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"Respectively" - How to Use it in Your Writing

4/12/2017

22 Comments

 
The word “respectively” can be useful in scientific writing to clarify relationships between several different words in a sentence. It’s used to indicate to the reader that the relationship between two sets of words or phrases can be read in terms of the order in which they appear.

Huh?

It might be easier to explain with an example. In this case, I’ll use colors to show you the relationships that are implied between two sets of nouns when you use the word “respectively” at the end of a sentence.

Example: “The peak absorption wavelengths of samples A and B were 710 nm and 600 nm, respectively.”

So in this sentence, we have a set of samples (A and B) and a set of numbers (710 nm and 600 nm). The word “respectively” tells the reader that the samples and numbers that correspond to one another occur in the same order in which they appear. So the first value (710 nm) corresponds to the first sample (A). Likewise, the second value listed in the sentence (600 nm) corresponds the second sample (B).

Let’s do another example.

Example: “The dog and the cat were named Jack and Sam, respectively.”

So what is the dog’s name? And what's the cat’s name?

Since the dog is listed first in the sentence, the word “respectively” lets you know that the dog’s name also corresponds to the first name that’s written (Jack). And since the cat is listed second, its name would be the second name listed in the sentence (Sam).

A note on punctuation: the word "respectively" is put at the end of the sentence or phrase it refers to, and it is set off with a comma (or commas if "respectively" occurs in the middle of the sentence).

Example: The dog and the cat were named Jack and Sam, respectively, and they lived down the street from me.
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If you have any doubts about how to use “respectively” in a sentence, I suggest you avoid using it so you don’t unintentionally confuse the reader. It can be a useful writing tool, but it's often not necessary. The sentence can usually be re-written in another way to express the same information.

If you would like to learn more writing tips and tricks, check out my PowerPoint presentation An Introduction to Writing in Science, available in ebook format on the Amazon Kindle app. 
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22 Comments
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7/28/2017 02:50:00 am

Thanks a lot for clarifying me the real purpose and meaning of the word ‘respectively’. To be very frank and honest, I have also made the wrong use of this word many times which will surely not happen again.

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9/8/2017 10:11:01 am

Very nice and helpful information has been given in this article.

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5/31/2018 06:05:15 am

This is a very easy guide for such a complicated question. If you still have any doubts about how to use “respectively” in a sentence, I suggest you avoid using it so you don’t unintentionally confuse the reader. It can be a useful writing tool, but it's often not necessary. The sentence can usually be re-written in another way to express the same information.

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Evan link
4/5/2019 09:02:03 pm

Thanks for clarifying.

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1/18/2020 02:23:05 pm

I really appreciate a site like this. Most people really butcher the english language, so it's nice to see someone putting the basics out there. Keep up the good work!

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2/16/2020 08:59:45 pm

Do you need to put a comma before respectively?

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Uno langmann
3/5/2020 07:08:59 pm

Can respectively be used in beginning of a sentence

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4/21/2020 05:54:51 am

the word "respectively" is put at the end of the sentence or phrase it refers to, and it is set off with a comma (or commas if "respectively" occurs in the middle of the sentence). Example: The dog and the cat were named Jack and Sam, respectively, and they lived down the street from me.

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Subject Accusative
5/15/2020 08:15:44 am

If one of my walls was painted and the other was washed, could I say "The two walls were washed and painted respectively"?

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tasman
7/3/2020 02:37:14 am

No, because there's nothing in your sentence to say which wall is which. "My kitchen and bathroom walls were washed and painted respectively" is correct, though I'd prefer "My kitchen wall was washed and my bathroom wall was painted."

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Miriam link
5/21/2020 03:43:10 pm

question-please clarify meaning of " respectively" in the following sentence-( A special meeting is being held for Sally Norman & Jack Phillips respectively.) -Does this mean both parties will be at this meeting or a meeting will be held separately for Sally , and then a separately for Jack? thanks Mirian

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5/24/2020 11:50:59 pm

means 'separately and in the order already mentioned'. It is used when describing two or more items that refer back to a previous statement. It should only be used if a sentence would be unclear without it. 'Respectively' is typically used to save space.

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6/9/2020 10:45:15 pm

used to save space.respectively is an adverb – meaning “for each separately or in turn, and in the order mentioned”. It is placed at the end of the sentence, and not as in Swedish. The use of respectively in English requires parallelism. In other words, there must be a direct one-to-one correspondence.

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7/14/2020 02:22:53 am

In academic writing, choosing the proper words impacts your argument as well as your credibility. Knowing the difference between the denotation, or literal meaning of words, and connotation, or the wide range of thoughts and impressions made by words or phrases, will improve academic writing.

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9/8/2020 08:11:36 pm

Is this correct?

In the temperatures 18℃, 21℃, 24℃, 27℃, and 30℃, the goldfish was recorded to have opened its mouth 103.5, 127.5, 135, 133, and 139 times, respectively.

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11/28/2020 01:34:56 am

I really love to read such a nice article.

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2/16/2021 11:18:29 pm

Writing is not a difficult task for the students but you will have to provide them with expert teachers so that they may correct their good handwriting for their bright future.

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2/18/2021 08:05:03 am

"in the order given," and connects to the meaning of respect having to do with how something relates to or references another thing, as in "Cathy and Patty like crêpes and hot dogs, respectively."

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3/16/2021 01:45:59 am

Thanks for sharing such information to us. This will for sure at least make us aware on how we should use the word `respectively` in constructing sentences and paragraphs.

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3/22/2021 11:29:10 pm

thank God! for I had learned more about the proper way of writing in English, I just want to say thanks for the best info from the blog.

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3/30/2021 01:16:31 am

Very useful information. Thanks for sharing such knowledge with us.

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4/13/2021 03:44:54 am

This is such a wonderful blog. Thanks for enlightening us on how to use the word `respectively` in a correct manner.

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