Human thought is sometimes represented by expressions that are obscure and vague.
The attempt to use precise and accurate language in texts, especially in technical documents, may reinforce some counterproductive effects.
One way to address the uncertainty in the written language is by adding non-lexical symbols, such as commas, to assist in the disambiguation process.
This post presents comma-related guidelines as regards the fairly technical expression “including but not limited to.”
How to punctuate the phrase “including but not limited to”?
Comma placement is recommended before “but” and after “to” in most cases. The comma encapsulation around “but not limited to” generally marks its parenthetical function in sentences.
In other similar, lengthy expressions, though, such as “included but not limited to,” “including without limitation to,” and “including without limiting the generality of the foregoing,” the comma enclosure would be more beneficial.
And, although the idea of all-inclusivity can be phrased in several ways, the most common expression used in texts is “including but not limited to.”
Punctuating “including but not limited to” with commas in more detail
The expression “including but not limited to” is commonly observed either in legal documents or academic papers.
This is generally used as a safety measure to prevent the audience from having a list-exclusive adjudication towards any statement involved.
Since the chances of either intentional or accidental misinterpretation are relatively high, commas are added to facilitate text clarification.
Let’s take a closer look to find out how to use and punctuate “including but not limited to” appropriately.
Comma with “including but not limited to” in legal English
In the world of unnecessarily complicated legal language, legal drafters are trained to construct sentences and use terminologies that aim to represent precise and logical statements.
To do so, drafters often resort to using verbose and complicated language, as opposed to chiefly relying on the implicated meaning of words.
“Including but not limited to” is an example of legalese, the complex and technical form of legal language, whose sole purpose is to present linguistic accuracy in legal writing.
Also, it is meanwhile used to prevent “ejusdem generis” which is the loose way of listing legal commands and provisions.
The Latin phrase ejusdem generis roughly translates to “of the same kind” which is used as a guideline in preventing inclusive and list-specific interpretation.
Put more simply, this means that the purpose of using “including but not limited to” is to gain linguistic security, besides accuracy, in written statutes.
ABC Company’s employment conditions are clearly stated in the contract including, but not limited to, a six-month probationary period and a performance evaluation prior to regularization.
The sentence above suggests that the company holds several working conditions.
The additional clause “but not limited to” in the example emphasizes that other conditions further exist apart from the ones stated.
The probationary period and performance assessment are only two of the most crucial “parts” of the conditions that should be completed before an employee gains job permanency.
This type of idea insertion is linguistically referred to as a parenthetical statement.
Moreover, the clause is offset with two commas especially to mark its grammatical dispensability.
Parenthetical expressions may not necessarily follow the syntactical flow of the main sentence since they function as peripheral auxiliary devices only.
Ergo, the removal of the parenthesis does not affect the well-formedness of the remaining sentence constituents.
Comma with “including but not limited to” in academic papers
Other than the usage of “including but not limited to” as legalese or lawyer-speak, this may also be observed in academic papers and other scholarly articles.
The same all-inclusivity principle is held when utilizing the expression in writing the content of research papers.
“But not limited to,” again, is considered as an additional idea in the example which could be used to argue that other symptoms may also be experienced.
We can also deduce that the symptoms are particularly selected to be part of the list because they are the most prevalent and observable ones.
“Including,” is a substitute word for “such as” which is used to introduce a list of sample entities for clearer idea representation.
Whereas, “but not limited to” increases the emphasis and function of the word “including” which then leads to easier comprehensibility.
Therefore, it can also be removed without lacerating the grammaticality of the rest of the sentence.
Other related expressions that mean “including but not limited to”
The most common way to phrase the statement in discussion is by saying “including but not limited too.”
However, other variations may also be observed in expressing the idea of “all-inclusivity.”
These expressions are listed in the following subsections.
Included but not limited to
Having a similar implication with the earlier expression, “included but not limited to” may also be used in the sentence construction.
The only difference that should be noted is particularly on the word “included.”
This time, it needs to serve as the main verb in the sentence rather than a preposition followed by a noun phrase.
As the main verb, its inflection is in the simple past tense denoting a vague temporal meaning anytime before the relative present.
The sentence above states that the most common objects of human addiction could be a kind of drug, activity, or alcoholic beverage.
However, the list only includes a few representative samples from all possible entities that could become objects of addiction.
To shorten the information intended, the parenthetical expression “but not limited to” is added, as well as to draw emphasis on this implication.
The simplest workaround to determining whether any expression ought to be encapsulated with commas is to try removing it.
If the sentence still makes sense, then the expression could be considered as an additional parenthetical element and hence removable.
Another way to punctuate the sentence above is by using a colon in introducing the serial list of items, with a slight adjustment to the necessary words.
When “included but not limited to” is intended to be implied as an essential part of the sentence rather than an additional element, the commas may be conveniently removed.
The catch in this type of construction, though, is creating a lengthy and complex sentence that may appear ambiguous to non-technical readers.
More particularly, the “but not limited to” is an ellipted version of “but (be) not limited to” whose verbal inflection takes whatever is being used in the context.
In effect, the sentence could invite an “ungrammatical” impression without the commas, thereby increasing the salience of the comma placement.
In fact, there are no hard and fast rules that prescribe the comma placement in creating these types of sentences.
This mainly depends on the writer’s style and intention towards the expected readers.
One last thing to consider, too, is the sentence length which means the longer the sentence is, the more essential commas become.
Including without limitation to
Another mask that could be worn by the expression being discussed is “including without limitation to”.
Apparently, the easiest way to punctuate this expression is to place commas before “without” and after “to.”
The intended sense is retained when punctuating the expression this way.
The sample sentence above is observable in liability waivers, legally known as an exculpatory clause, intended for acknowledging the risks involved in an activity.
The clause indicates that the contractor understands that he or she will not be able to demand forms of financial compensation for any injury caused by deliberate carelessness or inattention.
However, it is indicative that other related bases may also legally apply if the contractor is proven guilty.
The adjacent commas in “without limitation to” are grammatically omissible but are textually recommended for clarity purposes.
Including without limiting the generality of the foregoing
To extend the ongoing verbosity, another possible way to state the expression is by using “including without limiting the generality of the foregoing.”
The same sense and purpose are retained despite the wordiness of the expression.
The main difference of this prepositional phrase is that it is generally positioned at the earlier parts of a sentence or clausal list.
Using this phrase in particular redirects the reference back to the preceding immediate statement or examples.
The words after “including” are treated as parenthetical elements as well, and therefore encapsulated with commas.
The exculpatory phrase may also be replaced by “notwithstanding anything to the contrary” which could reinforce some issues among readers.
The comma before “without” is omissible but the “comma” after “foregoing” is nonetheless essential as it ends the introductory statement in the example above.
“Including” may also be removed from the sentence as the following words already imply a similar meaning.
Such as but not limited to
Easier to use than the other ones listed above, “such as but not limited to” should be your most convenient alternative.
This one aims to downplay the technicality of the expression “including but not limited to,” which is useful in most contexts.
A comma before “such as” in the next example is needed because it is part of an interruptive idea meant to provide a few examples for clarity.
Below, you’ll see that the sentence would still work without “such as but not limited to” and the examples given.
Example:
If you remove “such as but not limited to GMail and MSOutlook,” you’ll be left with “Most electronic mailing platforms are user-friendly.”
Meanwhile, no comma should be used before “such as” below because the examples are given as essential or restrictive parts of the sentence.
When something is grammatically essential or restrictive, the sentence would not make sense without it.
Example:
As you can see, removing “such as but not limited to Tonga and Fiji” would leave you with “Countries are great summer destinations.”
Your reader won’t be able to clearly understand what you mean by the remaining idea, hence the unnecessary comma.
Always remember that this rule applies to any other phrase that you might be confused with.
In case you’re looking for an easy-to-use comma manual, our comma cheat sheet should save you from the hassle of extensive reading.
How to use “including but not limited to” in a sentence
“Including but not limited to” is something we use when we want to list down certain items but don’t want to include everything.
This happens because there can be lots of examples available, but we only want to show the most relevant ones.
Here’s an easy example for starters:
As you can observe, it only aims to show “a few of all the existing samples” to make both reading and writing easier.
A bit wordy and technical in form, this expression largely belongs to the legal writing context.
Legal drafters often use this idea connector to explain the terms and conditions of an agreement.
Example:
It may also appear inside parentheses to suggest the same meaning.
Example:
As long as the sentence structure dictates, a comma may come before or after a parenthesis within a sentence. It goes outside rather than inside.
As you can see, the expression is meant to include certain events that are mainly relevant to the terms and conditions of a legal agreement.
In other contexts, such as in news reports, the same is true when it comes to the purpose and meaning of the phrase.
You could also see that the noun phrase that comes after the expression is meant to be highlighted by the writer for some reason.
Example:
To see more variations of how “including but not limited to” is used, here are
several more examples for your reference:
Examples:
This agreement states that certain communication acts, including but not limited to emails, fax, and phone calls, are to be considered a breach of contract.
The Borrower shall pay all fees under this Loan Agreement, including but not limited to attorney fees, administrative fees, and taxes.
The problem with “included but not limited to”
The wordiness of the expressions tackled in this post, albeit safeguards the authority, could invite trouble in worst-case circumstances.
The base verb “(to) include” technically refers to an entity or entities that is a part or parts of a whole.
It, therefore, implies the extra verbiage afterward, usually written in parenthetical form, may be construed as redundant and unnecessary.
This case should only be treated as passable in legal and academic papers that are intended for audiences who are no less than technical readers.
Hence, using this type of expression is generally inappropriate in teaching children nor beginner English language learners.
How to use the phrase “such as but not limited to”
As a more relaxed version of “including but not limited to,” “such as but not limited to” is something you could use as a replacement.
If you have a wide variety of readers rather than those strictly belonging to the legal world, this one is a better choice.
Here’s “such as but not limited to” used to highlight a only few examples from an exhaustive list:
Example:
Here’s another sentence meant to show a few examples that are top priorities among others:
Example:
The next one is another example meant to clarify the meaning of a previously mentioned phrase that looks ambiguous at a glance.
Example:
The phrase being pointed out and clarified above is “common dental services.”
Making use of the variant “This includes but is not limited to”
Expressed in the simple present tense and also includes the verb “is,” “This includes but is not limited to” is also a great option for you.
A great way to chunk your clunky sentences down is through this variant of “including but not limited to.”
If “including but not limited to” works either in the middle or end of the sentence, this one is something placed at the beginning of the sentence or right after a semicolon.
Knowing how and when to use semicolons is also something that could massively improve your writing style, especially the formal way.
One suggested way of using “This includes but is not limited to” is to place it at the beginning of the sentence.
This means that the idea introduced is heavily dependent on the previous sentence, whatever it is.
Example:
As you can see, writing the two sentences above in one blow would be too much to digest for many readers.
Therefore, separating them into two with the help of “This includes but is not limited to” as a connector makes your work easier.
The other way of using the expression is after a semicolon. This one works best when you have shorter ideas to connect.
Example:
By using “this includes but is not limited to” after the semicolon above, you get to connect relatively shorter clauses better.
Other ways of linking ideas also include using a comma before a relative clause and punctuating using colons.
Frequently Asked Questions on “Comma Usage with “Including But Not Limited To”
What does “including but not limited to” mean?
This expression is used to mean “without limitation” and is used to show a few important examples from an almost endless list. This usually appears in legal writing contexts, especially in the terms and conditions section of an agreement.
What is a synonym for “including but not limited to”?
Simpler alternatives that can be used daily are “like,” “such as,” “which includes,” and “including.” More precise and higher-level options include “including without limitation” and “this includes but is not limited to.”
What is the short or abbreviated form of “including but not limited to”?
“Including but not limited to” can be abbreviated as “IBNLT.” This form is not used in daily life, which means mindlessly using this may slow a reader down. However, legal drafters and people working within this industry are generally familiar with the phrase and abbreviation.
Conclusion
No matter who is asked, every language breathes arbitrariness, novelty, as well as intentional or unconscious ambiguity.
Using highly technical expressions, although reflecting linguistic literacy, could also limit learnability.
To balance the intelligibility curve, punctuation marks like commas are beneficial and essential in the process.
Thus, discretion and balance are advised among writers when employing relatively technical and complicated expressions.
Hey fellow Linguaholics! It’s me, Marcel. I am the proud owner of linguaholic.com. Languages have always been my passion and I have studied Linguistics, Computational Linguistics and Sinology at the University of Zurich. It is my utmost pleasure to share with all of you guys what I know about languages and linguistics in general.