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The word including indicates a part-whole relation. If so, do the following sentences make sense? If including is properly used here, does any other part offend any rules of usage?

  1. All Skyline computers are manufactured using the best-quality parts, including monitors and CPUs.

  2. All Skyline computers are manufactured using the best-quality materials, including monitors and CPUs.

I'd appreciate your help.

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  • The use is awkward IMO but not uncommon. The whole is "best quality parts" which includes the monitor and CPU. I'd write including monitor and CPU (singular) or including their monitors and CPUs. – Tᴚoɯɐuo Jun 13 '18 at 10:39
  • And including there can mean that the monitors and CPUs are included in the assertion that the company uses only the "best" quality parts. They as well are of the best quality. – Tᴚoɯɐuo Jun 13 '18 at 10:52
  • Is it grammatical to write the singular "monitor" and "CPU" there? Aren't they countable singular nouns, and thus have to be used with a determiner? – Apollyon Jun 13 '18 at 12:05
  • Even if the monitors and CPUs are treated as part of a computer, I suspect (1) is faulty because "the best-quality parts" is insufficiently illustrated; the mere mention of "monitors" and "CPUs" does not show they are of the best quality, does it? Do you think those parts should be modified by an adjective or something? – Apollyon Jun 13 '18 at 14:10
  • Rest assured, I would not suggest anything ungrammatical. (I taught English for five years at a major university as a graduate student.) They can be understood as serving a particular role, thus the singular without article. All parts used by Skyline in the manufacture of their computers, including (the) monitor and (the) CPU, are of the best quality. – Tᴚoɯɐuo Jun 13 '18 at 14:24
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Here, the including clause should be understood as referring to best-quality parts, meaning that the monitors and CPUs they use are best-quality. After all, the assertion doesn't say that all their parts are best-quality, just that they use some best-quality parts. The clause regarding monitors and CPUs is saying that they are among the parts that they use that are best-quality.

Thus, it is used correctly here. The overall phrasing is awkward, but not ungrammatical.

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  • How is the phrasing awkward? – Apollyon Mar 26 '19 at 13:02

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