Why are commas omitted in formal writing?

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englishlearn
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Why are commas omitted in formal writing?

Post by englishlearn »

For instance, the examples below are missing a comma before the coordinating conjunctions (and,or):

"The court found that no contract
existed between the parties because under an objective
standard, a reasonable person could tell that no offer was
intended and the alleged contract was void because it was
for goods in excess of $ 500.00 and not in writing."



"The parties disagree concerning whether the Court
should apply the law of the state of New York or of some
other state in evaluating whether defendant's promotional
campaign constituted an offer."
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Joe
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Re: Why are commas omitted in formal writing?

Post by Joe »

In some jurisdictions commas in legal writing are considered dangerous as they can lead to ambiguity. Millions of dollars have been lost thanks to a judge's particular interpretation of a comma.
"We are not wholly bad or good, who live our lives under Milk Wood :-| " — Dylan Thomas, Under Milk Wood

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