0
ForumUser Posted 11 years ago
Grammar
Order of List
I wanted to know the most logical, best-sounding order of these things listed in this sentence. I've narrowed it down to 2 options:
1: "I have a lot of reasons for this: too many employees, too short a trial period, too much turnover week to week, less familiarity between coworkers."
Or 2: "I have a lot of reasons for this: too many employees, too much turnover week to week, too short a trial period, less familiarity between coworkers."
Thank you.
1: "I have a lot of reasons for this: too many employees, too short a trial period, too much turnover week to week, less familiarity between coworkers."
Or 2: "I have a lot of reasons for this: too many employees, too much turnover week to week, too short a trial period, less familiarity between coworkers."
Thank you.
Top answer
The most logical order is the relative importance of the reasons, not the sound of the phrases.
- The most logical order is the relative importance of the reasons, not the sound of the phrases.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
13 Answers
0
The most logical order is the relative importance of the reasons, not the sound of the phrases.
00
Good advice. But what if their relative importance is relatively equal?
00
Then 6, 7, 8, 12 sounds more aesthetically pleasing than 6, 8, 7, 12.
00
I agree … 6, 7, 8, 12 does sound better than 6, 8, 7, 12. But what about my sentence(s)? Is that a joke? I don't get it. Is it just some numerical metephor I'm too stupid to relate to my original question? If so, could you just help me out the normal way? I'd be very appreciative, although I'd have no way of showing it except to repeat that I'm very appreciative.
00
ForumUserBut what about my sentence(s)? Is that a joke?No joke. It is the number of syllables in each phrase. Increasing audible length is aesthetically more pleasing. It builds a kind of suspense.
00
0
That's probably why I was leaning toward that one. I just couldn't articulate why. But just to double-check: You don't put ant stock into the fact that the other version arranges them in order of having a lot of something and then goes on to the ones that have too little? Meaning: "I have a lot of reasons for this: too MANY employees, too MUCH turnover week to week …: And then: "… too SHORT a tri
00
You have 4 reasons. That does not sound like a lot to me. Does it, to you?
End with and less familiarity between coworkers.
End with and less familiarity between coworkers.
00
Well, I don't know. I'll take it into consideration, but I was trying to go with an intentionally informal approach. Did you read and/or have any insight on my previous comment to AlpheccaStars?
00
If you want to be informal, I don't think the order really matters, and I don't think the listener/reader is going to analyze your sentence that hyper-critically.
Clive,
Clive,
0
Related Questions