For instance, say you have the sentence, “The speeds of examples A and B were 50 MPH and 75 MPH, respectively. ” In this example, “respectively” explains which speed corresponds with which example: example A went 50 MPH, while example B went 75 MPH.
For example, the sentence “The scores for tests 1 through 3 were 90, 84, and 71, respectively” means that the score for test 1 was 90, the score for test 2 was 84, and the score for test 3 was 71. Another example would be, “The horse and donkey are named Buttercup and Clover, respectively. ” The use of “respectively” tells us that the horse’s name is Buttercup and the donkey’s is Clover.
Let’s return to our horse and donkey example. Maybe you add to the sentence to explain where the animals live: “The horse and donkey are named Buttercup and Clover, and they live in the barn next door. ” Adding “respectively” in the middle of this sentence helps readers understand which animal is named what: “The horse and donkey are named Buttercup and Clover, respectively, and they live in the barn next door. ” A clause is a complete thought or sentence that has a subject and verb. [4] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source A compound sentence is a sentence that has two independent clauses that could be sentences on their own. [5] X Research source A coordinating conjunction is a word that combines 2 like clauses, such as for, and, nor, but, or, yet, or so. Use the acronym FANBOYS to remember this grammar rule.
Place a comma before “respectively” if you’re explaining a list in a simple sentence with one independent clause. [7] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source Amy and her sister are 18 and 22, respectively. The profits in June and July grew 15% and 30%, respectively. Use commas before and after “respectively” when it’s in the middle of a sentence. In this context, “respectively” is acting as an adverbial appositive. Amy and her sister are 18 and 22, respectively, and they love spending time together. The profits in June and July grew 15% and 30%, respectively, but the company still experienced losses. An appositive is a word or phrase that explains the term before it, and commas separate the additional clause from the main thought. [8] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source
