列举是将某一类事物中的全部子项一一列出来，使读者对该事物有一个全面、完整的了解。在科技论文写作中，列举是常用的一种方法。比如，当你描述一个实验时，要列出该实验用到的各种设备；当你写一个进程报告时，要列出已完成和未完成的事项；当你推荐一个新产品时，你就必须列出该产品的优点和推荐它的原因。

列举分清单式列举和陈述性列举。清单式列举就是用1、2、3或A、B、C或缩排等标记在段落的层次上展开较多、较复杂的内容。陈述性列举则没有这种明显的标记，一般是在段落中边陈述边列举。

列举时的常用表达如下：

...include...，such as...；...include...from...to...

...contains...parts；...all the...from...to...

...are...，which include...；...are made with...

1.陈述性列举

陈述性列举又分简单列举和说明性列举。简单列举就是只把该事物所包括的子项一一列出来，不对其进行分别说明，如下面两段就是简单列举。

例1：

Laboratory and equipment plasma sources include inductively coupled plasma（ICP）sources，cold cathode sources，electron-cyclotron-resonant sources，end-Hall sources，Kanfinann ion guns，and radio frequency（RF）sources.

例2：

The definition of a breakwater is general.It includes everything from a simple pile of stones to an ordered pile of concrete blocks to a solid wall of cement.Logically，these different breakwater designs，utilizing different materials，have varying degrees of effectiveness at shunting wave action.

说明性陈述列举则要复杂一些，作者在列出子项的同时对各子项进行较详细的说明。运用这种列举一个重要的原则是，要使所列内容在语法上呈平行结构，否则读者很容易因分不清层次而迷惑不解。

例3：

In addition to coal and nuclear energy，a wide variety of other power sources are frequently discussed in the news and in scientific literature;unfortunately，most are not yet ready for practical use.Geothermal energy is one of the more practical of proposed new sources.It is already in use in Italy，Iceland，and northern California but is not yet meeting all expectations for it.Solar energy seems an elegant idea because it is inexhaustible and adds no net heat or carbon dioxide to the global environment....Sophisticated windmills to generate electricity are also under study by some.Biomass conversion is also getting under way.Some of these sources of energy，which we now generally regard as esoteric，may well prove themselves and make a substantial contribution over the long run if their costs can be brought within reason.

从上段中，我们可以看出，尽管没有明显的列举标志，作者却有效地运用平行结构使读者能够很容易地定位出所列项目：

Geothermal energy，Solar energy，Sophisticated windmills，Biomass conversion。

2.清单式列举(www.daowen.com)

清单式列举可运用数字、字母或缩排等形式使所列内容一目了然，请看以下两例。

例1：

Richard Clarke，Senior Systems Programmer，asked me to develop a magnetic tape management system:

.which will reside permanently on the computer

.which will give better control

.which will coordinate the numerous magnetic tapes

例2：

We recommend the New Orleans heat exchanger...Advantages of this system are

（1）Automatic control.

（2）Lower operating cost.

Disadvantages are

（1）Probably slugging of liquid refrigerant to compressors.

（2）Complex automatic controls.

（3）Substantial repluming of existing system is required.

列举中第二个应注意的原则是所列项目的排序问题。列举的事物，从定义上来说，是相同类别但彼此独立的事物，可以按照作者的意图自由调换位置。当所列项目在内容上并非同等重要时，一般可以按照由重到轻的顺序排列，即把最重要的放在最前面；有时也可以把最重要的放在最后，但此时一定要说明，最后一项才是最重要的。比如，我们可以说“Last but not least...”，或者用更清楚直接的表达“Finally，and most important...”。

列举时还应注意的问题是，在列举前一定要有相应的介绍，使读者能够了解所要列举的是什么内容。如上段中，“Advantages of this system are”就起到了这个作用。