December 15, 2008

By Vonda Skelton

Posted in: Writing Instruction | Writing Opportunities | Jesus | Writer's Conferences

The Cereal...er...Serial Comma

December 15, 2008

Okay, I know the title is corny, but I'm desperate. Many writers say the serial comma is passé. Well, you tell me if you think a little comma would have clarified this phrase, reportedly taken from a book dedication: "To my parents, Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II." Say what?

Could the writer really be the unclaimed offspring of Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II? I don't think so! Can you see that a serial comma (one placed after Mother Teresa) would have made the writer's intent clear?

The serial comma has been eschewed in the newspaper industry for years, but in today's world of texting, IMing, and Twittering, it's quickly losing ground in all areas of writing...and I believe our written language is suffering for it.

Years ago, when newspaper reporters pecked out their stories on manual typewriters, each letter or mark required a uniform amount of space, regardless of the space it actually filled. In a market where space is money, the serial comma was deemed unnecessary, creating more space for news and/or income-producing ads.

That's not the case today. In this age of word processing and publishing software, each letter or mark carries its own unique space requirement, allowing a small mark or letter to take up only a small amount of space. But the newspaper industry has not changed its stand. And when you add the proliferation of shorthand communication associated with technology, it seems the poor little comma may be gasping for its last breath.

But what do I know? Let's see what the experts say. Strunk and White certainly felt the serial comma was necessary. As a matter of fact, it was so important that its use is listed as Rule #2 on page two of the acclaimed book on writing, The Elements of Style:

            In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last.

The Chicago Manual of Style is equally adamant:

            6.19   Items in a series are normally separated by commas (but see 6.60). When a conjunction joins the last two elements in a series, a comma--known as the serial or series comma or the Oxford comma--should appear before the conjunction.

When I first began writing, the comma was primarily ostracized in journalism (newspapers, magazines, etc), but now it's suffering a slow death in fiction writing as well.

So I have to ask, "Is the serial comma really necessary?" You tell me. Is the American flag made up of three colors, red and white and blue? Or is it red, with an area of white and blue? My college English textbook, Hodges' Harbrace College Handbook, uses this example on page 117:

The natives ate beans, onions, rice and honey. (Was the rice and honey a mixture?)

For the life of me, I can't see the justification in eliminating the serial comma. And I'm not the only one. Jeff Rubin--aka Punctuation Man--has taken a stand and established National Punctuation Day, September 24. As a matter of fact, a quick Google search found almost 500,000 hits for the term, "serial comma."

And yet, the more books, magazines, and articles I publish, the more it seems the determining factor is simply the publisher's preference. Sometimes it's even the editor's preference within a publishing house. All my book manuscripts were submitted with serial commas. The little buggers made the cut at one publisher, only to be put to death at another. Sniff, sniff.

"Missing-in-action" serial commas certainly aren't the end of the world, but eliminating them sure feels lazy, at least to me. It feels soggy. (Here comes the transition...) Sorta like soggy cereal...where individual pieces get clumped together into a distasteful mish-mash of confusion. 

And where's the good in that?

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Writing Opportunities for YOU!

Be sure to check out these opportunities carefully, as I am unable to personally verify them. And remember--you should never have to pay someone for the privilege of writing for them.

1. Empowered Magazine, The Christian Lifestyle Magazine for Women, is looking for articles from Christian women. 
2. Chicken Soup for the Soul is always looking for submissions, and several Christian Writer's Den readers have been published through them. This is a paying market!
3. Outdoor writer wanted
4. Seeking educational writer 
5. Human interest stories wanted
6. Bloggers wanted for breast cancer, motherhood, and allergy blogs.

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Other Opportunities

1. Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Scholarships! Deadline for entries February 15, 2009.
2. Free writing courses 
3. Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at Spalding University in Kentucky (low residency)
4. Free e-book from Book Proposals that Sell
5. Fiction Writing for Children class, taught by our own Pam Zollman, coming to Greenville, SC area in January.

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As we continue through this Christmas season, I pray we all remember the Baby who grew to be a Man and died on the cross as the Sacrifice for our sin. Because of Him, we can have peace with God. 

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." Luke 2:13-14

I pray God's blessing on the work of your hands and your hearts,

Vonda

Images courtesy of: FreeImages.co.uk and ChristianPhotos.Net - Free High Resolution Photos for Christian Publications 

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8 Comments

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#1 Crystal Arcand — http://3stairs.com

You have an interesting perspective. I've long been against the serial comma, feeling it to be extraneous. I see it as implied, like the subjects of commands such as, (to use another great grammar holiday) March forth. While the word you isn't included in the sentence, it is implied, and therefore mentally supplied by common sense.

To address your example, a bit of editing dissipates the confusion: To Mother Teresa, my parents and Pope John Paul II. This is where thoughtful writing comes into play, which is - I believe - another important aspect of the art that is being left behind in our haste to express ourselves for the sake of expressing ourselves rather than provoking thought.

#2 Vonda Skelton

Hi Crystal! Thanks for stopping by! I love the way you started your comment: "You have an interesting perspective." That's the nice, Christian way to say "I think you're wrong." ;-) Isn't it great that we can see things so differently and still respect each other in the morning???

Ha ha!! Oh, I'm so thankful to have you in my life!

Blessings, my friend...

Vonda

#3 Crystal Arcand — http://3stairs.com

ACK!!! That does come across that way, doesn't it? What I forgot to add (in all my thoughtful writing) was that I hadn't thought of the serial comma from your perspective.

Those are the dangers of having your thoughts go so much faster than your fingers: I was in such an excited hurry to describe my perspective using March 4th that I didn't validate yours. My apologies, dearest!

I didn't know the history of the serial comma - thanks for sharing!

#4 Vonda Skelton

Oh, please don't ever refrain from writing from your perspective. It adds so much to the conversation! I appreciate your insight and would be disappointed if you disagreed but felt unable to say it. That's how we all learn from each other!

Be blessed today!

Vonda

#5 Cheryl Barker — http://cherylbarker.blogspot.com/

I agree, Vonda. I think the serial comma is needed. It just looks like a mistake to me when it is left out.

#6 Vonda Skelton

Hi Cheryl! I'm glad to know I'm not the only one. ;-)

Blessings,

Vonda

#7 Shelly Moran

Vonda, I, too, agree with you. Meanings can be successfully addressed by changing word choice as Crystal offered in her example, but to NOT use different (clearer) words and just eliminate the comma DOES completely change the meaning(s). Either make the meaning clear or use the commas.

I see this all the time on Internet posts--official ones, supposedly from professional writers of professional publications. And I linger over them, wondering, Now, is that what they REALLY meant...?

#8 Vonda Skelton

Good point, Shelley. As writers, we must make the intent clear, regardless of which technique we use!

Thanks for your input!

Vonda

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