Punctuation Mistakes: Unnecessary Commas – Fix your English Grammar

Yes. In English grammar, there are some occasions in which commas are considered optional. The most widespread of these occasions is called the “Oxford comma.”

An “Oxford comma” is the last comma in a list of things wherein every item is separated by a comma. While the commas in the bulk of the list are required, the very last one is used or omitted at the discretion of the writer. The general rule is that you can remove the comma when the meaning of the sentence isn’t confused by omitting it. However, I would argue that you can never go wrong by adding the “Oxford comma,” and it looks much better to my eyes, so people may as well use it. Let me show you some examples of lists using or omitting the “Oxford comma.”

  [with] I need to buy bread, milk, olive oil, and basil.

[without] I need to buy bread, milk, olive oil and basil.

[with] Vegetarians don’t eat chicken, pork, beef, lamb, duck, fish, or any other types of meat.

[without] Vegetarians don’t eat chicken, pork, beef, duck, fish or any other types of meat.

[with] Our dinner options included a garlic pasta dish with breadsticks, a steak with potatoes and vegetables, and a hearty soup.

[without] Our dinner options included a garlic pasta dish with breadsticks, a steak with potatoes and vegetables and a hearty soup.

 As you can see, there are times when the “Oxford comma” can be left out without altering the meaning of the sentence, but there are other times when it is almost crucial to make sense of what you’re reading. Is that last list saying that you can have a steak with potatoes and vegetables and a hearty soup, or is it saying that you can have a steak with potatoes or vegetables and a hearty soup? That sentence is unnecessarily hard to read without the comma. Like I said, though, there are times when the “Oxford comma” may be omitted without breaking any grammar rules — it is considered optional.