Oxford Comma

[Lisa-Anne Sanderson]

I never used to use the Oxford Comma, and now I am struggling with it. The Editor is upset with this sentence: ""She also goes on dates with herself, and she ends these nights with bubble baths. " I never used to put commas after the "and" in a sentence with two independent clauses, but I got into trouble for that. Now, I am puzzled.

Could anyone help, please?

Regards,
Lisa

[Lysis]

Not an English major here and I can't ever remember the difference between oxford and serial commas.

What did the editor say is wrong? I've gotten a couple revision requests where they told me the comma was unnecessary. Is that what the editor is telling you? I don't see anything wrong with that sentence. I'm confused too. lol

[Abbamay]

I get confused too. Sometimes a comma isn't really necessary but we feel we have to put it in to please the editors. Here is a link that explains commas. I think this is the site that the editors refer us to. Hope it helps. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/607/02/

[Lisa-Anne Sanderson]

Hello Abbamay,

Thank you very much. I am reading the guidelines carefully, but I am a bit upset because I just got used to
the 'Oxford Comma', and now I'm probably using too many commas!

The editor thought that the comma was unnecessary here. I am a bit too scared to resubmit it, because it has been rejected twice. I think that I'll send it to Wizzley now.

[Isabelnewth]

For what it's worth, not much, I think the comma in your extract represents a dramatic pause, and is a perfectly acceptable piece of punctuation, emphasising the phrase which follows; but I know the eds here don't like it. It's good but it has to go.

A comma in that position is something I would like to be able to use when that's the effect I want, but I tend not to here, as the eds don't like commas between complete phrases which are joined by a conjunction.

My understanding of the Oxford comma, which I had never heard of before writing here, is that it's used before the 'and' coming at the end of a list of more than two things, eg red, green, and blue. I believe the guidelines here say it's optional, but should be used, or not used, consistently.

I don't think you have an Oxford comma there!

[jmamos]

I had an editor tell me that Oxford commas are not necessary with two simple, independent clauses. So I would write, "Beat the egg and and slowly add the milk" with no comma. But I'd use a comma for a more complex sentence, or one with a change in subject, such as "He thought she was the most beautiful person in the world, and she thought he was a weird creep."

[Abbamay]

Hi Lisa-Anne,
I also think that the comma is unnecessary, probably because it's a short sentence. I think we've all been rejected due to commas sometimes, and it's the most frustrating reason because it isn't the end of the world! If a comma interrupts the flow of the sentence and just isn't necessary to make your meaning understood, then maybe leave it out. But unfortunately it depends on which editor you get as well. I think they have a high volume of work to get through and usually I think they do a great job.

Don't give up anyway. You're doing fine! And it must be an interesting article because that was a fascinating sentence! Wonder what it was about??

Abba May

[Lisa-Anne Sanderson]

Thank you very much for the thumbs-up, Abba May! I sometimes have a spate of rejections and it's a worry. However, other writers also have this problem, I've been told.

The article was about women who marry themselves. Apparently, more and more women are tiring of waiting for Mr. Right, so they marry themselves instead!

Best Regards,
Lisa