a box each of pens, pencils and red pencils

[gimhee]

So I bought him two binders, two pencil pouches, a box each of pens, pencils and red pencils, two plain spiral notebooks, one spiral notebook labeled “Plans for World Domination” and some loose-leaf paper.

what does underlined sentence mean~?

http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/27/this-year-488-on-school-supplies-next-year-will-be-different/

 

[neal41]

The writer bought 3 boxes: one box of pens, one box of ordinary pencils, and one box of red pencils. If 'each' had been omitted, then the writer would have bought one box containing a mixture of pens, ordinary pencils, and red pencils.

 

[gimhee]

The writer bought 3 boxes: one box of pens, one box of ordinary pencils, and one box of red pencils. If 'each' had been omitted, then the writer would have bought one box containing a mixture of pens, ordinary pencils, and red pencils.

then, wouldn't this make sentence more clearer?

boxes, each of pens, pencils and red pencils.

isn't comma necessary in front of "each"?

 

[joanvillafane]

No, no comma necessary.

We use the same structure in other contexts:
... a pound each of apples, grapes and bananas.

 

[neal41]

then, wouldn't this make sentence more clearer?

boxes, each of pens, pencils and red pencils.

Your phrase is incorrect, with or without a comma. In general

"one container each of X1, X2, . . ., Xn"
means
n containers such that the jth container contains Xj.