False Corrections
I’ve been seeing a previously infrequent comma mistake a lot lately: a comma placed before “and” in a list of only two items. But I think I finally figured out why it has become more common: it is a false “correction” often made by editing software.
For example:
“Please meet my neighbor Wilson, friend and confidant.”
This sentence is punctuated correctly, but often, editing algorithms mistakenly read it as a list that is missing the serial (a.k.a. Oxford) comma and suggest the following change:
“Please meet my neighbor Wilson, friend, and confidant.”
There’s no need for a comma between “friend and confidant.” The original sentence is correct.
How Do You Avoid False Corrections?
My advice? Before you automatically make any correction suggested by your editing software, reread the full sentence to make sure you’re not introducing an error. You might actually know more than your computer.
Discover more quick editing tips at Imperative Editing!
Happy editing!