When to use "respectively"?

Question

I have been wondering what it means when people use "respectively" in, before, and after sentences. For example:> We are looking for a babysitter to pick up and supervise our kids ages> 6 and 3, respectively, on Monday and Friday.I don't know if this person used it correctly, but if they did what does it mean? If they didn't use it properly what would be the proper usage?Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Hi there! I would be glad to help because this word can be quite confusing and unfamiliar-especially to non-native English speakers.

Respectively literally means: "in the order given". The word respectively can be said in the place of saying "in that order."

It should be used when you are either listing or ordering something.

For example: "Alice is 5 and Jane is 8 years old, respectively." It can also be said that "Alice is 5 and Jane is 8 years old, in that order."

Hope this clears things up for you. Please contact me if you have any questions. I could give you more lessons in English, writing, grammar, etc. :)