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Tobin S.

(10,420 posts)

52. I use the Oxford comma. However, I really like that Vampire Weekend tune, too.

Sat Jan 3, 2015, 07:28 AM

Jan 2015

I guess I'm pretty open-minded on the issue. I'm not much of a grammar Nazi. As long as I can understand what you are trying to say, I'm good with how you are saying it. I know when I first started posting on DU my grammar was terrible. I saved posts form back then, and it was pretty embarrassing to go back and see how bad of a writer I was. Nobody really gave me a hard time about it, though, at least not that I can recall, and I learned a great deal about grammar and writing as I read and posted here over the years. Going back to college helped a great deal, too.

I think the reason I was able to learn a lot from DU is that a lot of college-educated people post here. It may not always be a safe place for your ideas here, but it has proven to be, at least for me, a safe place to hone your writing skills.

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Where do DUsers stand, on the Oxford Comma? [View all] ashling Dec 2014 OP

Absolutely necessary HERVEPA Dec 2014 #1

Now you've done it! Avalux Dec 2014 #4

Honest to Goddess--is this REALLY a controversy? hlthe2b Dec 2014 #2

I'm a medical writer. I don't use the oxford comma. Avalux Dec 2014 #3

OTOH, I was a medical transcriptionist for years. Laffy Kat Dec 2014 #18

It is not "overkill." It is consistency of meaning. WinkyDink Jan 2015 #46

I'm fer it, not agin it... Wounded Bear Dec 2014 #5

Me, too. Enthusiast Jan 2015 #59

For. In some lists, the last two things can seem like a 'combo' in certain contexts. onehandle Dec 2014 #6

As a programmer, I'm totally for it. Ron Obvious Dec 2014 #7

Ahem. "Not all that glitters is gold" is correct; it is "All that glitters is not gold" that is not. WinkyDink Jan 2015 #47

Duh! Ron Obvious Jan 2015 #51

Insufferable retired English teacher here. :-) WinkyDink Jan 2015 #54

And here I thought he was quoting song lyrics Sentath Jan 2015 #63

I always use the Oxford Comma. NutmegYankee Dec 2014 #8

Me too. nt cyberswede Dec 2014 #12

"Prescriptive" vs "Descriptive" grammar. UTUSN Dec 2014 #9

As someone who assigns lots of critical thinking assignments ashling Dec 2014 #10

Just saying that making it a dictum that if you use it you need to use it UTUSN Dec 2014 #13

No comma. I was a copy editor for 13 years RebelOne Dec 2014 #11

Newspapers are not the standard. For one thing, they are "de-capitalizing" arbitrarily. E.g., they WinkyDink Jan 2015 #48

but what if you're writing: orleans Jan 2015 #58

I use it, but when my articles get edited by the higher-ups, mahatmakanejeeves Dec 2014 #14

I was going to post that (counter-)example if no else had ... eppur_se_muova Jan 2015 #25

Lol! cwydro Jan 2015 #28

That is so funny. Thx. Vattel Jan 2015 #56

Who gives a fuck? Coventina Dec 2014 #15

I give a fuck. I give many fucks. Bucky Jan 2015 #36

And your ellipsis is because...? WinkyDink Jan 2015 #49

Trying to encourage the OP to respond to my poor attempt at humor. Coventina Jan 2015 #60

I like it, but frogmarch Dec 2014 #16

"Lower taxes will save the economy?" or "Lower taxes will save the economy"? 1step Dec 2014 #17

I've always been for it and just found out this year that it had a name. N/T nirvana555 Dec 2014 #19

I've always thought that anything between the quotey marks should be part of the quote. Bucky Jan 2015 #35

Is it farther to New York ashling Jan 2015 #41

The Chicago Manual of Style . .. reACTIONary Dec 2014 #20

I use Chicago in my government classes ashling Dec 2014 #21

+10 (nt) reACTIONary Dec 2014 #22

For it MrsMatt Dec 2014 #23

Barbarians. ashling Dec 2014 #24

Use it sometimes, but not always. Just depends on how I feel. Hoyt Jan 2015 #26

I use it. Always have. cwydro Jan 2015 #27

whichever works best. Not my bugaboo these days. magical thyme Jan 2015 #29

I was taught to use the Oxford Comma for clarity... Lars39 Jan 2015 #30

The capitalization errors there make that cartoonist the Mark Fuhrman of Grammar Nazis Bucky Jan 2015 #32

For the record, the comma in your subject line is NOT an example of the Oxford comma Bucky Jan 2015 #31

+1 rug Jan 2015 #38

Must be a "Bucky Lack of End Punctuation," too! WinkyDink Jan 2015 #50

It's a valuable, necessary and important component of language. (nt) UrbScotty Jan 2015 #33

Your irony is ironic, for you DO ask your readers to pause without your actually being clear about WinkyDink Jan 2015 #45

I write whatever I want, desire and wish to write. UrbScotty Jan 2015 #53

I'm very Pro. It adds needed clarity. Arugula Latte Jan 2015 #34

You - and others in this thread that agree - ashling Jan 2015 #42

I agree. Owl Jan 2015 #55

As usual, I'll use commas and generally mangle grammar wherever I damned please. hunter Jan 2015 #37

Never. I mean, ever. AngryAmish Jan 2015 #39

You - and others in this thread that agree ashling Jan 2015 #43

Hate it. Absolutely hate it. (NT) Zavulon Jan 2015 #40

FOR. And while I'm at it---WTH happened to the comma AFTER the appositive?! WinkyDink Jan 2015 #44

I use the Oxford comma. However, I really like that Vampire Weekend tune, too. Tobin S. Jan 2015 #52

I am a big fan of commas, properly used; Blue_In_AK Jan 2015 #57

ITA, 2 spaces after the period at the end of a sentence. nt raccoon Jan 2015 #61

There's no way I will ever agree with Weird Al on this one. . . Paula Sims Jan 2015 #62