by Barbara McNichol

When working with business professionals and nonfiction authors, I often wonder how much they struggle with their use of commas and other punctuation—or whether they question it at all!

At times, strict punctuation rules can be relaxed, especially when writing artistic pieces. Even in the absence of rhyme or reason where commas are placed, however, consistency must reign.

Unconventional punctuation can create confusion in meaning.
If authors don’t struggle a bit with when to use commas, they
may be forcing readers to struggle with “getting” what they
mean. That’s when relying on the rules takes priority over artistic
license.

A fascinating article from a New York Times columnist adroitly
addresses the correct use of a comma.

I encourage you to read this article and learn from a master, Ben Yagoda.
Yagoda’s examples explain the tricky rules for using commas. For example:

I went to see the movie, “Midnight in Paris” with my
friend, Jessie.

Comma after “movie,” comma after “friend” and, sometimes,
comma after “Paris” as well. None are correct — unless
“Midnight in Paris” is the only movie in the world and
Jessie is the writer’s only friend. Otherwise, the
punctuation should be:

I went to see the movie “Midnight in Paris” with my friend
Jessie.

If that seems wrong or weird or anything short of clearly
right, bear with me a minute and take a look at another
correct sentence:

I went to see Woody Allen’s latest movie, “Midnight in
Paris,” with my oldest friend, Jessie.

Do you see how the correct punctuation set up clarity in
the meaning–a subtle but important distinction.

How important is it for you to follow strict punctuation
rules in your writing? Please share your comments here.