In Canada and Australia the serial comma is recommended only to prevent ambiguity or misreading.” “The so-called ‘Oxford comma’ is an optional comma that follows the penultimate item in a list of three or more items and precedes the word ‘and’ … The general rule is that it should be used consistently or not at all …
Do Canadians use commas?
Generally speaking, Canadians use fewer commas for introductory elements (more information below, in the “do not” section). 2. DO use them for introductory adjectives or participial adjectives describing the subject.
Is the Oxford comma an American thing?
The Oxford comma did not actually originate at Oxford University in England. One can trace its origin in English guides from the early 20th century. The Oxford comma is “correct” in American Standard English but does not exist in other languages, nor is it mandatory in British or International English.
Who still uses the Oxford comma?
AP Style writing requires the use of the Oxford Comma. Someone who would typically write in AP style is a newspaper reporter. The Oxford Comma is the final comma in a list of three or more things in a sentence, which goes before the “and” or “or” in a sentence.
Does everyone use the Oxford comma?
The short answer: No. Many writers, including journalists, live by the Associated Press stylebook. AP style does not use Oxford commas. However, Chicago style does require Oxford commas.
Do Canadians use British grammar?
Canadian spelling of the English language combines British and American conventions, the two dominant varieties, and adds some domestic idiosyncrasies. For many words, American and British spelling are both acceptable.
Which English accent is used in Canada?
Since Ontarians were largely responsible for settling Western Canada in the following decades, their Americanised accent spread across the country and eventually became the de facto accent for the majority of Canadians.
Why do Brits not use the Oxford comma?
Despite being named after a British University, the Oxford comma (the comma used before “and” in lists (e.g., I like wookies, ewoks, and droids)) is not considered standard in UK English because only one style guide (Oxford) recommends it.
Why don t lawyers use the Oxford comma?
Use of the Oxford comma is mostly a matter of preference and varies by region and profession. Lawyers should use the Oxford comma to help avoid ambiguity. Three ambiguities may arise without this comma: Whether the two final items in a list are one combined element or separate.
Does Chicago style use Oxford comma?
Serial Commas
Chicago has a few rules about commas that are easy to overlook. The most important is that Chicago “strongly recommends” using a serial (or Oxford) comma for lists of three or more items.
Does the New York Times use the Oxford comma?
It is much more widespread in the United States, although American news organizations tend to leave the second comma out (that includes The New York Times, whose style guide advises that it should not be used unless a sentence is otherwise confusing without it).
Why is the Oxford comma better?
The Oxford comma is the comma placed before the conjunction at the end of a list of things. For example, in “the flag was red, white, and blue”, the Oxford comma would be the one appearing before “and”. Proponents of the Oxford comma say it’s necessary for removing ambiguity in sentences.
Do schools use the Oxford comma?
The answer is “no.” We don’t use Oxford commas, also known as serial commas, in written university communications. We also don’t use periods in academic degree abbreviations (BA, PhD, MD).
Is the Oxford comma the same as the Harvard comma?
Defining, Understanding, and Embracing the Serial Comma The serial comma, also known as the Oxford comma or the Harvard comma (because the Oxford and Harvard University Press style guides require it), is the final comma before the coordinating conjunction “and” in a list of three or more items.
Is Canadian English S or Z?
Like American English, Canadian English prefers -ize endings whenever British usage allows both -ise (the Cambridge model) and -ize spellings (the Oxford model) (e.g. realize, recognize).
How do Canadians say sorry?
In other words, where many US speakers will pronounce “sorry” like “sari”, (i.e. in the lot Lexical Set), Canadians make the first syllable like “sore.” In fact, when Canadian actors learn that US speakers say “sorry/sari” in the same manner, they often remark “where’s the pain in that?” For us, “sorry,” the word many
How do Canadians pronounce the letter Z?
zed
Both “zed” and “zee” are acceptable pronunciations for the letter Z in Canada, though “zed” is much more common. Be warned, however, that some people feel very strongly that it is a betrayal of Canadian nationality to say “zee” and you may incur their wrath if you do so.
Is it GREY or gray in Canada?
Canadians prefer the spelling grey, although gray is also correct. Grey is the preferred spelling in Britain, while gray is favoured in the United States. A tolerant and forgiving person, my aunt never saw the world in black and white, but always in shades of grey.
Do Canadians speak like British?
English-speaking Canada has been largely influenced by the British which explains why British English can be found in our schools, in our spelling and grammar. But Canada has the United States as its southern neighbour so American slang and word pronunciation falls inline with American English, sometimes.
Is the Oxford comma pretentious?
The blue-blood punctuation mark, named after the Oxford University Press, acts as a social signifier, a sieve for the bookish and studious (and, perhaps, pretentious). It suggests personality traits that extend far beyond punctuation preferences. There are other ways of doing this in your Tinder profile, of course.
Why does Europe use commas instead of periods?
In the early 1700s, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, a German polymath, proposed the dot as the symbol for multiplication. Therefore, most of Europe favored the comma as a decimal separator.