What is the correct grammar when listing items?
What is the correct grammar when listing items?
To list items within a sentence, use lowercase letters in parentheses to identify each item. Use the correct punctuation— either commas or semi-colons— to separate the items in a list.
When listing 3 things where do the commas go?
As mentioned above, when you are listing three or more items, commas should separate each element of the list. However, the final comma—the one that comes before the and—is optional. This comma is called the serial comma or the Oxford comma. Whether or not you use the serial comma is a style choice.
How many items can be listed in a sentence?
Typically, in-sentence lists have 2-4 items. Generally avoid putting more than 4 items in this kind of list (unless they are very short), or your sentence might become difficult to read.
Do you use a colon when listing things?
Introducing a list. The colon is used to introduce a list of items. The bookstore specializes in three subjects: art, architecture, and graphic design. Do not, however, use a colon when the listed items are incorporated into the flow of the sentence.
When listing things do you use a colon or semicolon?
Semicolons separate items within a list, while a colon precedes and introduces a list. He took three things on the hike; his lunch, his binoculars, and his trusty walking stick.
How do you punctuate a list of two items?
To separate the items in a list. Punctuation is used to separate the items in the list. The usual way of doing this is to place a comma after each item in the list: The school has a vegetable garden in which the children grow cabbages, onions, potatoes, and carrots.
Do you use a comma when Listing 2 things?
When making a list, commas are the most common way to separate one list item from the next. The final two items in the list are usually separated by “and” or “or”, which should be preceeded by a comma. Amongst editors this final comma in a list is known as the “Oxford Comma”.
Do you put a comma before and in a list of three?
The comma before the word and in a list of three or more things is the Oxford comma. It’s also called the Serial comma. Writers use it to separate the last item in a list to avoid uncertainty or misunderstandings. One classic example that is often quoted is, to my parents, Ayn Rand, and God.
How do you list things in a paragraph examples?
Run-In Lists: These are discoursed within the paragraphs of your writing and are usually separated with semicolons and initiated with a colon. Here’s an example: My dog has three hobbies: (1) chewing his squeaky toy; (2) begging for treats; and (3) running around in circles at the dog park.
How do you list things in an essay examples?
How to Write a List in an Essay
- Introduce the list with an independent clause or a sentence with a colon before the list.
- Set off a short list from the rest of a sentence with a dash, an informal punctuation mark that also often marks a sudden or dramatic change.
- Write an introductory sentence for steps in a sequence.
How do you use a colon in a list examples?
Use a colon to introduce an item or list, if the list comes after a complete sentence or independent clause. For example: There are three things every dog needs: food, water and healthcare. You need to grab these three things for the laundry: laundry detergent, fabric softener and dryer sheets.
How do you write a list in a sentence with a colon?
Use a colon before a series or list only if the words that introduce the list make up a complete sentence: To make a cake you need a few basic ingredients: butter, sugar, eggs, milk, flour, leavener, and salt.
How do you list within a list?
(Notice how semicolons are used to separate the list items.) Normally, we use commas to separate the items in a list. Look at this list for example: John….Look at this list for example:
- John, the baker.
- Simon, the policeman.
- Toby, the architect.
Where do commas go when Listing 4 things?
In a list of three or more elements, add a comma after each element except the last. In a list of three or more elements, add a comma after each element except the last. I need to buy apples, oranges, and lemons.
How do you put commas in a list?
Separate items in lists of nouns or adjectives with commas Use commas between items in a sentence list. Avoid using a comma before the last item in the list. This rule applies to sentence lists and sentence fragments in bullet lists. Do not punctuate the end of a list item with a comma if it is in a bullet list.
How do you write a list in an essay example?
Use a new sentence or independent clause to introduce the list. Use a colon to signal that the list will be a long one, or use commas to separate items in a short list. If you have to separate the items in the list, then a semicolon splits items of over three words and items with commas in them.
How do you start a list in a sentence?
Format for Lists
- Use a colon to introduce the list items only if a complete sentence precedes the list.
- Use both opening and closing parentheses on the list item numbers or letters: (a) item, (b) item, etc.
- Use either regular Arabic numbers or lowercase letters within the parentheses, but use them consistently.
How do you write a list of things in a paragraph?
If you are including a simple, relatively short list of three to five items within a paragraph —also known as a series—the proper formatting is to: (a) precede the list with a comma, (b) label each item with a lowercase letter enclosed in parentheses, and (c) separate each item with commas or semicolons.