The list tag has no wiki summary.
1
vote
0answers
28 views
Does this sentence call for an additional “for”?
I'm confronted with two compelling options:
(1) "I want to be at least partially responsible for getting them to think differently, or inspiring them to earnestly investigate new topics."
(2) "I ...
0
votes
1answer
35 views
How to use quotes in a list with commas
This is a sentence that I wrote:
In the text, words such as greenbacks, ironclads, and blockade were used.
However, I think there should be quotations around the words. How would I place them? ...
-1
votes
2answers
63 views
Ambiguous “inline” enumerations
I am currently writing a thesis in computer science and have stumbled upon an interesting ambiguity that I would like to better understand.
Consider the following sentence:
The importance of this ...
0
votes
0answers
15 views
A date and time that suit you? [duplicate]
Which of these is correct?
A date and time that suit you
A date and time that suits you
I have always had doubts about this.
2
votes
1answer
37 views
Plurals in titles of lists regardless of number of items
Not sure how to describe it, so here is an example.
This looks right, even though “tests which failed” has only one item in the list:
Tests which failed
Test #1
Tests which passed
...
1
vote
1answer
41 views
Singular or Plural Before List? [duplicate]
I'm trying to write a list of features available in my product, and I'm confused what the title should be:
Should I say "Features List" (features are plural) or "Feature List" (feature is singular).
...
1
vote
1answer
64 views
“Firstly, secondly” vs. “Firstly, lastly” when listing just two points
Normally, if we which to illustrate our points, we can use firstly, secondly, lastly (or last but not least or finally).
There are a few pieces of information we need to notice:
Firstly,
...
1
vote
1answer
63 views
What punctuation should follow after a list introduced by a colon?
The whole department: John, Jeff, Jean, and the accountant [?] were thrown into jail.
-1
votes
0answers
9 views
What is the difference if we use a comma before the last item in a list? [duplicate]
I am always confused when using a comma in writing.
Is there a difference between the following?
sam, sali and jone
sam, sali, and jone
0
votes
0answers
30 views
What should be taken into account? The verb or the list? [duplicate]
Watching Nat Geo, religious rituals on Youtube, and the full series of Saw back to back has exponentially increased my resilience.
Is this sentence correct? I am confused as to whether I should ...
2
votes
2answers
72 views
Is it okay to use a colon within a bulleted list?
Question 1: Are colons allowed in a list?
Business writing skills: data entry, email, presentation and press release writing.
Question 2: Should there be only one and in a sentence?
2
votes
1answer
85 views
Semicolon as a super-comma preceding “etc.”
I was wondering which punctuation to use preceeding etc. in an enumeration with semicolons as supercommas (as formulated here: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/semicolon).
People with dichromatic ...
1
vote
1answer
71 views
What is the most succinct way of listing requests in a grammatically correct syntax/format?
When I am having a conversation with a a friend, I might say something like this
That's a great idea, but I wonder if 'A' you have the time, 'B' you can get enough buyers and 'C' the buyers will ...
0
votes
3answers
108 views
Is the last comma in “A, B, and C, do X” correct? [duplicate]
Does the following sentence require a comma after the word "meal?"
Quizzing the waiter, complaining about the menu, and criticizing the meal, detract from your advocacy.
0
votes
1answer
65 views
How to quote a list from a paper? [closed]
I'm writing a paper and I need to quote the following list:
Step1: Compute the center of each triangle and the correspondences between the center and three vertexes of the
triangle;
Step2: Set up ...
9
votes
3answers
422 views
Where can I find a list of common padding words?
Like a lot of people, I actually have the habit of actually adding a lot of actual padding words when I actually write. A common one I use is actually. These are actually rarely worth keeping, ...
0
votes
3answers
124 views
Does inserting a comma change what is modified?
My question pertains to the usage of comma after a list of clauses of the form
"X, Y, and Z (,) to/in order to <do something>"
Example:
Apply Equation 1, use Lemma 2, and exploit Theorem ...
0
votes
1answer
101 views
Enumeration that starts with “in the”
What is grammatically correct?
I participated in the math club, in the cycling club and in the computer game design club.
or
I participated in the math club, the cycling club and the ...
3
votes
3answers
1k views
Punctuation to introduce a list: comma vs. colon vs. nothing
Which of these sentences is written correctly?
Angela has three brothers, Mark, Adam, and Ryan.
Angela has three brothers: Mark, Adam, and Ryan.
Angela has three brothers Mark, Adam, and ...
2
votes
2answers
71 views
Listing of items in order of their effectiveness
In a research paper, how do I list things in order of their effectiveness?
For example,
The order of antagonistic effect of acetic acid against E. coli O157:H7 was salt > glycine > glucose > ...
1
vote
2answers
121 views
Mixing adjective and noun enumerations
I am having trouble writing a seemingly simple sentence. I am organising an event where three kinds of food will be served:
hot beverages
cold beverages
finger food
My trouble deals with putting ...
1
vote
0answers
175 views
Ordering of multiple, consecutive adjectives [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Adjective order
One a comedy show, one of the comedians was a female who was black and from the UK. The host introduced her as a the first black, female, British ...
-2
votes
1answer
394 views
Correct use of “is” or “are” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Singular or plural following a list
Would I use is or are in the following sentence?
The Pohutakawa Coast, Hauraki Gulf, and Waiheke Island is/are the backdrop for ...
1
vote
2answers
442 views
“A, B, C, or etc.” vs. “A, B, or C, etc.” vs. “A, B, C, etc.”
I think correct usages of "and" and "etc." are:
A, B, C, and etc.
A, B, and etc.
But the example usage of "or" and "etc." I found in my dictionary is:
A or B, etc.
Why it is not:
A, ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
Conjunction use: “and” or “or” in list of examples
When giving a list of examples, it seems to me "and" should be used because all the items in the list are examples, not just one of the items:
I love fruit (e.g., apples, oranges, and bananas).
...
1
vote
3answers
291 views
Use of prepositions in strings of conjunctions
When one wants to list various cases/classes/categories/types of objects in a string of conjunctions, is it preferable (or even mandatory) to keep on using (the same) preposition in front of each one ...
1
vote
0answers
29 views
Usage of comma before “and” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Should I put a comma before the last item in a list?
Which is correct?
Three attributes are considered in this talk: response time, availability, and throughput.
...
2
votes
2answers
106 views
What is the rule of using semicolons in this sentence? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is it proper usage to replace a comma in a list with a semi-colon in this situation (see details)?
Transglobal historians are muscling up with their magnum opuses; ...
0
votes
2answers
151 views
Using a semicolon between elements in a list [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is it proper usage to replace a comma in a list with a semi-colon in this situation (see details)?
Is it ever appropriate to use semicolons to separate elements in a ...
0
votes
0answers
14 views
“Rate, comment, and subscribe” vs. “rate, comment and subscribe” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Should I put a comma before the last item in a list?
In a sentence, when listing a couple — at least three — of things, are you supposed to add a comma before the last ...
-1
votes
0answers
32 views
proper way to use a comma separating 3 (or more) words in a sentence [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Should I put a comma before the last item in a list?
Proper English writing is not my strong point so I thought I'd post a question here.
Using the following as an ...
6
votes
2answers
6k views
Use of capitals and full stops in bullet points [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Capitalization for a bullet list
Let's say I have a bullet point list e.g:
Point 1.
Point 2.
Point 3.
Notice I have put a capital letter for the starting letter of ...
0
votes
3answers
4k views
How to write a bulleted list? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicates:
Question about Capitalization for a Bullet List
Periods for bullet point items
Should each item be in uppercase or not? I've seen both forms:
Yada, yada, yada, ...
2
votes
5answers
1k views
Semicolons at the end of list items
In school, we were taught to end each list item with a semicolon. But I have never actually seen this. Can somebody please confirm this? Should we end each list item with anything at all?
I've seen ...
7
votes
5answers
555 views
How to punctuate lists that are nested to three levels?
A basic list is punctuated like this:
The park has some bears, deers, and other animals.
(bears) (deers) (other animals)
When commas appear inside the items of a list, or when lists appear ...
0
votes
2answers
105 views
How can this sentence be written correctly? [closed]
Our interactive products are fun to use on desktop, mobile and touchscreen devices, just look awesome and are driven by the latest technology.
The commas don't seem right to me. Shouldn't there ...
3
votes
1answer
301 views
Is it correct to use the conjunction “or” more than twice in one sentence?
For an example is it correct to say:
You may use X or Y or Z or even something else.
And what is proper punctuation for such example in case it is valid.
6
votes
3answers
582 views
What is a word for food preferences?
What single word would you use to describe a list of food preferences, which includes:
Allergies (e.g., shellfish)
Sensitivities (e.g., lactose intolerant)
Dislikes (e.g., Brussels sprouts)
Likes ...
1
vote
0answers
76 views
The plural of “domain”? [closed]
Which is the correct use of plurality in the following sentence:
This field is approached from the domain of Investment Theory, Optimization and Machine Learning.
or
This field is approached ...
1
vote
3answers
2k views
Either and vs. Either or
(1) In this question on math.SE a question about the meaning of 'either' before a list which ends with 'and'. The meaning of
either a, b, c, or d
is from this answer sort of clear in that it means ...
1
vote
1answer
251 views
How to arrange in alphabetical order by maiden name but include married name [closed]
In a class list, what is the correct way to arrange in alphabetical order by maiden name but also include married name, so that someone who doesn't know the person and does not know the list is in ...
5
votes
2answers
268 views
Punctuation when using a list of adjective pairs set apart by “yet”
I'm proofreading something, and came across this sentence:
We believe the strength of our design is in our ability to be dynamic yet focused, clean yet inviting and organized yet exploratory.
It ...
-4
votes
2answers
304 views
Comma confusion [closed]
I'm pretty sure this is a duplicate, but it's a generic case and searching brings up thousands of examples, so I'm forced to post.
The question is, which of the sentences below is punctuated ...
1
vote
3answers
454 views
Comma after e.g. list
I am unsure whether to use comma after the example list while using e.g. Any ideas?
these functions, e.g., delay, capacity, throughput, represent better...
or
these functions, e.g., delay, ...
0
votes
2answers
228 views
When are “and” and commas used in a list of adjectives?
When are "and" and commas used in a list of adjectives? For example,
Poor little rich girl, or
Poor, little and rich girl (or Poor, little, and rich girl)?
1
vote
1answer
112 views
should a list of tokens be called a “token list” or a “tokens list” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
“User accounts” or “users account?”
I ask because a list of tasks would usually be called a "task list". However a list or previous winners of a ...
2
votes
1answer
485 views
Are em dashes acceptable in lists?
I often see lists written as follows (using em dashes to elaborate a list item):
Item 1—explanation for item 1
Item 2—explanation for item 2
Is this generally correct, or are colons preferable?
6
votes
2answers
754 views
Capitalization for a bullet list
The following is from some software documentation we are writing:
NOTE: Refreshing a report may be necessary or helpful when:
you believe the data in the report has changed since it was ...
0
votes
0answers
70 views
Comma usage for multiple words [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Comma before last item in a list
Is it correct to write:
a,b, or c
a,b, and c
Is the comma used after b correct?
1
vote
4answers
241 views
What does this mean: “Avoid oral calcium, dairy products, shark cartilage & exercise during the medication.”
I found this behind a medicine. At first thought, the sentence looks like it suggests avoiding exercise during the medication. However, I remember reading somewhere that in US English, when there is a ...
