Question

Leaders in brick-and-motar retail operations include John Wanamaker and Frank Winfield Woolworth, their successful counterparts in mail-order retail were Aaron Montgomery Ward, Richard Sears, and Alvah Curtis Roebuck. Which of the following options correctly replaces the comma after WARD?

1) replace the comma after WARD with a semicolon
2) replace the comma after WOOLWORTH with a semicolon
3) no change

Answer 1

The correct punctuation in the provided sentence is to keep the comma after 'WARD' (Option 3, no change) because it is part of a serial list and does not require a semicolon or period for separation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student's question concerns the correct use of punctuation when listing individuals in a sentence. The part of the sentence in question lists pioneers in mail-order retail, "Aaron Montgomery Ward, Richard Sears, and Alvah Curtis Roebuck."

Option 1, replacing the comma after 'WARD' with a semicolon, is incorrect as semicolons are generally used to separate items in a list where the items themselves contain commas, or to separate closely linked independent clauses.

Option 2, replacing the comma after 'WOOLWORTH' with a semicolon, creates separation between the leaders in brick-and-mortar and their counterparts in mail-order retail. However, as these are separate and complete thoughts that could stand alone as independent sentences, a period might be more appropriate than a semicolon. That said, in the context of this sentence's flow and structure,

Option 3 (no change), is correct because the list that follows 'WARD' is simply a continuation of a series and does not require a semicolon or period.