Lists of Items Within a Sentence
Punctuation for Lists of Items Within a Sentence
Use commas after each item in a list of three or more items.
Example
Nurses monitor a patient’s vital signs including temperature, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and pulse.
Use semi-colons after each item in a list if one or more items already includes a comma.
Example
Included in the case conference were Dr. Andrew Smith, director; Dr. Harriet Clemens, cardiologist; and Charlotte Jackson, registered nurse.
Using Lowercase Letters to Separate Items Within a Sentence
To list items within a sentence, use lowercase letters in parentheses to identify each item. Use the correct punctuation— either commas or semi-colons— to separate the items in a list.
Example
The study participants were divided into three groups: (a) elementary school students, (b) high school students, and (c) post-secondary students.