The Oxford comma may be one of the most heavily debated grammar concepts in the English language. There are those who are completely against the Oxford comma, those who are Oxford comma enthusiasts, and those who don't get what the big deal is. If you happen to know that an Oxford comma is the final comma in a list of items, then you probably noticed that I am in fact an Oxford comma user. While this pesky little comma isn't technically required and is up to the writer, everyone should be using it.

After making a list of items, it looks strange to not have a comma after the last item and before the "and." If you have to include the comma for the rest of the sentence, why would you drop it off at the very end?! It doesn't take that much effort to write or type the extra comma in the list. If you are doubting that leaving out the Oxford comma can look weird, let's look at an example sentence: "Mary bought eggs, bread, milk, cheese, and cookies at the store." Not using the Oxford comma, it would read: "Mary bought eggs, bread, milk, cheese and cookies at the store." The sentence looks incomplete and as if the writer forgot something, which they did; the Oxford comma!

Not using the Oxford comma in a list can also lead to confusion over the meaning of the sentence. Sentences like "Joe spoke with his brother, an accountant, and a German Shepard owner at the event today" could be interpreted a different way without the Oxford comma. If the sentence read "Joe spoke with his brother, an accountant and a German Shepard owner at the event today," people might think that Joe's brother is an accountant and German Shepard owner; this, however, wasn't the case, as all three items are separate. Oxford commas help to create clarity in sentences and allow only a single interpretation. People against the Oxford comma may argue that sentences can be rearranged to create clarity, but isn't it much easier to add a comma?

If you still aren't convinced that you should be using an Oxford comma, let me remind you that a lawsuit was decided based on one. A dairy company lost a lawsuit to dairy drivers due to ambiguous overtime pay guidelines, which, as you likely guessed, lacked an Oxford comma. If lawsuits can depend on Oxford commas (or lack thereof), then everyday writings should include it as well.

The Oxford comma debate is far from over, but the lawsuit decision is a big step in proving that it is in fact necessary. Oxford commas may be "just a style choice," but they are a style choice that is concise, clear, and won't cause you to lose lawsuits.