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For my CV, I want to list a selection of units I have done at university. This list is not a complete list of all my units. Do I therefore need to add an 'and' at the end of the list? What I mean is:

Units include: History, Geography, IT, Science, Business.

or

Units include: History, Geography, IT, Science, and Business.

I understand that usually an 'and' is needed, but as the list is only a sample of a bigger list, wouldn't an 'and' make it seem like it's complete?

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    In a full sentence, I think keeping the "and" feels correct; compare with: "I took units in History, Geography, IT, Science and Business among others.". In a standalone list (as the above appears to be) my gut feeling is you could get away with dropping the "and" whether the list was a partial one or not. – TripeHound Sep 04 '17 at 14:24
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    The list may not be a complete list of the units you completed, but it is a complete list of the ones you are choosing to tell them about. There is therefore no special case to consider in the presentation of the list. – Spagirl Sep 04 '17 at 15:27
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    Does this answer your question? Omitting "and" in a sentence – shumble Dec 17 '21 at 02:22

1 Answers1

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From a grammar perspective, the use of "and" is correct in every context because the list is complete from the perspective of the structure.

To be honest, when it comes to highly abbreviated presentations such as CVs, marketing briefs, technical addenda, etc., the rules of formal English are often set aside for the convenience of brevity. Either example you provide is acceptable as both clearly indicate the list is the most pertinent selection from a larger group due to the word "include."

JBH
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