As a writing coach, I’ve learned not to take sides in every grammar debate. But when it comes to the Oxford comma, I’ll gladly plant my flag. Why? Because clarity matters, and this small, often overlooked punctuation mark can mean the difference between coherence and confusion.

Let’s start with the basics. The Oxford comma, also known as the serial comma, is the comma placed before the conjunction in a list of three or more items. For example: I bought apples, oranges, and bananas. That comma before and is what we’re talking about.

Now, some style guides, particularly journalistic ones, omit it. That’s fine if you’re following AP Style. But if your goal is clarity—and let’s be honest, it usually is—the Oxford comma earns its keep.

Consider this sentence:
I’d like to thank my parents, Oprah and God.
Charming, certainly. But also a bit confusing. Are your parents Oprah and God? If so, WOW. Otherwise, you probably meant:
I’d like to thank my parents, Oprah, and God.
See the difference? The Oxford comma separates each element clearly, ensuring no unintended divine lineage.

This isn’t just a grammar nitpick— it’s just an elegant, easy way to avoid ambiguity. Ambiguity forces your reader to pause, reread, and question your meaning. That pause? That moment of doubt? That’s where your writing starts to lose its power.

Some argue that we can rely on context or rewrite the sentence to avoid confusion. And yes, context is important. But here’s the thing: the Oxford comma is a simple, elegant solution that prevents the need for workaround rewrites. Don’t reinvent the wheel when you could just… use the comma?

The Oxford comma also helps you with consistency. If you always use the Oxford comma, your lists are predictable, clean, and uniform. If you don’t, your reader is left guessing when you will or won’t. That inconsistency may not cause massive misunderstandings every time—but it does create a subtle sense of dissonance.

Now, to be clear: writing is not about rigid rule-following. Language evolves. Tone matters. Voice is everything. But punctuation is the scaffolding that holds all of that creative expression together. It’s the quiet structure behind the style. When used wisely, it disappears. When neglected, it distracts.

So, do I believe the Oxford comma is always necessary? Technically, no. In many cases, its absence won’t harm your sentence. But in my experience, it’s a small, powerful tool that makes your writing cleaner, safer, and more professional. And that’s exactly what I want for you.

In short: use it. Be consistent. Spare your readers the guesswork. And if anyone gives you a hard time about it, you can always tell them your writing coach said so.

(For the record: I love my clients, commas, and clarity.)