Acceptable to split similar open compounds in lists?
Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 3:21 pm
Let's say I enjoy doing 4 things:
1. Drinking
2. Dancing
3. Baking muffins
4. Eating muffins
Now I write that in a sentence:
I enjoy drinking, dancing, baking muffins, and eating muffins.
I think we'd agree upon that sentence being correct.
Now I write the sentence slightly differently:
I enjoy 4 things: drinking, dancing, baking muffins, and eating muffins.
Again, we hopefully agree on its correctness.
Finally, I change it a bit more:
I enjoy 4 things: drinking, dancing, baking and eating muffins.
Is it acceptable to just merge those last 2 items?
Here's my biggest issue... I feel that it introduces ambiguity.
Do you enjoy baking in general or do you only enjoy baking muffins? To me, it's simply not clear. Perhaps I'm not reading the punctuation correctly?
What's your take on this?
Another example:
My career has consisted of 4 roles:
1. Product Manager
2. Project Manager
3. Leader
4. Business Analyst
This is then rewritten as:
He has worked in a role as Product and Project Manager, Leader and Business Analyst.
Here it almost like my career on consisted of 3 roles:
1. Product and Project Manager
2. Leader
3. Business Analyst
We've effectively combined 2 roles to create an entirely new role.
Please help... I really need to know what the rules surrounding this are.
Thanks,
Carl
1. Drinking
2. Dancing
3. Baking muffins
4. Eating muffins
Now I write that in a sentence:
I enjoy drinking, dancing, baking muffins, and eating muffins.
I think we'd agree upon that sentence being correct.
Now I write the sentence slightly differently:
I enjoy 4 things: drinking, dancing, baking muffins, and eating muffins.
Again, we hopefully agree on its correctness.
Finally, I change it a bit more:
I enjoy 4 things: drinking, dancing, baking and eating muffins.
Is it acceptable to just merge those last 2 items?
Here's my biggest issue... I feel that it introduces ambiguity.
Do you enjoy baking in general or do you only enjoy baking muffins? To me, it's simply not clear. Perhaps I'm not reading the punctuation correctly?
What's your take on this?
Another example:
My career has consisted of 4 roles:
1. Product Manager
2. Project Manager
3. Leader
4. Business Analyst
This is then rewritten as:
He has worked in a role as Product and Project Manager, Leader and Business Analyst.
Here it almost like my career on consisted of 3 roles:
1. Product and Project Manager
2. Leader
3. Business Analyst
We've effectively combined 2 roles to create an entirely new role.
Please help... I really need to know what the rules surrounding this are.
Thanks,
Carl