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Subject:Commas, grammar, and the law From:David Dubin <David_Dubin -at- NOTES -dot- PW -dot- COM> Date:Mon, 23 May 1994 05:21:29 PDT
One of my responsibilities is to develop the writing standards for all our
technical communications. I have decided to require the use the final comma
before "and" for the purpose of consistency. Since the comma must be used
for clarification in certain instances, I believe that, in technical
communications, we should not provide the literate reader with a reason to
question why a comma was used in one instance, but not the next.
Regarding grammar, punctuation, and the law, it does make a difference. I
have served several terms in public office and have written a great deal of
local legislation. You would be amazed at what a good attorney (is there
such a thing, or is that an oxymoron?) can do with a comma. Look at any book
of laws, they are really paragraphs held together by commas . That is why
the anecdote related by Mr. Fockler does not seem at all unusual to me.
Lawyers look for loopholes. If they cannot find them in the spirit or intent
of the law, then they often look for them in the manner in which the law
itself was worded.
