Day 184: Place the most complex items at the end of a series.

When you are writing a sentence that contains a series of three or more items, consider the word count and complexity of those items. For clarity, place the most complex and longest item at the end.

For example, let’s say that your series will have the following three items:

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  1. “a covered area for fans, such as benches under a canopy”
  2. “good parking”
  3. “clean bathrooms”

 

 

 

 

The first item above is the most complex. If we write it as the first or second item in the list, the reader may think the part after the comma is a new item. The reader will figure out that the final phrase in the item is an explanation of the covered area (probably), but this is more work for the reader than necessary, and people reading quickly might misinterpret your words.

To write in a straightforward and easy-to-understand manner, place that item at the end of the series.

“A softball arena should contain good parking, clean bathrooms, and a covered area for fans, such as benches under a canopy.”