84.9k views
0 votes
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

User Vizmi
by
7.8k points

1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

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.

User Chris Yongchu
by
8.3k points
Welcome to QAmmunity.org, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of our community.

9.4m questions

12.2m answers

Categories