Comma Mastery: The Complete Legal Writing Workout

Fix every comma error in this contract dispute brief — missing commas, misplaced commas, comma splices, serial commas, and more.

This excerpt from a contract dispute brief has comma errors everywhere — some commas are missing, others shouldn't be there, and some sentences are comma splices. Fix them all.

Comma Rules to Apply:

1. Compound Sentences Use a comma BEFORE a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so) joining two independent clauses:

"The contract was valid, and the defendant breached it."
NOT: "The contract was valid and the defendant breached it." (missing comma)

2. Introductory Elements Use a comma after introductory words, phrases, or clauses:

"However, the court disagreed."
"On March 15, the parties signed the agreement."
"Because the defendant failed to perform, the plaintiff suffered damages."

3. Serial Comma (Oxford Comma) In legal writing, ALWAYS use the serial comma before "and" or "or" in a list:

"The contract covered salary, benefits, and stock options."
NOT: "salary, benefits and stock options" (ambiguous!)

4. Nonrestrictive vs. Restrictive

Nonrestrictive (extra info, removable): USE commas "The defendant, who lives in Texas, filed a motion."
Restrictive (essential, defines): NO commas "The defendant who lives in Texas filed a motion." (distinguishing from other defendants)

5. "Which" vs. "That"

"Which" = nonrestrictive, needs comma: "The contract, which was signed in March, is void."
"That" = restrictive, no comma: "The contract that was signed in March is void."

6. Comma Splices (ERROR) Don't join independent clauses with just a comma:

WRONG: "The defendant breached the contract, the plaintiff sued."
RIGHT: "The defendant breached the contract, and the plaintiff sued." OR use semicolon

7. Coordinate Adjectives Use comma between adjectives that independently modify the noun (can swap order or add "and"):

"a lengthy, complex contract" (coordinate — comma)
"a bright red car" (not coordinate — no comma; "bright" modifies "red")

8. Unnecessary Commas Don't use commas:

Between subject and verb: NOT "The defendant, filed a motion."
Before "that" introducing a clause: NOT "He argued, that the contract was void."
After a coordinating conjunction: NOT "The court ruled, but, the defendant appealed."

Find and fix every comma error.

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Your Edited Version

The plaintiff, Acme Corporation filed suit on January 15 2024 in the Southern District of New York. The defendant, GlobalTech Inc. which is headquartered in California had allegedly breached a software licensing agreement. The contract which the parties signed on March 1 2023 required GlobalTech to pay quarterly royalties, and to provide source code access.

However the defendant failed to make payments for three consecutive quarters, the plaintiff sent multiple demand letters. The letters dated April 15 July 20 and October 3 2023 warned of legal consequences but GlobalTech did not respond. The plaintiff's CEO a veteran of the software industry, testified, that these failures caused significant harm.

The evidence shows, that GlobalTech's breach was willful intentional and calculated. The defendant knew, that the payments were due yet chose to ignore its obligations. Furthermore the internal emails which were produced during discovery reveal a deliberate pattern of avoidance.

The defendant argues, that the contract terms were ambiguous and that the payment schedule was unclear. This argument however fails for three reasons. First the contract language is clear unambiguous and enforceable. Second the defendant made two timely payments before stopping. Third, and most importantly the defendant's own executives admitted in depositions, that they understood the terms.

The plaintiff seeks damages of $2.5 million, attorney's fees, and injunctive relief. The court should grant summary judgment, the evidence overwhelmingly supports the plaintiff's claims. The defendant's conduct which has caused ongoing harm must not be allowed to continue, without consequence.

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Comma Mastery: The Complete Legal Writing Workout

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