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‘They received sentences of one year and eight months respectively’

https://www.lexico.com/definition/respectively

Why is “the two values were 143.2 and 21.6, respectively” said to be wrong according to this source?

https://www.springer.com/gp/authors-editors/authorandreviewertutorials/writinginenglish/use-of-respectively/10252704

If Lexico is correct, does “there live Jennifer and Kate. They have a orange and grapes respectively. Jennifer has a orange, and Kate has grapes” make sense?

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    What is unclear about that second link? It explains exactly why you wouldn't use respectively there.
    – Daniel Roseman
    Commented Aug 2, 2021 at 9:58
  • @Daniel Roseman It’s off-topic, but Lexico is authoritative in some point, but the second link says not to use the example of Lexico.
    – user141460
    Commented Aug 2, 2021 at 10:20
  • The reason for including the word respectively in your exact context is simply that without it, the reader would be likely to misparse and assume that both defendants were sentenced to spend one year and eight months in prison, rather than one being sentenced to a year, and the other to eight months. You wouldn't usually use respectively if it weren't for that potential ambiguity. They received sentences of one year and ten years (where respectively wouldn't normally be included, because the context doesn't explicitly identify the defendants in sequence).
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented Aug 2, 2021 at 12:01

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It is wrong - or at least redundant - because, apparently, there is no order required.

We use "respectively" only when indicating that a previously established order is being reused. For example:

First, second and third places in the race were won by John, Paul and David respectively.

This means that John came first, Paul came second, and David came third. The order in which the names were listed was the same as the order in which the race positions were listed.

Your example is just two numbers, and evidently, it does not matter which order they appear in.

Another example would be "my two children are aged 5 and 8". There is no need to add 'respectively'. Even if it were relevant when they were born, the order is obvious. On the other hand, you might say "my children, Oscar and Olivia, are 5 and 8 respectively", because this establishes that Oscar is the 5-year old and Olivia is the 8-year old.

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  • I made a new question about “respectively” because they are on different subjects.
    – user141460
    Commented Aug 2, 2021 at 12:24