DEAR RICHARD: The Oxford comma, also known as the serial comma, is the comma used before the conjunction in a list of three or more items. For example: “I like to eat apples, bananas, and oranges.” I ...

“It was a typical Friday night at Costco in Corona. Customers, including an off-duty Los Angeles police officer, 32-year-old Kenneth French and his parents, waited in line for food samples.” How many ...

Maria Kari is a freelance writer and journalist currently based in Vancouver, BC. "Who gives a [insert expletive] about an Oxford comma," asked the Vampire Weekend boys in 2008, shocking many an ...

I have spent my career navigating between literature and journalism, trying to learn from both worlds. From my training and experience as an English professor, I carried into the newsroom the power of ...

I have finally realized that people's beliefs about serial commas are as fierce as people's thoughts on anchovies and reality shows. You either love them or hate them. No amount of arguing will ...

"It was a typical Friday night at Costco in Corona. Customers, including an off-duty Los Angeles police officer, 32-year-old Kenneth French and his parents, waited in line for food samples." How many ...

A few weeks ago, I mentioned in this space that serial commas, also called Oxford commas, are a matter of style. So either “red, white and blue” or “red, white, and blue” can be correct depending on ...

I hate the serial comma: the final comma in a series, e.g., “this, that, and the other thing.” The one after “that” is the serial comma. Associated Press style, and the style at most newspapers, is to ...

It used to just be a question for grammar enthusiasts to debate, pop bands to sing about and middle schoolers to worry over. Now, it’s deciding the legal fate of a high-stakes court case. Drivers for ...