Why I Love the Serial Comma

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by Michelle Lasley

Michelle Lasley is a mother, wife in Pacific Northwest learning to balance green dreams with budget realities.

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February 20, 2014

Categories: One a Day, Post a Day 2014

The serial comma (also known as the Oxford comma or Harvard comma, and sometimes referred to as the series comma) is the comma used immediately before a coordinating conjunction (usually and or or, and sometimes nor) preceding the final item in a list of three or more items. For example, a list of three countries can be punctuated as either “Portugal, Spain, and France” (with the serial comma) or as “Portugal, Spain and France” (without the serial comma).

Graphic depicting the importance of the serial comma.

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All the World’s a Stage

All the world’s a stage. This keeps coming up for me. When I read as a lecture during Catholic mass, but especially when I help put on an event. Each space has its directors, its producers, its actors who all play a pivotal role. Each space has its problems and everyone has to pivot. And, the thought has occurred to me – everyone should, yes, I daresay should, take some acting classes in their formative years so they can truly learn the ins and outs of “all the world’s a stage.”