In the Confusables series, we talk about English words and expressions that are easily confused with one another because of similarities in spelling, pronunciation, and/or meaning.
Punctuation marks may be more important than you think…
Do you know using a comma can save lives?
Let’s eat grandma.
Let’s eat, grandma.
This content is only available to members. If you are a member:
Not a member yet?
Thank you Hassan. I had never heard about the Oxford comma, but now I’m (almost) a specialist on this subject. :-) An Oxford comma is a comma placed immediately before the coordinating conjunction (usually ‘and’ or ‘or’) in a series of three or more terms: “I bought apples, oranges, and strawberries.” It is known as the Oxford comma, because it is part of the house style of Oxford University Press. It is more common in American English than in British English. This practice is controversial and many writers and editors differ on whether to use it. It can both create… Read more »
Thank you, Isabelle.
I myself prefer using it, because it prevents ambiguity.