Grammar's great divide: The Oxford comma - TED-Ed
1,764,321 Views
48,604 Questions Answered
Let’s Begin…
If you read "Bob, a DJ and a clown" on a guest list, are three people
coming to the party, or only one? That depends on whether you're for or
against the Oxford comma -- perhaps the most hotly contested
punctuation mark of all time. When do we use one? Can it really be optional,
or is there a universal rule? TED-Ed explores both sides of this comma
conundrum.
Explain how the guidelines against using the Oxford comma can cause confusion in the following sentence: “I ate a sandwich, Mom and Dad.”
Sign in to answer questionAbout TED-Ed Animations
TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »
Meet The Creators
- Educator Jessica Ruby, Alex Gendler
- Producer Zedem Media
- Director Michael Kalopaidis
- Animator Maria Savva
- Artist Dinos Hadjidemetri
- Sound Designer Andreas Trachonitis, Mikaela Tsangari
- Narrator Addison Anderson