Are You a Serial Offender in Your Serial Comma Use?

Last updated Jan 22, 2024
By Gwenydd Jones

What is the serial comma? Maybe you know it as the Oxford comma. But do you know how to use it correctly? Test your knowledge with our punctuation quiz and see if you need to catch up on commas with our Punctuation Pro course

Serial Comma Use Quiz article image with Suricatas and commas

How do you use the serial comma or Oxford comma?

The serial comma is also known as the Oxford comma. It can cause quite a lot of confusion. When to use it? How to use it? Test yourself with this quiz. Scroll to the end for the answers!

Choose the correct answer.

1. Use the serial comma:

a. to separate items in complex lists

b. in lists of three or more items

c. after names.

2. Another name for the serial comma is:

a. the Princeton comma

b. the Harvard comma

c. neither of the above.

3. In the sentence “I’d like some bananas, apples, strawberries, and lemons,” you can see an example of serial comma use. True or false?

4. The serial comma is used in US English but not in British English. True or false?

Scroll down for the answers.

Answers

1. B

2. B

3. True

4. False. The serial comma is typically used in US English and not in British English. However, it’s used in Oxford style, which is British English.

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Written by Gwenydd Jones

Gwenydd Jones is a Spanish- and French-to-English translator, an SEO blogger and a course creator. She is the founder of The Translator's Studio and the lead teacher on its courses. Connect with Gwenydd on LinkedIn or contact her through this website.

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