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People aren’t robots. Not enforcing the Oxford comma doesn’t mean you mindlessly write ambiguous sentences. Style guides that don’t use the Oxford comma will s
by kahnclusions 4y ago
People aren’t robots. Not enforcing the Oxford comma doesn’t mean you mindlessly write ambiguous sentences.
Style guides that don’t use the Oxford comma will suggest either: adding the comma where necessary to avoid confusion, or rewriting your sentence to be less ambiguous.
- CogitoCogito 4y agoThat is sensible, but I still don't understand why people take a stand against the comma. Is saving a single tiny character that important even if it is not ambiguous to leave it off? Why would people recommend against its use?
- M3L0NM4N 4y agoInconsistency creates confusion as well. If there isn't an example of the Oxford comma increasing ambiguity, I see no reason it shouldn't be used every time.
- xboxnolifes 4y agoI agree that people aren't robots, but I disagree with the conclusion. People write ambiguous sentences very often, and I certainly appreciate a very simple rule that avoids needing people to pay mindful attention to list ambiguity. What is the benefit to not having the oxford comma? Is there a tradeoff I'm missing here, or are people advocating to avoid it simply on the basis of "I don't like it"?