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"Respectively" - How to Use it in Your Writing

4/12/2017

 
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.
​
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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9/8/2017 10:11:01 am

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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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4/5/2019 09:02:03 pm

Thanks for clarifying.

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2/16/2020 08:59:45 pm

Do you need to put a comma before respectively?

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3/5/2020 07:08:59 pm

Can respectively be used in beginning of a sentence

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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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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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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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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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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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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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"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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'Respectively' is an adverb that is often misused by non-native English speakers. It means “in the order given” and should only be used if your sentence would be unclear without it. Example: Oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen detector flows were set at 85, 7, and 4 mL/min, respectively.

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'Respectively' means 'separately and in the order already mentioned'.

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Another question on punctuation. Is "respectively" still set off by commas if it appears between, e.g. two enumerated items? As in,
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