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Subject:RE: Commas or no commas? From:"Wilcox, Rose (ZB5646)" <Rose -dot- Wilcox -at- pinnaclewest -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Tue, 1 Oct 2002 14:32:18 -0700
Brigitte Johnston wrote:
> Does anyone know which is correct? I haven't been able to find
> this in my style guides...
>
> * Our team's expertise ranges from production and assembly to
> food processing to distribution and transportation.
> * Our team's expertise ranges from production and assembly,
> to food processing, to distribution and transportation.
The first sentence is correct comma-wise but is bad style.
This is definitely more of marketing copy. I wouldn't use a series (because it loses the sweeping feel of "ranges" not because it is incorrect) although a bulleted list might work.
I prefer when using "ranges from... to..." to have a "to... " phrase for each "from..." phrase if possible.
Our team's expertise ranges from production to food processing -- and from assembly to distribution and transportation.
or
Our team's expertise ranges from production and assembly to distribution and transportation... and everything in between!
or
Out team's expertise ranges from production and assembly to distribution and transportation, as well as including food processing.
I don't know your industry well enough to know if the rewrite makes sense. I included some wacky ellipseseseseses and mdashes just in case this is part of marketing copy and you might want a more informal feel.
Take what you need, leave the rest!
Just ideeeeees,
Rosie who needs to get back to "managing the Active Directory object life cycle"
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