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