Martha as appositive of the word parents—in other words, this sentence could mean that God and Martha are the speaker’s parents.

But this pro–serial comma argument falls apart when you make the first noun singular.

I’d like to thank my father, God, and Martha.

In this case, the serial comma creates the possibility that God is appositive of my father. Without a serial comma, this sentence would be unequivocal.

Another argument against the serial comma: it’s redundant. That’s because commas in lists of coordinate items represent a coordinating conjunction.

Gary and Leah and Ignacio and Deanna and Jeanette went to the movies.

Gary, Leah, Ignacio, Deanna, and Jeanette went to the movies.

The latter example shows that commas between coordinate items represent coordinate conjunctions. Except for the final item in the list, you can use and between the items or you can use commas. They do the same job. So if the commas stand in for and, putting one in front of and before the final list item is a little redundant.

On the other hand, serial commas do seem to prevent confusion more often than they create it. So the truth is that neither method is better than the other. The important thing is to be consistent and be aware of the rules of whichever style, if any, you’re using.