Two-Item Lists

The very simplest list is a list with two items, usually separated by the word ?>and?>. The important thing to know about two-item lists is the principle of equivalence: both items in the list must be of the same form and must relate to the same antecedent, which is the word that introduces the list. This chapter presents some examples to understand the equivalence principle. A two-item list is considered to be in balance when both of the items are distinct and the principle of equivalence is satisfied. An unbalanced two-item list has two items, but one of the items is not distinct. A compound sentence is a two-item list, in which each item is itself a complete sentence, or main clause. When qualifiers are added to compound sentences, the general rule for multiple qualifiers still applies: no more than two major qualifiers in a sentence.