Add definition of "selection set" and clarify serial execution examples

spec/Section 2 -- Language.md

@@ -291,7 +291,8 @@ There are three types of operations that GraphQL models:
 - subscription - a long-lived request that fetches data in response to source
   events.
 
-Each operation is represented by an optional operation name and a selection set.
+Each operation is represented by an optional operation name and a _selection
+set_.
 
 For example, this mutation operation might "like" a story and then retrieve the
 new number of likes:
@@ -337,6 +338,9 @@ An operation selects the set of information it needs, and will receive exactly
 that information and nothing more, avoiding over-fetching and under-fetching
 data.
 
+:: A _selection set_ defines an ordered set of selections (fields, fragment
+spreads and inline fragments) against an object, union or interface type.
+
 ```graphql example
 {
   id
@@ -346,14 +350,14 @@ data.
 ```
 
 In this query operation, the `id`, `firstName`, and `lastName` fields form a
-selection set. Selection sets may also contain fragment references.
+_selection set_. Selection sets may also contain fragment references.
 
 ## Fields
 
 Field : Alias? Name Arguments? Directives? SelectionSet?
 
-A selection set is primarily composed of fields. A field describes one discrete
-piece of information available to request within a selection set.
+A _selection set_ is primarily composed of fields. A field describes one
+discrete piece of information available to request within a selection set.
 
 Some fields describe complex data or relationships to other data. In order to
 further explore this data, a field may itself contain a selection set, allowing
@@ -381,7 +385,7 @@ down to scalar values.
 }
 ```
 
-Fields in the top-level selection set of an operation often represent some
+Fields in the top-level _selection set_ of an operation often represent some
 information that is globally accessible to your application and its current
 viewer. Some typical examples of these top fields include references to a
 current logged-in viewer, or accessing certain types of data referenced by a
@@ -667,9 +671,9 @@ be present and `likers` will not. Conversely when the result is a `Page`,
 
 InlineFragment : ... TypeCondition? Directives? SelectionSet
 
-Fragments can also be defined inline within a selection set. This is useful for
-conditionally including fields based on a type condition or applying a directive
-to a selection set.
+Fragments can also be defined inline within a _selection set_. This is useful
+for conditionally including fields based on a type condition or applying a
+directive to a selection set.
 
 This feature of standard fragment inclusion was demonstrated in the
 `query FragmentTyping` example above. We could accomplish the same thing using

spec/Section 3 -- Type System.md

@@ -677,8 +677,8 @@ operations, Objects describe the intermediate levels.
 GraphQL Objects represent a list of named fields, each of which yield a value of
 a specific type. Object values should be serialized as ordered maps, where the
 selected field names (or aliases) are the keys and the result of evaluating the
-field is the value, ordered by the order in which they appear in the selection
-set.
+field is the value, ordered by the order in which they appear in the _selection
+set_.
 
 All fields defined within an Object type must not have a name which begins with
 {"\_\_"} (two underscores), as this is used exclusively by GraphQL's
@@ -1026,7 +1026,7 @@ Object, Interface, or Union type).
 ### Field Deprecation
 
 Fields in an object may be marked as deprecated as deemed necessary by the
-application. It is still legal to include these fields in a selection set (to
+application. It is still legal to include these fields in a _selection set_ (to
 ensure existing clients are not broken by the change), but the fields should be
 appropriately treated in documentation and tooling.
 
@@ -1142,7 +1142,7 @@ type Contact {
 }
 ```
 
-This allows us to write a selection set for a `Contact` that can select the
+This allows us to write a _selection set_ for a `Contact` that can select the
 common fields.
 
 ```graphql example
@@ -1795,9 +1795,9 @@ to denote a field that uses a Non-Null type like this: `name: String!`.
 
 **Nullable vs. Optional**
 
-Fields are _always_ optional within the context of a selection set, a field may
-be omitted and the selection set is still valid (so long as the selection set
-does not become empty). However fields that return Non-Null types will never
+Fields are _always_ optional within the context of a _selection set_, a field
+may be omitted and the selection set is still valid (so long as the selection
+set does not become empty). However fields that return Non-Null types will never
 return the value {null} if queried.
 
 Inputs (such as field arguments), are always optional by default. However a

spec/Section 4 -- Introspection.md

@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ underscores {"\_\_"}.
 
 ## Type Name Introspection
 
-GraphQL supports type name introspection within any selection set in an
+GraphQL supports type name introspection within any _selection set_ in an
 operation, with the single exception of selections at the root of a subscription
 operation. Type name introspection is accomplished via the meta-field
 `__typename: String!` on any Object, Interface, or Union. It returns the name of

spec/Section 6 -- Execution.md

@@ -121,16 +121,16 @@ respectively.
 ### Query
 
 If the operation is a query, the result of the operation is the result of
-executing the operation’s top level selection set with the query root operation
-type.
+executing the operation’s top level _selection set_ with the query root
+operation type.
 
 An initial value may be provided when executing a query operation.
 
 ExecuteQuery(query, schema, variableValues, initialValue):
 
 - Let {queryType} be the root Query type in {schema}.
 - Assert: {queryType} is an Object type.
-- Let {selectionSet} be the top level Selection Set in {query}.
+- Let {selectionSet} be the top level selection set in {query}.
 - Let {data} be the result of running {ExecuteSelectionSet(selectionSet,
   queryType, initialValue, variableValues)} _normally_ (allowing
   parallelization).
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ ExecuteQuery(query, schema, variableValues, initialValue):
 ### Mutation
 
 If the operation is a mutation, the result of the operation is the result of
-executing the operation’s top level selection set on the mutation root object
+executing the operation’s top level _selection set_ on the mutation root object
 type. This selection set should be executed serially.
 
 It is expected that the top level fields in a mutation operation perform
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ ExecuteMutation(mutation, schema, variableValues, initialValue):
 
 - Let {mutationType} be the root Mutation type in {schema}.
 - Assert: {mutationType} is an Object type.
-- Let {selectionSet} be the top level Selection Set in {mutation}.
+- Let {selectionSet} be the top level selection set in {mutation}.
 - Let {data} be the result of running {ExecuteSelectionSet(selectionSet,
   mutationType, initialValue, variableValues)} _serially_.
 - Let {errors} be the list of all _field error_ raised while executing the
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ CreateSourceEventStream(subscription, schema, variableValues, initialValue):
 
 - Let {subscriptionType} be the root Subscription type in {schema}.
 - Assert: {subscriptionType} is an Object type.
-- Let {selectionSet} be the top level Selection Set in {subscription}.
+- Let {selectionSet} be the top level selection set in {subscription}.
 - Let {groupedFieldSet} be the result of {CollectFields(subscriptionType,
   selectionSet, variableValues)}.
 - If {groupedFieldSet} does not have exactly one entry, raise a _request error_.
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ operation type.
 #### Response Stream
 
 Each event in the underlying Source Stream triggers execution of the
-subscription selection set using that event as a root value.
+subscription _selection set_ using that event as a root value.
 
 MapSourceToResponseEvent(sourceStream, subscription, schema, variableValues):
 
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ ExecuteSubscriptionEvent(subscription, schema, variableValues, initialValue):
 
 - Let {subscriptionType} be the root Subscription type in {schema}.
 - Assert: {subscriptionType} is an Object type.
-- Let {selectionSet} be the top level Selection Set in {subscription}.
+- Let {selectionSet} be the top level selection set in {subscription}.
 - Let {data} be the result of running {ExecuteSelectionSet(selectionSet,
   subscriptionType, initialValue, variableValues)} _normally_ (allowing
   parallelization).
@@ -324,9 +324,9 @@ Unsubscribe(responseStream):
 
 ## Executing Selection Sets
 
-To execute a selection set, the object value being evaluated and the object type
-need to be known, as well as whether it must be executed serially, or may be
-executed in parallel.
+To execute a _selection set_, the object value being evaluated and the object
+type need to be known, as well as whether it must be executed serially, or may
+be executed in parallel.
 
 First, the selection set is turned into a grouped field set; then, each
 represented field in the grouped field set produces an entry into a response
@@ -396,10 +396,11 @@ entry from the grouped field set in the order provided in the grouped field set.
 It must determine the corresponding entry in the result map for each item to
 completion before it continues on to the next item in the grouped field set:
 
-For example, given the following selection set to be executed serially:
+For example, given the following mutation operation, the root _selection set_
+must be executed serially:
 
 ```graphql example
-{
+mutation ChangeBirthdayAndAddress($newBirthday: String!, $newAddress: String!) {
   changeBirthday(birthday: $newBirthday) {
     month
   }
@@ -409,7 +410,7 @@ For example, given the following selection set to be executed serially:
 }
 ```
 
-The executor must, in serial:
+Therefore the executor must, in serial:
 
 - Run {ExecuteField()} for `changeBirthday`, which during {CompleteValue()} will
   execute the `{ month }` sub-selection set normally.
@@ -418,9 +419,10 @@ The executor must, in serial:
 
 As an illustrative example, let's assume we have a mutation field
 `changeTheNumber` that returns an object containing one field, `theNumber`. If
-we execute the following selection set serially:
+we execute the following _selection set_ serially:
 
 ```graphql example
+# Note: This is a selection set, not a full document using the query shorthand.
 {
   first: changeTheNumber(newNumber: 1) {
     theNumber
@@ -443,7 +445,7 @@ The executor will execute the following serially:
 - Resolve the `changeTheNumber(newNumber: 2)` field
 - Execute the `{ theNumber }` sub-selection set of `third` normally
 
-A correct executor must generate the following result for that selection set:
+A correct executor must generate the following result for that _selection set_:
 
 ```json example
 {
@@ -461,7 +463,7 @@ A correct executor must generate the following result for that selection set:
 
 ### Field Collection
 
-Before execution, the selection set is converted to a grouped field set by
+Before execution, the _selection set_ is converted to a grouped field set by
 calling {CollectFields()}. Each entry in the grouped field set is a list of
 fields that share a response key (the alias if defined, otherwise the field
 name). This ensures all fields with the same response key (including those in
@@ -740,9 +742,9 @@ ResolveAbstractType(abstractType, objectValue):
 
 **Merging Selection Sets**
 
-When more than one field of the same name is executed in parallel, their
-selection sets are merged together when completing the value in order to
-continue execution of the sub-selection sets.
+When more than one field of the same name is executed in parallel, the
+_selection set_ for each of the fields are merged together when completing the
+value in order to continue execution of the sub-selection sets.
 
 An example operation illustrating parallel fields with the same name with
 sub-selections.

spec/Section 7 -- Response.md

@@ -294,13 +294,13 @@ JSON format throughout this document.
 
 ### Serialized Map Ordering
 
-Since the result of evaluating a selection set is ordered, the serialized Map of
-results should preserve this order by writing the map entries in the same order
-as those fields were requested as defined by selection set execution. Producing
-a serialized response where fields are represented in the same order in which
-they appear in the request improves human readability during debugging and
-enables more efficient parsing of responses if the order of properties can be
-anticipated.
+Since the result of evaluating a _selection set_ is ordered, the serialized Map
+of results should preserve this order by writing the map entries in the same
+order as those fields were requested as defined by selection set execution.
+Producing a serialized response where fields are represented in the same order
+in which they appear in the request improves human readability during debugging
+and enables more efficient parsing of responses if the order of properties can
+be anticipated.
 
 Serialization formats which represent an ordered map should preserve the order
 of requested fields as defined by {CollectFields()} in the Execution section.