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UserTK Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

Can commas be used throughout instead of semicolons?

This:
The membership of the international commission was as follows: France, 4, Germany, 5, Great Britain, 1, Italy, 3, United States, 7.

Not this:
The membership of the international commission was as follows: France, 4; Germany, 5; Great Britain, 1; Italy, 3; United States, 7.

Or are both correct?

Which is preferred, 1 or 2?

Thank you.
  

Top answer

I suggest this: The membership of the international commission was as follows: France (4 delegates), Germany (5), Great Britain (1), Italy (3), United States (7). Choose the appropriate word in place of "delegates" if there is another more suitable in your context.

  • I suggest this: The membership of the international commission was as follows: France (4 delegates), Germany (5), Great Britain (1), Italy (3), United States (7).
  • Choose the appropriate word in place of "delegates" if there is another more suitable in your context.
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9 Answers
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I suggest this:

The membership of the international commission was as follows: France (4 delegates), Germany (5), Great Britain (1), Italy (3), United States (7).

Choose the appropriate word in place of "delegates" if there is another more suitable in your context.
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Thanks, GPY. Emotion: smile

Mike (aged 23), David (26), and Kendra (23) were all involved in the collision.

Look good, following
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UserTKMike (aged 23), David (26), and Kendra (23) were all involved in the collision.Look good, following your format? I do like your approach very much.And would you use "aged 23" or "age 23"?
Either might be used, but I would choose "aged".

Sometimes you might see the word omitted altogether, e.g. in a journalistic context, where a number in bracket
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Isn't aged a description of growing old, or the process of having grown older? "My, how he had aged." What about simply, age 23.
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"My, how he had aged" is correct, but so is "aged 23". As I said, "age 23" can also be used.
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It's a question of tone... It could also be written:
Mike (23 years old), David (26), and Kendra (23) were all involved in the collision.
or:
Mike (23), David (26), and Kendra (23) were all involved in the collision.
or:
Mike (age 23), David (26), and Kendra (23) were all involved in the collision.
or your original example:
Mike (aged 23), David (26), and Kendra (23) we
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I think there's a touch of over-analysis in your response, Patrick. This seems to me to be one of those situations when several possible versions are acceptable with no practical difference in meaning.
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I don't think so... There's more to communication than information, and there is no right, nor wrong: these are only variations with different intents, and effects; whether they are acceptable or not is entirely dependent on context, which I am not privy to.
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fivejedjonThis seems to me to be one of those situations when several possible versions are acceptable with no practical difference in meaning.
I agree. I do not detect any of those supposed differences.

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