Tip #001: The Oxford (or Serial) Comma
Use commas between all items in a series, including before the coordinating conjunction.
Example: The restaurant serves water, coffee, tea, soft drinks, beer, and wine.
The last comma in the series right before the coordinating conjunction is called the Oxford or serial comma. Newspapers and many attorneys often leave it out, which is not technically incorrect, but it can cause clarity problems. Check out this sentence: I sent apples to my parents, Al Gore and Sarah Palin. Did I send apples to three entities, or are Al and Sarah my parents? Obviously, without the Oxford comma, meaning could be distorted. Here's another example: I specialize in cooking and baking, cleaning and polishing and washing windows. Are cleaning and polishing supposed to go together as an activity (like cooking and baking), or do I polish and wash windows? Without the Oxford comma, the reader would have to guess. Writing is communication, and communication without clarity is worthless. Use the Oxford comma.