Oxford comma. Is it taught at KS2?

[claig]

Is the Oxford comma taught at KS2 i.e.
"red, white, and blue"
with a comma before the "and",
or is the more usual "red, white and blue" taught?

I think Americans often use the Oxford comma, but I don't think we do here. Is that right?

I don't use, and therefore teach KS2 children not to use it. Whether I am correct or not I don't know, never actually thought about it as it just looks wrong to me!

agree hockey. It does look wrong and I don't use it. But am not sure about it. I may need to ask the ones that lurk in pedant's corner. Wish me luck! For some have entered there, and have never returned to see the light of day.

In year 2 we teach 'red, white and blue'. Do they teach something different at KS2 then?

It's not used in the UK, but it is in the US. I know an excellent US punctuation game, but have to highlight this discrepancy every time we use it (it is good though - Punctuation Paintball - don't bother registering, go straight to the game).

I use Oxford commas, as I used to work for OUP and it was obligatory there.
I've never seen it taught in schools, but it wouldn't usually be marked wrong.

I thought an Oxford comma was only used to separate groups of words eg the red, white and blue, and the green meaning one that was red, white and blue and one that was green. I wouldn't use it in every situation.

Great song though!

I was taught at school (many moons ago) that your example was wrong.
Has it all changed?

I'm pretty sure DD was taught non-oxford list style.

Yes, Americans do use it - I work for a US company and our product documentation is peppered with oxford commas. Not in the bits I've written though, so the tech writers can't be too fussed about it.

We teach that 'and' or 'or' replaces the comma in a list and is therefore unnecessary.

thanks everyone. The consensus seems to be that it is not usually taught here.

I was taught at school that the Oxford comma was wrong. Since then I have trained as an editor and been told that it isn't wrong but is seldom used in the UK (outside Oxford, presumably). I always remove it from work that's given to me to edit.

ComeInto, what book do you use as a style guide bible in the UK? I have heard of the US Chicago Manual of Style and the US Strunk's Elements of Style. Is there an equivalent UK bible on style that UK editors, journalists and writers use?

I grew up in the US and was taught the non-Oxford comma way. Then when I went to university (again in the US), I was taught it was the correct way. It was explained that the comma separated each thing. It makes sense, but I rarely use it here in the UK as I notice most people don't. To be fair though, I don't think the Oxford comma is actually that common in the US either.

I also only just found out that practice and practise are two different things! In the US, we're only taught "practice" for both the noun and verb.

Hi it's used in us and for some books here that will also be published in the us. Should not be taught in ks2 for lists.

We teach that 'and' or 'or' replaces the comma in a list and is therefore unnecessary

I have always thought of it more as the comma replacing lots of and/ors. So the actual and/or doesn't need a comma.

The only style 'bible' I've ever heard of in the UK is Fowler?s Modern English Usage. I don't know whether it says anything either way about Oxford commas though.

Thanks, Grimma, I have heard of Fowler's. I will look into getting hold of it.

....so of course I googled and am pleased to find:

In Fowler?s Modern English Usage, it points out that the use of a comma in lists is to replace the word ?and?, otherwise the list above would read:

?The items he put into the van included screwdrivers and white paint and a hammer and a flask of hot coffee.

Fowler argues that there is no need therefore for the final comma in a list as the word ?and? is still there. He does, however, acknowledge that there are cases where, to avoid ambiguity, it should be used if the items in the list are more complex.

NLS had no comma before and

The Oxford comma isn't taught at school. I was only taught to use it in my first year at Uni.

The Oxford comma has its place:

I'd like to thank my parents, Martin Amis and JK Rowling
I'd like to thank my parents, Martin Amis, and JK Rowling

(Example from Guardian's style guide on their website)

Oxford comma is used in academic papers.