How does a comma cost a million?

A missing comma in a labor law decided the case. Words have meaning (including incorrectly used words that can make you look dumb). And so does punctuation: The lack of one Oxford comma in a Maine state law just cost Oakhurst Dairy $5 million in overtime pay. First some background.

What is the value of a comma?

Commas are arguably the most important grammatical tool the English language has to offer. They splice a sentence, providing cohesion and unity. Commas also allow the reader to understand the proper connotation of a writer's words.

What is the big deal about the Oxford comma?

The blue-blood punctuation mark, named after the Oxford University Press, acts as a social signifier, a sieve for the bookish and studious (and, perhaps, pretentious). It suggests personality traits that extend far beyond punctuation preferences. There are other ways of doing this in your Tinder profile, of course.

What does a comma mean in a contract?

Commas in contracts link separate clauses in a non-definitive way, leaving their reading open to interpretation. While a full stop is literally that – a full and complete stop to one thought or sentence, and the signal of the start of another – commas occupy a linguistic middle ground, and one that's often muddled.

Why Commas make a difference?

The absence or presence of a comma can change the entire meaning of a sentence. For example, there's a cannibalistic difference between “Let's eat grandma” and “Let's eat, grandma.” The same holds true for apostrophes, hyphens, colons, and other punctuation marks.

How a Missing Comma Cost a Company $5 Million

Is the Oxford comma?

The Oxford comma is the comma placed before the conjunction at the end of a list of things. For example, in “the flag was red, white, and blue”, the Oxford comma would be the one appearing before “and”. Proponents of the Oxford comma say it's necessary for removing ambiguity in sentences.

What are the comma rules?

Why are there no commas in wills?

Punctuation was traditionally omitted in legal documents and this practise is continued by many Will and Trust drafters. Drafters prefer instead to use underlining or spacing to avoid the ordinary use of commas. The traditional exclusion rests on a precedent both ancient and authoritative.

Is the Oxford comma better?

While the Oxford comma is technically grammatically correct, it is most often unnecessary and pointless. Thus, writers and editors should eliminate the comma unless it is absolutely essential for comprehension.

Why is the Oxford comma controversial?

When a sentence includes a series of people, places, or things, using the Oxford comma makes it clear just how many items you are listing and resolves any potential confusion or ambiguity. Also, without the Oxford comma, you may inadvertently suggest a connection between the last two items that does not actually exist.

What is the opposite of Oxford comma?

AP Style—the style guide that newspaper reporters adhere to—does not require the use of the Oxford comma. The sentence above written in AP style would look like this: Please bring me a pencil, eraser and notebook.

Why is it called an Oxford comma?

The Oxford comma is the final comma that comes before the conjunction in a list of three or more items. Its name comes from the Oxford University Press (OUP), where for over a century it has been standard in the Oxford Style Manual.

How many commas are in a million?

Every time you have a full group of three zeros, like in one million (1,000,000), you use a comma to separate them.

How do you put a comma in 100000?

A comma is placed every third digit to the left of the decimal point and so is used in numbers with four or more digits. Continue to place a comma after every third digit. For example: $1,000,000 (one million dollars)

Is there a comma in 1000?

1000 or one thousand is the natural number following 999 and preceding 1001. In most English-speaking countries, it can be written with or without a comma or sometimes a period separating the thousands digit: 1,000.

When was the comma invented?

The comma came from the Greek 'κόμμα' or 'komma'. The word comma literally meant 'to cut off', coming from the Greek word koptein. It was invented in the third century (B.C.) by Aristophanes of Byzantium along with the rest of a system of dots used to show pauses in speech.

What does a comma mean in a legal document?

According to Cuny School of Law, commas must separate independent clauses whenever they are joined together by coordinating conjunctions, such as and, for, but, or, yet and nor. You should also use commas to separate three or more phrases, clauses or words within a sentence (eg:phrases, clauses or words).

What is an Oxford?

An Oxford, or serial, comma is the last comma in a list; it goes before the word "and." Technically, it's grammatically optional in American English. However, depending on the list you are writing out, omitting it can lead to some confusion.

What is a superfluous comma?

Except after an introductory dependent clause, do not use a comma to separate a dependent clause from a main clause unless the dependent clause provides nonessential information.

What are the 3 comma rules?

How do you use commas examples?

Use commas to separate words and word groups in a simple series of three or more items. Example: My estate goes to my husband, son, daughter-in-law, and nephew. Note: When the last comma in a series comes before and or or (after daughter-in-law in the above example), it is known as the Oxford comma.

What are the 5 comma rules?

What is an em dash?

The Em Dash: An Introduction

Like commas and parentheses, em dashes set off extra information, such as examples, explanatory or descriptive phrases, or supplemental facts. Like a colon, an em dash introduces a clause that explains or expands upon something that precedes it.

Who uses Oxford comma?

In a sentence with a list of three or more items, the Oxford comma is the comma you place right before the coordinating conjunction and last item in the list. It is also known as a serial comma, a series comma, or a Harvard comma. The Oxford comma is considered optional by American English language grammarians.