Use a ___ to separate items in a series when the items contain commas.
Semi colon
To separate items in a series when the items themselves contain commas, you need to use semicolons (;).
The purpose of using semicolons in this case is to clearly distinguish between the commas used within the individual items and the semicolons used to separate the items. By using semicolons, you provide clarity and make it easier for the reader to understand the individual items in the series.
Here's an example to illustrate:
"Last night, we had dinner with John, a close friend from New York; Sarah, my sister's boyfriend's sister; and Rachel, our neighbor."
In this sentence, the items in the series are "John, a close friend from New York," "Sarah, my sister's boyfriend's sister," and "Rachel, our neighbor." Since these items contain commas on their own, we use semicolons to separate them to avoid confusion.
In summary, when you have a series of items where the items themselves contain commas, use semicolons to separate the items.