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Post by Dave Miller on Sept 24, 2018 22:37:03 GMT
I’m familiar with the notion that you can’t separate the subject from the verb with a (single) comma, because that ruptures tne sense - or existence - of the main clause. This would apply in, for example: Famous chocolate manufacturer, Cadbury, has decided to introduce grey chocolate bars. [The main clause then fails, as it desperately needs an “a” or a “the” at the beginning.]
Does the same thing happen with verb and object? I’ve just come across the following sentence, which I understand perfectly. It sounds like normal English but it seems to be wrongly punctuated. The problem is ... I can't work out how to punctuate it so that the main clause works! It’s late, so I may be missing something. Perhaps the sentence itself is faulty? What do you reckon?
The British motor industry has producd many inspired engineers whose products became, if not world-beaters then at least market leaders.
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Post by Verbivore on Sept 24, 2018 23:47:15 GMT
I’m familiar with the notion that you can’t separate the subject from the verb with a (single) comma, because that ruptures tne sense - or existence - of the main clause. This would apply in, for example: Famous chocolate manufacturer, Cadbury, has decided to introduce grey chocolate bars. [The main clause then fails, as it desperately needs an “a” or a “the” at the beginning.] Does the same thing happen with verb and object? I’ve just come across the following sentence, which I understand perfectly. It sounds like normal English but it seems to be wrongly punctuated. The problem is ... I can't work out how to punctuate it so that the main clause works! It’s late, so I may be missing something. Perhaps the sentence itself is faulty? What do you reckon? The British motor industry has producd many inspired engineers whose products became, if not world-beaters then at least market leaders. Dave: I'd settle for either (in order of preference): 1. The British motor industry has producd many inspired engineers whose products became, if not world-beaters, then at least market leaders. 2. The British motor industry has producd many inspired engineers whose products became if not world-beaters then at least market leaders. In my work I'm constantly adding or removing single commas; some are simply unnecessary ( overcommaplication – a term coined, if I remember correctly, by Dr Mildr on the APS forum some years ago); others separate verb from subject or object. Many writers seem to omit the necessary second comma of a parenthetical pair, e.g. "The CEO, Jim Black said that …". |
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Post by Dave Miller on Sept 25, 2018 6:21:28 GMT
I like your second version, Vv, but the first one has the problem which first got me worried. With “if not world-beaters” as a parenthesis, the main clause doesn’t run true: The British motor industry has produced many inspired engineers whose products became then at least market leaders.
Without the commas, I don’t stumble - but I still wonder quite how the sentence is working.
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Post by Verbivore on Sept 25, 2018 8:14:55 GMT
I like your second version, Vv, but the first one has the problem which first got me worried. With “if not world-beaters” as a parenthesis, the main clause doesn’t run true: The British motor industry has produced many inspired engineers whose products became then at least market leaders.Without the commas, I don’t stumble - but I still wonder quite how the sentence is working. It's certainly more a BMC-quality sentence than a Rolls-Royce statement. |
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