Important Announcement
19 June, 2020 at 1:39 PM
Effective June 19, 2020, ELC is no longer offering year-round programs. This applies to both on-line and on-site programs. We are also no longer an IELTS test center. For 2021, we will continue to offer our Summer Junior Programs at UCLA, Boston University, and UCSB as well as our Adult Summer Campus Program at UCLA.
For more information or to book a summer course for 2021, please contact [email protected]
Important Announcement
19 June, 2020 at 1:39 PM
Effective June 19, 2020, ELC is no longer offering year-round programs. This applies to both on-line and on-site programs. We are also no longer an IELTS test center. For 2021, we will continue to offer our Summer Junior Programs at UCLA, Boston University, and UCSB as well as our Adult Summer Campus Program at UCLA.
For more information or to book a summer course for 2021, please contact [email protected]
The Oxford comma, also known as the serial comma, is the (optional) final comma that comes before the last item in a series. Because it is optional, its rules are often confusing for English language learners. Oftentimes, those who swear by the Oxford comma do is because their grammar or writing teachers insisted on using it!
Although it is optional, the Oxford comma does serve a very important purpose: identifying whether the last two items are two separate items within the list, or whether they are identifying a previous item with an appositive (a noun, noun phrase, or series of nouns next to a word to identify or rename it).
For example:
See the problem?
When speaking, people cannot see the punctuation being used. They will have to use the rest of the conversation to determine whether there are four party attendees or whether they are two! They might have to ask additional questions in order to find out. In writing, the optional Oxford comma clarifies the entire issue with the smallest of penstrokes.
So what’s the final word? It’s always better to use the Oxford comma, just in case.