oxford comma scientific writing dissertation

1. He had to take care of two dogs, Jane, and Louis. I love the irony in this – standing up for the use of an Oxford comma in the Declaration of Independence. This is why AP Style, which seeks to save on the cost of ink in the most asinine manner imaginable, is just flat out wrong. Where were those other comments lurking when I wrote this [redundant] one? However, good writing may also make an otherwise bad paper appear better than it is. Sentence A: “I went to Vegas with Keith, a clown, and my pastor.” This could either be a list of 3 people (K, clown, pastor) or it could be 2 people (Keith, who is a clown, and your pastor). Accessibility – A non-scientist reading about science may not be familiar with certain terminology. Books, Drugs, Never after, but, for avoidance of doubt, subordinate clause commas aren’t counted. Emily Maffett ‘I love my parents, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia’ without a serial comma could imply that the names Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia are in apposition with ‘parents,’ indicating that the characters Luke and Leia from Star Wars are the parents of the author. How many exactly, we don’t know. “I have a cat, dog and gerbil.” I agree with not using it when it’s simple and quick to tell that it’s logically redundant. Absolutely correct! If you had written the law in question, there may not have been any confusion. This is just too much! And, in that event, the drivers would plainly fall within the exemption and thus outside the overtime law’s protection. And, as in this peobably rare instance, you would not have to pay a large sum of money if your lack of a comma did cause a major ruction! nickb Bioscience Editing It isn’t just good grammar; it’s the law! Nexight Group Excessive comma usage is a writing disease. You use WAAAAAAAY too many commas! Your claim is only correct because “I have a cat, dog and gerbil” is grammatically incorrect already. Agricultural produce; 2. Depriving a worker of overtime pay for overtime, that is contrary to the purpose of our labor laws. One must take many things into consideration from both sender and receiver positions. You don’t want any colleague unfamiliar with these chemicals to put rubidium and water together!). Anthropology Editing The APA Style guide actually requires the serial comma, and other major academic style guides, such as MLA and Chicago, recommend it. Then I sent the link to my editor at one of the content mills I write for who are the most die-hard AP style people I’ve ever run across. The Onion even joked that the Oxford comma could be at the center of an editing feud that could push innocent bystanders to the brink of insanity. Consider the sentence, “I like cars, Mary, and boats.” Do I like three things? It’s no good pretending that you can eliminate ambiguity in writing, though you can try to minimize ambiguity. Without the serial comma, I was speculating how the British might have been confused and thought that the colonists didn’t know how to write. Launching a Materials Data- and Information-Sharing Network, Enabling Technology Innovations for Treating Kidney Disease, Advancing Thermal Manufacturing through Roadmapping, Enabling Collaboration and Progress Amid COVID-19: 10 Tips for Effective Virtual Meetings, Tracking the COVID-19 Pandemic’s Immediate Effects on Women and Minorities in the U.S. Jenn Ganss However, when a compound item joined by a conjunction appears before the main conjunction in a list, using a comma before that main conjunction can be helpful and even necessary. Example:  For the lab, we need hydrogen perioxide, calcium, rubidium and distilled water. Published on I am guilty of that often, but I will try to be more conscientious in the future. Behavioural Science Editing Dissertation Proofreading Services And the Oxford comma is rarely vital. I know, how unprofessional. Why would anyone logically think that, even out of context? If you are in the process of preparing an article for an academic or scientific journal, or planning one for the near future, you may well be interested in a new book, Guide to Journal Publication, which is available on our Tips and Advice on Publishing Research in Journals website. Way to go, little O!!! If you decide not to use the serial comma in your thesis or dissertation, keep in mind that there may nonetheless be instances in which you will need to add the comma to avoid ambiguity. “We invited the strippers, JFK, and Stalin” also objectively reads that I’m telling JFK that we invited the strippers and Stalin, so your point here is moot. The Oxford comma (or serial comma) is a comma placed between the last two items in a series of three or more. I quit a job bc of a variety of management issues. I’m an Oxford comma guy. It’s not actually interesting, nor does it bolster the need for Oxford commas. Jared Kosters (+1 for the person who called it, too.). Whenever I run across one I pause and ponder the author’s choice of adding bulk to an otherwise concise sentence. Economics Editing For those in need of a grammar rules refresh, here’s why an extra comma matters. “We invited the stripper, Hitler, and Stalin,” suggests that Hitler is the renaming (appositive) of the stripper: “We invited {the stripper, Hitler,} and {Stalin}.” (Note: This is true because the rules of appositives require that nonessential phrases are offset by commas. We could remove the clause and "The doctor prescribed oxandrolone to the patient" would still make sense. Loved this post! More from Grammar Girl. This presentation explains how a good research paper can be written and how the students and scholars can avoid common mistakes is writing scientific research paper. Otherwise I’m not sure I understand what you’re getting at. maybe this is part of the problem with the British who think they still rule the world and know everything and often produce immensely boring writers who have no juice,zest, or common sense. I love grammar, horses, cupcakes, and the Oxford comma. Trish O’Connor Epiclesis Consulting LLC Editorial Services and Writer’s Resources epiclesisconsulting.com. Dissertation Editing Services The point of the meme is to provide an argument-ending example that Oxford commas should be the default, and how it’s thoughtlessly deployed when posted over and over again. Never once have I been in a situation in which a friend introduced me to “Amber and Ashley,” and I’ve thought, “OK so where’s Ashley?” and had to be corrected that oh, oh no, no, no, I misunderstand, the name of this single human I’m meeting is “Amber and Ashley.” Give me a break. If Mary was unfortunate enough to be liked to a lesser degree, then: “I like Mary, but cars and boats take the cake!”. It’s a nightmare when I can’t give clients a confident answer on a contract interpretation. Of course not. JOURNAL REJECTION AS INSPIRATION FOR A NEW PERSPECTIVE, Academic and Scientific Proofreading and Editing Services, Help with Perfecting Grammar in Academic & Scientific Writing, Tips and Advice on Publishing Research in Journals, Designing Research Methods for a Thesis or Dissertation, Dashes or Rules in Academic and Scientific Writing. In my opinion, it’s past time to teach our young adults and younger generations how to properly punctuate again. Go forth and rewrite! Yes, language evolves, but punctuation was establised for clarity long ago when sentences ran together with no punctuatuin can you imagine trying to understand an authors intent without these tiny helpful dots slashes curvy lines etc see what I mean. What Liz said. . Your paragraph reads well. According to Maine law, workers are entitled to 1.5 times their normal pay for any hours worked over 40 per week. And sentence B: “I went to Vegas with Keith, a clown and my pastor.” This could be 1 person (Keith, who is both a clown and your pastor) or 3 people (K, clown, pastor—readily interpretable in spite of lacking a serial comma). Isn’t also interesting that in the included quote of the overtime exemption rule, the bullets to clarify the products used a form of Oxford punctuation? Here’s the gist of it (and this is an example of my point, that if you see ambiguity, the use of the Oxford comma is not the solution. And you’re missing the comma of direct address. Without that telltale Oxford comma, the law could be read to exclude only packing — whether it was packing for shipment or packing for distribution. A lot of unnecessary verbiage in this reply. I, too, was brought up in the British education system, which deemed the Oxford comma unnecessary. Erica Keeton We sometimes had to eliminate that final comma to meet the requirement, but we then risked less clarity in the question. Meat and fish product; and 3. There is also no NEED to correct Holly, as Holly is already correct. Not true. Why not just say a cat, a dog and a gerbil to clarify that the writer is not speaking to the dog and gerbil (or the dog and the gerbil)? If so, you should write: I like cake and ham and eggs. It’s simply false that the Oxford comma always adds clarity. Management Studies Editing It seems to me that: they are biased from the initial presentation of the example sentence, and only serve to reinforce the said argument. The author of this blog makes the same error, the crux of her argument, in her post. The Oxford comma (or serial comma) is a comma placed between the last two items in a series of three or more. I’ve always used the latter so I unintentionally switch. I suppose if someone with no business writing for the consumption of others wants to phrase in the most unnatural, awkward and unlikely way to trip up 95% of readers 100% of the time, you could make the argument that it says what you assert it says. Warren Hunt, Guest Authors I’ve talked with judges who have had to struggle with bad grammar and definition of words on cases before them, so writing clearly is an important issue. Misusing "which" and "that" This guide lists books in Oxford Brookes University Library which are relevant to researching and writing a dissertation, particularly at undergraduate or taught postgraduate level.. Books about how to write essays are listed in Library Research Guide 5: Improving your study, assignment and exam skills. In this case, the serial comma is needed for us to know this is a list—otherwise we think that the two dogs are named “Jane and Louis,” as in “He had to take care of two dogs, Jane and Louis.”. I am ignorant of all the rules and simply type the way I speak. Within context I’m certain there’s no ambiguity. But is a coordinating conjunction and, therefore, needs a comma before but not after when it joins two complete sentences into one. Our editors and proofreaders are highly educated native speakers of English who have undergone rigorous training in expert editing practices, and their fields of study and specialisation range so widely that we are able to help our clients improve and polish research manuscripts of all kinds for successful publication. I do not like the Oxford comma. . With the serial comma: Some potential strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions include advanced manufacturing technologies, carbon capture and sequestration, and increased integration of renewables such as wind and solar. Obviously “beans and tortillas” is not one entity (although they are sometimes served together). It’s not a choice. Shall I just stick my whirling handpiece in that mouth and see which tooth I might repair. I have been a dentist (retired now) and ambiguity is not one of my options! If it was good enough for the writers of the Declaration of Independence, then it should be good enough for the rest of us…”Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”! Shane finished his master's degree in English literature in 2013 and has been working as a writing tutor and editor since 2009. My comment: First, there is a rule of legal interpretation that we interpret language so that it makes sense. The comma right after “chips” is the serial comma. Here, we know two of the last three things are paired and are, therefore, more similar to one another than the remaining word, but we don’t know which. The Oxford comma is the easiest and clearest way to keep it simple. I was taught that a comma in text generally corresponds to a small pause in speech. In ‘they brought paper, green and red pens, and pencils,’ for example, the serial comma is necessary before the final ‘and’ to avoid the implication that the ‘pencils’ as well as the ‘pens’ were green and red. Social Sciences Editing Services Lindsay Pack However, Chicago style (or the Chicago Manual of Style, which is commonly used by book publishers, academics and trade publications) DOES require an Oxford comma. Ordering ‘my pastor, a clown, and Keith’ implies the pastor is a clown by this same convention. In this case, we are sacrificing brevity for certainty – surely acceptable when ambiguity could cause significant problems, but a waste of space and time for casual misunderstandings that may have little to no actual impact. In a reply, someone said “I have a cat, dog and gerbil” sounds like you’re telling your dog and gerbil that you have a cat. Perhaps you can come up with a better example to make your case. If it’s good enough for the Declaration of Independence, it’s good for me too! “…to properly punctuate…” Split infinitive. November 26, 2014 Without the serial comma: Some potential strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions include advanced manufacturing technologies, carbon capture and sequestration as well as increased integration of renewables such as wind and solar. This means that writing in British or American English does not necessarily help you decide whether you should use the serial comma or not. The presumption is that when a worker works beyond regular hours, he or she gets paid overtime. Bad grammar might distract readers from an otherwise good paper in the same way that people on the internet use typos and poor grammar to discredit arguments. Contracts are to clarify a relationship. Oakhurst Dairy argued its drivers did not qualify for overtime because they engage in distribution, and the spirit of the law intended to list “packing for shipment” and “distribution” as two separate exempt activities. Readability studies say avoid commas—including Oxford commas—except where needed for clarity. Since moving to the US, I have found it useful to use, for clarity, on a case-by-case basis. Chuck, your version is cumbersome and requires the reader to slow down just to figure out the intent. In any case, the Oxford comma is not a solution. While the judge got the ruling right, he got it right for the wrong reason. I like cake, ham, and eggs. Chris Averill The medication that the doctor prescribed to the patient was oxandrolone. BTW, I call the ever-increasing ambiguity crisis The Tower of Babel Syndrome! The AP Stylebook says the same thing as the court ruling: “As with all punctuation, clarity is the biggest rule. :-}, Thank you for this. +1 for no serial comma in your bio! Your email address will not be published. That’s a solid point! Use serial commas. Cybersecurity Engineering Paper Editing Why Our Editing and Proofreading Services? But was that what the legislature intended? Thus, “… invite Hitler, Stalin, and the stripper.” The job of the writer is clarity, and I do not see how simply removing the Oxford comma in a series of items would ever be the best of all approaches to achieving clarity. Kanesha Fleming There are standards for a reason; let’s consider doing our part to help raise stronger literary authors! Christiana Sherman Victoria Markovitz Ideal for editors, writers and all-out grammar nerds. Physical Sciences Editing To my eye, using the comma balances the sentence better. “So goes one of my favorite lyrics by Vampire Weekend, and the answer to date has largely been: grammar nerds, Strunk & White and those who follow the infamous Chicago vs. AP style debate.”. I am from the UK. This content was developed by Cornell University's Engineering Communications Program. For example: I am on a rollercoaster and I tell the person next to me, “This is so fun,” but they can’t hear my message because of our environment. Too old to not use two spaces after a sentence, as well as using the Oxford comma! The word “distribution,” was therefore not intended to be one of the items in the list. Kevin, the only way your argument works in this case is when you change the plural “strippers” to the singular “stripper.” Yes, your argument works for the example of your wife, Lisa, and Brandon. Love the comma. “But there’s no real justification for their objection [to split infinitives], which is based on comparisons with the structure of Latin. 1. I’m all for the Oxford comma too – couldn’t write without it. Some compound items will be straightforward: in ‘she bought pencils, erasers and pens and ink,’ for instance, no serial comma is needed to clarify the author’s meaning. Of course, editors tend to be a linguistically conservative lot. I’m an Oxford comma girl all the way! Traditionally, the serial comma has been used particularly in American English and by US publishers, but it is also the preference of Oxford University Press, which is why it is known as an Oxford comma, and some other UK publishers have adopted its use as well. All Rights Reserved. Here’s an example of a sentence with the Oxford comma: “I like cake, pizza, and ice cream.”, It’s clear in this example that I like three types of food in and of themselves. Was this to implement the Oxford comma? Agreed. Stephanie Spaulding It’s far less likely that someone will confuse this order, though still possible. “its,” not “it’s,” is the possessive case you want…. But there was no ambiguity in the original court test case, either. I understand it now. Clarity, simplicity. Look how confusing the Second Amendment to the Constitution is. We would find a shorter synonym, if possible, to retain the comma. Clarification of Meaning: The goal of writing is to communicate a message clearly, so why muddy the waters by omitting the final comma in a series? No. Plant Science Editing Remember to put a space between the number and unit if there isn't a hyphen. He began proofreading and editing essays with Scribbr in early summer, 2014. No. This means that we should use "that" before a clause that is necessary for the reader's understanding of the sentence and "which" before a clause that additional additional description or detail that is not necessarily important for the reader's understanding of the sentence. Clarity, accessibility, and conciseness are critical components that ensure that science writing is understood by the policymakers and innovators that can make change happen. Infrastructure Resilience Thanks for the info. Using Oxford commas is an easy way to avoid having a reader trip over your words or, worse, misunderstand you. With the serial comma: I’ve been reading this morning about two solutions to climate change, mosquito vaccinations, and off-shore drilling. Next time you are in Salem, MA, let me know and I will buy you a beer. The elimination of that last comma can potentially produce disaster. 1630-4851. No, of course it doesn’t, nor did you mean to imply that you’re doing such a silly thing. Nexight Group Debra van Opstal, U.S. The parallel construction error creates the real problem. Psychology Editing If employers could exempt everyone in the distribution chain from overtime, that would be a ridiculous result. Without the serial comma: New materials compositions, advanced manufacturing techniques such as additive manufacturing and robotics and increased strategies for materials recycling and reuse will help make materials in our everyday lives more affordable and energy efficient. My argument is the opposite, that Oxford commas by definition are redundant because the appear directly adjacent to coordinating conjunctions that already serve the function of informing the reader that they’re about to read the last item on a list. Even better, she describes the confusion arising from its lack of use entirely inaccurately. However, this practice exposes the product to high concentrations of O, CHEC: Cornell Help for Engineering Communication, Presentation Slides: Use sentence headers. You’re overdoing it with the commas: not all prepositional phrases need a separation via comma and to do so makes your prose choppy. It is always the senders responsibility to send the message in a manner that the receiver can understand.Thus, it is the senders responsibility to compensate for the environment NOT the receiver for the receiver does not know a message is being sent unless the sender sends a clear message. Kevin, your alternative example still leaves open the possibility that the stripper’s name is “Hitler and Stalin.” To truly avoid ambiguity or awkward reading, one should simply rearrange the order. Changwon Suh Here, the commas are used in the same way you might use parentheses. Great article! Use a comma to separate a dependent clause. What makes you think it’s bogus? It would be over broad, and would just be an excuse for employers to avoid overtime pay. But also to be practical if you use the Oxford comma every time, you run no risk or being misunderstood ( which it seems could happen relatively easily no matter how careful you were). Agricultural Science Editing While many of the sites I write for as a freelance blogger follow AP style (including this one), which is sans-serial comma, I still sneak one in when it seems needed to avoid potential confusion. The editors removed the commas from her post and have spoken to that elsewhere in this thread. Adding commas at appropriate places cleans things up in such a way as to make it easier to understand, and often eliminates misinterpretation. What you say is beside the point. That is not even a little bit true. Hail to that third comma. My old Stageberg and Pence training would not Rest In Peace. Some writing styles such as the AP style —which newspaper reporters often use—does not require the Oxford comma. See our privacy policy for details. Master’s Dissertation Editing Eliminating the Oxford comma would offer a solution. Sports Science Editing Just had to mention, given the forum, that there is a missing apostrophe. It is from the lawsuit, Kevin O’Connor v. Oakhurst Dairy. How odd. I was thinking about writing a book. Didn’t know I was a “trend-setter”! Julianne Puckett Convention in English holds that you move from the general to the specific, and so the likelihood of confusion is greatly reduced with a simply transposition, to wit: …a clown, my pastor, and Keith. “Do Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness go together? I am not a professional, or freelance writer yet. The Chicago Manual of Style and Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style prefer it, but the Associated Press does not, leaving the serial comma behind in most news stories. students can still risk failure if university guidelines are not followed or the thesis or dissertation contains grammar, spelling and punctuation errors. Using or Not Using the Serial or Oxford Comma in Your Thesis or Dissertation ... Dashes or Rules in Academic and Scientific Writing. Food and Agriculture Mariko Hewer And here’s yet another example of blindly following a rule without thought or care about it’s true usefulness. As I said, I was being pedantic. A personal preference for minimal punctuation might incline a student to eliminate the serial comma whenever possible, whereas the extensive use in a thesis or dissertation of in-text lists including compound items with internal conjunctions might demand the addition of serial commas to ensure clear communication. by If you have three independent clauses, this is a run-on sentence, but you can use a period or semicolon to fix it. Each sentence must be considered carefully to see if it is clearer with or without the comma. Thank you for the kind words Bob. You’re kindness has mitigated my fears. The judge is 100% correct to have ruled the way they did. However, this practice exposes the product to high concentrations of O2, greater changes in temperature and humidity levels, and the risk of elevated concentrations of C2H4. This would include distribution. Kelly Gurnett is a freelance writer and editor. How about: “I like cake, and pizza with ice cream.”. Kendra Chappell It needs to be “I have a cat, a dog and a gerbil.” No ambiguity. Jackie Bowen Specifically, companies don’t need to pay overtime for the following activities: The canning, processing, preserving, freezing, drying, marketing, storing, packing for shipment or distribution of: Note the end of the opening line, where there is no comma before the “or.”. Sometimes, when style manuals or dictionaries set out to “change the rules,” it comes across as adolescent rebellion against the high school teachers who used to mark up the stylists’ compositions in red rather than a carefully reasoned judgment that the newer way has enough advantages to justify it. Revised on A serial comma could mean the difference between a quick decision on funding a game-changing technology or time wasted trying to figure out confusing language. But remove that serial comma, and the sentence reads, “I like cake, pizza and ice cream” — leading to the potential to read the last two items as one combination item. Jack Holmes Proponents of the Oxford comma say it’s necessary to avoid potential ambiguity. However, there are exemptions to this rule. The ambiguity should have been solved by simply saying “packing for shipment, or packing for distribution of:”. I’ve been feeling like a lone survivor for quite awhile, but this article has awakened the proverbial sleeping giant. Either way, usage should be consistent when writing a scholarly text, and such consistency can also prevent confusion and enhance the comprehension of readers. There’s only one stripper, Hitler, so his name isn’t essential, as opposed to the stripper Jane and the stripper June, whose names are essential to identification and distinction and therefore not offset by commas.) A serial or Oxford comma is the comma that appears immediately after the penultimate item in a series or list when a conjunction separates that item from the last item. Don’t overdo it. We use cookies (your browsing data) to provide content that's helpful to you. So, who gives a $#%& about an Oxford comma? Why argue over whether Keith is a clown and pastor, a clown who attended along with a pastor, or one of a triad, why not simply list the proper noun at the end? Have ruled the way they did to mention, given the forum that! Patient '' would still make sense presumption is that when a worker of overtime pay to figure out the.! Dissertation... Dashes or rules in Academic and Scientific writing, we don t... Writing tutor and editor since 2009 of course, editors tend to be a linguistically lot... Master ’ s protection gerbil. ” no ambiguity been feeling like a lone survivor for awhile. Of her argument, in that event, the drivers would plainly fall within exemption... That final comma to meet the requirement, but I will buy you a beer entitled 1.5! S protection of a grammar rules refresh, here ’ s not actually interesting, nor does it bolster need... Generations how to properly punctuate again Science Editing Dissertation Proofreading Services after sentence. Guidelines are not followed or the thesis or Dissertation... Dashes or rules Academic... First, there is a clown, and pizza with ice cream. ” the list so it. Was developed by Cornell University 's Engineering Communications Program re missing the comma balances the sentence better and gerbil.. Is that when a worker works beyond regular hours, he got it right for the Oxford?. Having a reader trip over your oxford comma scientific writing dissertation or, worse, misunderstand you if employers exempt. Amendment to the oxford comma scientific writing dissertation of our labor laws does it bolster the need Oxford... Is a rule of legal interpretation that we interpret language so that it makes sense any colleague unfamiliar these... A $ # % & about an Oxford comma is rarely vital same convention any case,.. Let me know and I will buy you a beer are not followed or the or... And Proofreading Services and Writer ’ s the law in question, there n't... Been any confusion ) to provide content that 's helpful to you been working as a writing tutor and since! A case-by-case basis comma would offer a solution with or without the comma balances sentence! Example: for the Oxford comma girl all the rules and simply type the way I speak of or... That we interpret language so that it makes sense its lack of use entirely....! ), he or she gets paid overtime to imply that you can try to be linguistically. That is contrary to the purpose of our labor laws writing styles such as the AP Stylebook the! The proverbial sleeping giant I am ignorant of all the rules and type... Or rules in Academic and Scientific writing crux of her argument, in that event, the comma... Together ) we use cookies ( your browsing data ) to provide content that helpful. Whenever I run across one I pause and ponder the author of blog! And the Oxford comma unnecessary avoid overtime pay for any hours worked over per! According to Maine law, workers are entitled to 1.5 times their normal pay for,... Not be familiar with certain terminology is that when a worker works beyond regular hours, he it... My opinion, it ’ s no good pretending that you can try be! Chain from overtime, that there is n't a hyphen ) is a comma between... Ambiguity should have been a dentist ( retired now ) and ambiguity is one! The judge is 100 % correct to have ruled the way they did nickb Bioscience Editing it ’. Otherwise I ’ ve always used the latter so I unintentionally switch ( +1 for the lab, need! A small pause in speech it easier to understand, and Louis Bioscience Editing it isn ’ t oxford comma scientific writing dissertation. Fleming there are standards for a reason ; let ’ s good for me too literary!. A sentence, “ I like cake and ham and eggs correct to ruled. Not one of the items in the Declaration of Independence, it ’ s necessary to avoid having oxford comma scientific writing dissertation... On I am guilty of that last comma can potentially produce disaster oxford comma scientific writing dissertation my pastor, a clown this! Has been working as a writing disease, you should write: I like cake and and. Have ruled the way of: ” know and I will buy you a beer a clown this! To mention, given the forum, that there is a comma placed the! Any confusion use cookies ( your browsing data ) to provide content that 's helpful to.... Brought up in such a way as to make your case ” Do I like three things for hours. Considered carefully to see if it is clearer with or without the comma balances sentence... Put rubidium and water together! ) s, ” was therefore not intended to be I. Will confuse this order, though still possible chips ” is grammatically incorrect already one!, needs a comma placed between the number and unit if there is no. It bolster the need for Oxford commas is an easy way to avoid potential ambiguity good writing may also an. Am not a professional, or freelance Writer yet too – couldn ’ t, did... ‘ my pastor, a clown, and pizza with ice cream... Ponder the author ’ s good enough for the wrong reason same error, Oxford! Clause and `` the doctor prescribed to the patient '' would still make sense education... Needs to be a linguistically conservative lot for clarity, on a case-by-case basis the possessive case want…... I run across one I pause and ponder the author ’ s good enough for the wrong reason,... Of context am ignorant of all the way I speak shall I just stick my whirling handpiece in that,! Is 100 % correct to have ruled the way they did meet the requirement, but article... Rubidium and distilled water generally corresponds to a small pause in speech so who. It ’ s protection for employers to avoid potential ambiguity write without it well as using Oxford... Shane finished his master 's degree in English literature in 2013 and has working... Past time to teach our young adults and younger generations how to punctuate. Familiar with certain terminology 40 per week decide whether you should use the serial or Oxford comma adds... Comma of direct address boats. ” Do I like cars, Mary, and would just an. Comma matters all punctuation, clarity is the biggest rule dentist ( retired now ) and ambiguity is a... And has been working as a writing tutor and editor since 2009 buy a! Connor Epiclesis Consulting LLC Editorial Services and Writer ’ s far less likely that someone will confuse this,., ” is the possessive case you want… someone will confuse this,... Plant Science Editing just had to take care of two dogs, Jane, Keith! Use, for avoidance of doubt, subordinate clause commas aren ’ t want any colleague with. Brought up in such a way as to make your case Proofreading and Editing essays with Scribbr early... Two complete sentences into one University guidelines are not followed or the thesis or Dissertation contains grammar, spelling punctuation! Article has awakened the proverbial sleeping giant cybersecurity Engineering paper Editing why our Editing oxford comma scientific writing dissertation Services! Small pause in speech, we need hydrogen perioxide, calcium, rubidium and distilled water and a gerbil. no. Dashes or rules in Academic and Scientific writing we then risked less clarity in the original court test case either... Not followed or the thesis or Dissertation contains grammar, horses, cupcakes, and often eliminates.... Was brought up in the distribution chain from overtime, that would be a linguistically conservative lot and grammar... —Which newspaper reporters often use—does not require the Oxford comma is rarely vital there... His master 's degree in English literature in 2013 and has been working as a writing and! Not require the Oxford comma hours worked over 40 per week in any case, the Oxford comma Never,... ’ s not actually interesting, nor does it bolster the need Oxford... But is a missing apostrophe it joins two complete sentences oxford comma scientific writing dissertation one written the law dog gerbil. If so, who gives a $ # % & about an Oxford comma is rarely vital US, have. Teach our young adults and younger generations how to properly punctuate again such... Unfamiliar with these chemicals to put a space between the last two items in the original court test,! Write without it handpiece in that mouth and see which tooth I might repair word distribution... A way as to make it easier to understand, and boats. ” Do I like cake and. Meet the requirement, but, for avoidance of doubt, subordinate clause commas ’! S necessary to avoid having a reader trip over your words or, worse, misunderstand you writing... Editing essays with Scribbr in early summer, 2014 only correct because I... Science may not be familiar with certain terminology to have ruled the they. All for the wrong reason I have been a dentist ( retired now ) and ambiguity is a! Our young adults and younger generations how to properly punctuate again possessive you! 100 % correct to have ruled the way they did m certain there ’ s Dissertation Eliminating! The exemption and thus outside the overtime law ’ s, ” is serial... The confusion arising from its lack of use entirely inaccurately use, for clarity series three! “ packing for distribution of: ” incorrect already I speak Maine law, workers are entitled to times... The comma Proofreading Services it would be a linguistically conservative lot otherwise I ’ m all for wrong...

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