In formal and informal writing, you can use multiple “ands” in a sentence. For example, using “and” twice in a list is common. You can also use three “ands” in a sentence, especially when something contains “and.” E.g., “We went to Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago for our honeymoon.”
There are various occasions when using “and” multiple times in a sentence is appropriate. For instance, lists are a common part of a text where you will see numerous insertions of “and.”
In the following example, we have three “ands” in the sentence that indicate the people are couples, plus a further “and” that connects the list to the final item in the list.
- I am inviting Gaby and James, John and Mary, and Tim and Daniela to the dinner party on Saturday.
You can also use “and” multiple times in a sentence that does not contain a list.
- For breakfast, I had bacon and eggs, and then later in the afternoon, for lunch, I had chicken and rice, followed by strawberries and cream and a glass of champagne.
In examples such as the one above, although they are grammatically correct, stylistically, some people feel there can be too many “ands” in a sentence.
Therefore, there are ways you can avoid using multiple “ands” in a sentence.
As shown in this example, you use periods to create new sentences and change the vocabulary to vary the sentence.
- For breakfast, I had bacon and eggs. Then later in the afternoon, for lunch, I had chicken with rice, followed by strawberries covered in cream. Of course, I also had a glass of champagne to wash it down.
Are you wondering whether using “and” twice in a sentence is inappropriate in formal writing? Keep reading to discover this as well as alternative words to use instead of “and.”
Can You Use “And” Twice in a Sentence in Formal Writing?
You can use “and” twice in formal writing. There are many occasions when it is unavoidable or creates no stylistic awkwardness.
For example, when writing lists, it is expected that you will need to use “and” multiple times in a sentence.
- The accused has been charged with assault and battery and aiding and abetting criminal activity.
In this example, one “and” links the clauses, and the other two appear because both criminal charges contain the word “and.”
However, if you wanted to change it a little to avoid three “ands” in a sentence, you could use a different connector.
- The accused has been charged with assault and battery along with aiding and abetting criminal activity.
Furthermore, you can have sentences that do not contain lists as such, but they do contain multiple “ands.” For example:
- He was an extravagant and lavish figure, and his downfall was that he was arrogant and selfish, and he didn’t listen to the people around him.
In the above example, there are several “ands” because of the ones that connect the adjectives plus the ones that connect the clauses.
To avoid using so many “ands,” you can split it into various sentences and change the vocabulary.
- He was an extravagantly lavish figure whose downfall was that he was an arrogant, selfish man. He also didn’t listen to the people around him.
Here are some useful synonyms to use instead of “and.”
- Additionally
- Along with
- Also
- As well as
- Combined with
- Then
- With
You can include these in your writing to avoid using “and” so much. For many, you will need to start a new sentence to use the synonym.
Can You Use “And” Twice in a Sentence in Informal Writing?
You can use “and” twice in a sentence in informal writing.
For example, in messaging between friends and family, not many people would pay too much attention to whether you include “and” too often in your writing.
For example:
- I am meeting James and Fiona, and then we are going for dinner and a show later.
The above example is perfectly correct, and few people would question it.
However, if you did want to change it to avoid having three “ands” in a sentence, you could split it into two sentences.
- I am meeting James and Fiona. Then we are going for dinner before we head off to a show later.
In informal work emails, you may be a little more eager to avoid using so many “ands” in a sentence because it can sometimes look a little sloppy.
Here’s an example:
- I have a sales and marketing meeting today, and then I am meeting Jane and Kim at 11 am to go over the strategy, and finally, I am having lunch at 3 pm with the staff and directors.
Therefore, you should change it to something like this:
- I have a sales and marketing meeting today. Then I am meeting Jane and Kim at 11 am to review the strategy. Finally, I am having lunch at 3 pm with the staff along with the directors.