Most of my writer friends know I’m a fan of the Oxford comma. (I also appreciate “comma” jokes, such as the “comma, comma, comma” pictured with a chameleon. What? It’s funny. No, seriously.) I would hazard most people, though, find the Oxford conversation a little silly.
They have a point. The Oxford comma could be a quibble. However, commas as a general punctuation mark are critical. They clarify the scene, ensuring that one’s favorite grandma isn’t on the dinner menu.
Perhaps more to the point: the correct use of commas is critical. My current, favorite example is an actual legal case. One of my friends alerted me to a piece of litigation in which an employee reached a settlement because of a comma. Commas matter.
They also matter in more lighthearted scenarios. Consider this gem: “Food will be served, unfortunately, no childcare.” Wait, what? Ah. An end stop should conclude the first phrase. The “unfortunately” is meant to apply to the absence of childcare, but that’s not how the sentence reads thanks to an extra, and misused, comma.
It sounds as though the presence of food is an unfortunate matter. (What, exactly, would constitute “unfortunate” food? I don’t know, but it’s fun to think about.) Obviously, people will read the message and likely understand the meaning. The comma won’t cause undue damage. It could, however, cause people to pause and attempt to figure out the intent of the words.
That alone is cause for concern. Punctuation should move readers along. Punctuation marks set tone and pace. They act similar to rests in music, performing a critical and often artistic role. As such, they — and in this particular case, the comma — should be remembered and used correctly.
Image: imke.stahlmann (Creative Commons)