Transcription:

With the Oxford comma:

we invited the strippers, jfk, and stalin.

[A picture showing a cartoon image of 4 people. JFK, Stalin, and 2 strippers.]

Without the Oxford comma:

we invited the strippers, jfk and stalin.

[A picture showing a cartoon image of 2 people. JFK and Stalin, both dressed in the same stripper outfits as the strippers in the above image.]

  • Zagorath@aussie.zoneOPEnglish
    19·
    7 months ago

    u’re supposed to not have a comma before “and”

    “Supposed to” is…debated. Some style guides like the Oxford comma, some don’t.

    Personally, I’m a strong proponent of it. It never creates confusion, it often removes confusion, and it always does a better job of visually representing natural speech patterns.

    • AEsheron@lemmy.world
      2·
      7 months ago

      It absolutely can create ambiguity, just in different circumstances. The truth is, people should just pick a format they like, and be vigilant about possible ambiguity and reword the phrase if it is unclear.