Writers frequently debate whether or not the Oxford comma is a necessary piece of punctuation. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. In ...

PORTLAND, Maine — It all came down to a missing comma, and not just any one. And it's reignited a longstanding debate over whether the punctuation is necessary. A federal appeals court decided last ...

Sept. 24 is National Punctuation Day, a time to think about all those lowly, little dots, lines, and squiggles that adorn the written word. One of the websites promoting the occasion announces, ...

Now that the end of August and beginning of the school year loom, English teachers everywhere are girding their loins and lacing their corsets, readying themselves for the noble challenge of making ...

There's a well-worn joke that if you call a copy editor anal-retentive, he'll look that up to see if it's hyphenated. It is, I am, and it's my job. Many people can give dignified one-word answers to ...

America is now a nation at war. I’m not talking about the one between rich and poor, migrants and nativists, or Republicans and Democrats. No, this conflict is far more divisive and potentially ...