The serial comma also known as the oxford comma is a comma that appears before. The ap therefore strives to keep its writing style easy to read, concise and free of bias. In ap style, you should use one of these if at least one of the list items contains its own conjunction. A serial or oxford comma is a comma placed before the conjunction in a list of three or more items. What follows are summaries of some of the most common style rules. For example, jim jones, the managing editor, spoke with us about journalism. Aug 01, 2020 while those who use ap style on the job often have online access to the ap stylebook website through their employers, paperback and ebook versions of the ap stylebook are widely available and affordable. Use of the oxford comma is stylistic, meaning that some style guides demand its use while others dont. Jul 29, 2020 the associated press, a guide for foreign correspondents. But when it comes down to commas aka the oxford comma debate, the stylebook addresses it succinctly. Many other commonly used titles not included on this page are listed separately on the main ap stylebook page. Ap style on commas as above, ap style follows most standard conventions on comma usage, but it does have rules for when to use a serial comma also known as an oxford comma. Although it is sold as a guide for reporters, it has become the leading reference for most forms of. Sep 04, 2019 the associated press style is the goto style for journalism and news writing.
Ap stylebook entry on collective nouns says band names take plural verbs. The oxford or serial comma is the term that refers to a comma that separates the penultimate next to last item in a list of 3 or more items from the final item introduced by and or or. So the decision about whether to use an oxford comma relies on what type of writing youre doing, and which style guide applies to that project. Ap style follows the guidelines from the associated press stylebook, which is the. The oxford comma refers to the comma that appears before the last item in a series. Review some of apa styles guidelines on scholarly writing for topics such as abbreviations. In english language punctuation, a serial comma, or series comma also called an oxford comma or harvard comma, is a comma placed immediately after the penultimate term i. In canada, the stylebook published by the canadian press advises against it. Oxford comma, healthcare, health care, illegal immigration, immigrant, state, titles, names, day, abbreviations, song titles. The associated press, the ap copy book, and ap writing handbook. Ap style the style guide that most journalists adhere toomits the. What is the oxford serial comma and should it be used in website copywriting. Is clarity essentially the only rule determining when a serial comma should.
If a comma does not make clear what is being said, it should not be there. An oxford comma is a comma that is used before a conjunction like and or or in a series e. May 25, 2020 the oxford or serial comma is the final comma in a list of things. The serial or oxford comma is a hallmark of oup house style and must be used in. Dont switch back and forth in the same document between using the oxford comma and not. Ap style does not use the serial comma, while chicago style does. May 29, 20 the new ap stylebook will not end the oxford comma debate.
Yet others, including the ap style guide, canadian press cp style g. Oxford style requires the use of the comma to avoid confusion, hence the name oxford comma. That final comma before the and in a list is called an oxford comma, or serial comma. Im paula froke, editor of the ap stylebook, a resource. Be sure to check with the styleguide you use to see if the oxford comma is a requirement or not. Whether or not you choose to add a comma will depend on the styleguide you follow. Its first style guide was released in 1909, under the title the. Only use firstreference acronyms readers will commonly. Style and punctuation uw brand university of washington. Commas in lists in ap style a serial or oxford comma is a comma placed before the conjunction in a list of three or more items.
Should i use the chicago manual of style for my book. Ap style says not to use a serial comma when listing a simple series of items. The oxford comma is a comma that appears before a conjunction in a list and ap style officially ignores it. Ap has softened its stance on the oxford comma, now saying to use the serial comma only when it affects the meaning of the sentence. For instance, ap style doesnt require the oxford comma, while the chicago manual of style requires it in almost all cases. Do not use a serial comma in a simple series of nouns or phrases. Ap style rules to remember for better online writing. Its not often that a piece of punctuation makes national headlines, so when one. The classic, practical spiralbound edition now is published every other year. Walden university follows every aspect of the publication manual of the. Ap style has specific rules for important parts of news stories such as dates, times, titles and quotes. The ap stylebook and other references are available through the uw libraries. Jun 19, 2020 the oxford or serial comma is the final comma in a list of things.
Ap style mustknows the oxford comma o the oxford comma is the comma used after the secondtolast item in a list. It is also required by the chicago manual of style and mla style. Dr obadiah braithwaite is the tutor in embroidery at magdalen. Capitalize only the first word and any proper nouns also referred to. The associated press stylebook is straightforward and most frequently used in news reporting. Also known as the oxford comma, the serial comma is the final comma in a list of three items or more, and it is used immediately before and, or, and occasionally nor. The first publicly available edition of ap stylebook was published in 1953 under the title the associated press style book. This little punctuation has caused huge debates among writers as to whether or not it is a critical component of modern communication. This is a comma placed before the conjunction at the end of a list of three or more things. The ap style as its known in the trade is quite different from the new york times style or chicago manual of style. Many writers, including journalists, live by the associated press stylebook. Erwin quotes gus winkler of the apme advisory group saying, we tried to make the ap style book complete enough to answer nearly everything but not so long as to be disregarded and unreadbut that is a fine line of demarcation to attempt to establish. Oxford referencing style sample of cover page and other examples.
Apr 07, 2011 this week we address the serial comma, seventh in the list of the top 10 most common apa style errors as identified by onwuegbuzie, combs, slate, and frels 2010. In mla style, you must use the oxford comma he ate apples, oranges, and grapes. Overview other apa guidelines academic guides at walden. It is in favor of the oxford comma and spelling out numbers fewer than 99 and at the start of a sentence. In fact, there is nothing about a book title that requires a comma with it just. Ap style does not use the oxford comma, so do not use a. Spell out all numbers up to 10, then use numerals after that book titles belong in quotation marks. The department meeting was chaired by jesse andrews, coach of the lacrosse team. Without the serial comma, the example sentence would look li. Oct 03, 2019 oxford or serial comma as mentioned above, this is the comma that appears before a conjunction such as and or or in a series. In english language punctuation, a serial comma, or series comma is a comma placed. Commas are not necessary if only a year and month are given, but commas should be used to set off a year if the date, month and year are given.
The associated press stylebook, first published in 1977, clarified the news organizations rules on grammar, spelling, punctuation and usage. The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as capitalization, abbreviation, punctuation, spelling, numerals and many other questions of language usage. Sep 02, 2019 ap wants hyphens to literally go the way of the oxford comma 2 september, 2019 2 september, 2019 language 5 comments the oxford or serial comma is one of the more divisive parts of the english language even more so than the singular they, and it looks like the hyphen will be relegated to the same battlefield. Spell out all numbers up to 10, then use numerals after that.
And simply searching online using a phrase such as ap style oxford comma leads to plenty of helpful resources. For example, the oxford comma is optional in ap style. Ap stylethe style guide that newspaper reporters adhere todoes not require the use of the oxford comma. Some writing styles such as the ap stylewhich newspaper reporters often. The following guidelines are rules set out in the ap stylebook for ap style book titles, computer game titles, ap style movie titles, opera titles, play titles, poem titles, album titles, ap style song titles, radio and television titles, and the titles of lectures, speeches, and work of art. In general, only capitalize titles when used before a persons name. My name is paula froke, and i lead the team that edits the ap stylebook, a popular resource for journalists and others who care about good writing.
The oxford tutorial system creates strong ties between students and their tutors. As noted by ap stylebook in their twitter chat on september 12, 2017. Include the citations you mentioned in the text in the manner offered in the examples of oxford comma ap style guide in the upcoming section. Ap stylebook, 55th edition spiralbound print published in 2020, the 55th edition of the associated press stylebook and briefing on media law includes more than 200 new or revised entries, with chapters covering data journalism, business, religion and sports terms, as well as media law, news values, punctuation. Nine common ap style blunders trio marketing communications. Ap style does not use the oxford comma, so do not use a comma before the last item in a simple series. For titles of books, journals, works of art, films, and other selfcontained works. Now in its sixth edition, the stylebook is the standard style. If omitting a comma could lead to confusion or misinterpretation, then use the comma. Oxford, chicago, and the serial comma cmos shop talk. If a comma doesnt help make clear what is being said, dont use it. By contrast, the associated press stylebook advises against it. The ap stylebook, also known by its full name the associated press stylebook and briefing on media law, is an americanenglish grammar style and usage guide created by american journalists working for or connected with the associated press.
The venerable style guide you know and love, the ap stylebook, is having a big birthday. Writing center quick reference associate press style guide. Grammarlys writing assistant can help you make sure your punctuation, spelling, and grammar are tiptop on all your favorite websites. According to oxford referencing style guide, a title page should look this way. If you have an ap style question, check ap stylebook onlines ask the editor. If a title only applies to a one person in an organization, insert the word the in a construction that uses commas.
The last weeks worth of questions are visible to everyone, and stylebook online subscribers can submit questions to an ap stylebook editor. You can also visit our online store to find an ap stylebook product that best suits your needs. The ap stylebook has a separate punctuation guide including all those headscratchers like when to use an apostrophe. The new ap stylebook will not end the oxford comma debate. Thats the chicago manual of style, which is commonly used by book publishers, academics and trade publications. We personally are not fans of the oxford comma and coincidentally, neither is ap style. Sep 03, 2014 not according to ap stylebook and dont get me started on military titles and second references. His new diet prevents him from eating meat, gluten, and dairy.
However, different publications may choose to break this rule, so use whichever your editor prefers. Chicago recommends putting titles for shorter works in quotes and those for longer works in italics. As above, ap style follows most standard conventions on comma usage, but it does have rules for when to use a serial comma also known as an oxford comma. Ap has softened its stance on the oxford comma, now. Poynters roy peter clark fanned the flames of the oxford serial vs.
Associated press style guide florida gulf coast university. The oxford comma is a hot topic among grammar enthusiasts, but how does one. Ap wants hyphens to literally go the way of the oxford comma. Associated press style, or ap style, is a grammar usage and style guide developed. Also called the oxford comma, this term refers to a comma that separates the penultimate item in a list from the final item introduced by a conjunction and or or. The sentence above written in ap style would look like this. Where did the oxford comma come from, and why is it so.
50 687 1554 945 1289 1152 696 1721 559 1172 747 1094 523 591 1205 1123 1572 1872 409 1236 993 280 314 1191 745 423 137 1145