tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post4233942453729359602..comments2024-03-28T01:44:27.279-06:00Comments on Blood-Red Pencil: Taking SidesDanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471919576687777886noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-74128397463673002112016-11-18T17:28:37.820-07:002016-11-18T17:28:37.820-07:00I will keep my Oxford comma, thank you. I prefer c...I will keep my Oxford comma, thank you. I prefer clear communication.Diana Hurwitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18216220574149672733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-86199523999169329582016-11-18T05:06:58.400-07:002016-11-18T05:06:58.400-07:00Yes, I have to agree with you on that one. Ick. I ...Yes, I have to agree with you on that one. Ick. I was thinking more along the lines of informal speech and dialogue, like, "Who did you buy that book for?" or even "Who's that for?". <br /><br />I often write "whom" in my first drafts because I know it's correct, but then edit it to "who" later because it sounds too forced.Elle Carter Nealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02266309723919011181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-82077417875921831732016-11-17T17:07:29.975-07:002016-11-17T17:07:29.975-07:00My editor insists on the Oxford comma, and she fol...My editor insists on the Oxford comma, and she follows CMOS. I agree. However, she insists that whether you choose to use it or not, the writer should be consistent throughout. <br /><br />I always remember the comma, but when I am in a zone and writing, I tend to forget the question mark. I know it should be there, but I forget because I'm off to the next sentence. Good thing I have eagle eye critique partners.Polly Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05729656119287702191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-20000919047606024312016-11-17T16:39:21.946-07:002016-11-17T16:39:21.946-07:00Ah, you all get a gold star today! Clarity is inde...Ah, you all get a gold star today! Clarity is indeed vital, and as Mr. Constantine noted, "not all change is progress." I myself am firmly in the Oxford camp, though I'm willing to be flexible on one or two other grammatical points.<br /><br />The thought of "For Who the Bell Tolls" makes me cringe, however.The Style Mavennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-45503518309585121922016-11-17T16:13:48.085-07:002016-11-17T16:13:48.085-07:00We need the Oxford comma for clarity. Why do peopl...We need the Oxford comma for clarity. Why do people think it needs to go? Now "whom", as someone mentioned, I'd be very happy to dump. LD Mastersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01202135756299574972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-82488063650698999402016-11-17T11:46:47.282-07:002016-11-17T11:46:47.282-07:00Classic example caused by omitting the Oxford comm...Classic example caused by omitting the Oxford comma: "This book is dedicated to my parents, Ayn Rand and God." That's an impressive lineage. It also is somewhat misleading. To be accurate, it must be punctuated differently. "This book is dedicated to to my parents, Ayn Rand, and God." Now it's believable. There's a further issue here: consistency. If a book contains even one instance of confusion or inaccuracy caused by the absence of the Oxford comma, every series in the story should contain it. Why? Some readers will catch the inconsistency and assume any series not containing that comma is an editing oversight. No matter how one might argue for "new rules" to fit today's readers, some of the old rules are still necessary. Larry Constantine stated it very well: "not all change is progress."Linda Lanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16056682992943171805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-60393205219467137332016-11-17T10:12:12.074-07:002016-11-17T10:12:12.074-07:00I am so glad the Style Maven is back, and I cringe...I am so glad the Style Maven is back, and I cringe at the thought of the demise of the Oxford comma and the CMOS. We will be doomed. By the way, why is is called the Oxford comma? Did some stuffy academic create it? Maryannwriteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09479027709233807149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-68382650174322383882016-11-17T07:51:38.484-07:002016-11-17T07:51:38.484-07:00Honestly, Ms Maven, I can't understand all the...Honestly, Ms Maven, I can't understand all the fuss over a tinsy-tiny punctuation. I stand four-square in favor of the little thing. The scrapping of the CMOS would surely be a sign of the end of times.Christopher Hudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03667548312923348614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-88272299661591439332016-11-17T05:40:24.337-07:002016-11-17T05:40:24.337-07:00Oxford Comma 4EVA! ;-)
(I'll take text-speak,...Oxford Comma 4EVA! ;-)<br /><br />(I'll take text-speak, the dropping of <i>whom</i>, and one other list item over the loss of the Oxford Comma.)Elle Carter Nealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02266309723919011181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-14210823172404440502016-11-17T05:38:04.639-07:002016-11-17T05:38:04.639-07:00CMoS goes on to say why it mandates the serial com...CMoS goes on to say why it mandates the serial comma, namely that it resolves ambiguities. And why should we, who are not lawyers but novelists, care about ambiguities? Because we do not want our readers to stop and have to reread a sentence for it to make sense or to proceed on a misunderstanding that will cause confusion ahead. Either way, they are taken out of the story.<br /><br />Yes, language changes. Yes practice changes. However, as any number of recent events attest, not all change is progress.Larry Constantine (Lior Samson)http://amazon.com/author/liorsamson/noreply@blogger.com