Writing for Business - A Whatis.com Blog » conjunctions http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business Is your grammar as good as your code? Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:09:47 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Semicolons and complex lists http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/semicolons-and-complex-lists/ http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/semicolons-and-complex-lists/#comments Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:09:56 +0000 Ivy Wigmore http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/semicolons-and-complex-lists/ Which is correct?
An MRP system should satisfy three objectives: ensuring that materials and products are available for production and delivery; maintaining the lowest possible level of ___________ planning manufacturing activities, delivery schedules and purchasing activities.
a. inventory and
b. inventory; and

Answer: b

Explanation:
In a list of complex items, the semicolon helps clarity by clearly identifying the separate items in the list — that’s why it’s used instead of a comma between the items, as well as why it’s used along with the conjunction and before the last item. The general rule is to use a semicolon to separate list items if one of your items already contains a comma and to use one before the conjunction if the items are complex.

Grammar Girl Mignon Fogarty offers more information about the uses of semicolons.

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]]> http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/semicolons-and-complex-lists/feed/ 2 Starting a sentence with “because” — comma required? http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/starting-a-sentence-with-because-comma-required/ http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/starting-a-sentence-with-because-comma-required/#comments Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:35:16 +0000 Ivy Wigmore http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/starting-a-sentence-with-because-comma-required/ typing Which is correct?
Because the power wiring system was designed for _____ its ability to carry higher frequencies is limited.
a. AC,
b. AC

Answer: a

Explanation: You need a comma because the sentence starts with because. I like John’s short answer on Snippets: Essentially, if you can write a sentence starting with because without a comma (“Because I said so,” for example.), you know what you’ve got on your hands is a sentence fragment rather than a sentence.

If you turn the sentence around, the comma is optional — depending on what style you follow.

AP style is to omit:

The power wiring system has a limited ability to carry higher frequencies because it was designed for AC.

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