Home › Punctuation › Punctuate Logically

Punctuate Logically

Notes of punctuation ought to discriminate the component parts of sentences from one another according to their logical relations. "A verbose, or long-winded sentence, is based on circumlocution." Here the comma after "sentence" separates the subject from its predicate, while the two commas divide " a verbose or long-winded sentence" into two parts-(1) "a verbose," (2) " or long-winded sentence."

A more logical, and also in other respects more fitting, punctuation would be to place a comma first after "verbose,” and next, not after "sentence," but after "long-winded." Or (better still) free the sentence altogether of punctuation. "He said to his patient that if he did not feel better in half-an-hour, he thought he had better return." Here, clearly, the modification, "if he did not feel better in half-an-hour," ought to be distinguished from the principal statement by a comma before as well as after it.

Insert, therefore, a comma also after "that." "

I had to choose the Church, or be disinherited. Therefore it was said I studied for the Church." In this quotation as it stands, and also if a comma is put after "therefore," it is impossible to gather whether "I studied for the Church." All that can be inferred is that "it was said" I studied for the Church. Put a comma after "therefore," and another after "said," and it will hardly any longer be doubtful that "I studied for the Church." In such case "it was said" will be referred to "therefore," and will infallibly be referred to "therefore," if "there" be underlined. "Therefore, it was said, I studied for the Church," means, "I studied for the Church, and people said my reason for doing so was not to be disinherited." "

This answer too saucy as it may appear provoked no resentment." The above sentence, without punctuation marks, is susceptible of different readings. "As it may appear" is clearly an explanatory clause, and should be marked off from the rest of the sentence by a comma before and a comma after it. If "too" is intended to express the inclusion of "this answer" with a previous answer or previous answers, "too" ought to have a comma before and a comma after it. If, on the contrary, "too" is intended as a modification of "saucy," "too" should be preceded, but not followed, by a comma. "

But to let that pass we will now proceed." "Then taking up the parcel I left the shop" etc.

In such sentences "to let that pass," "taking up the parcel," are explanatory phrases, inserted each into its respective sentence, and ought each of them, therefore, to be marked off from the rest of the sentence by a comma before and a comma after it. A common error is to put no comma after "But," but only after "pass;" no comma after "Then," but only after "parcel." By such mispunctuation "But to let that pass," "Then taking up the parcel," is each of them constituted the explanatory clause. "I ask you as the highest authority in literary matters, what you think of the new poem."

Put a comma after "you," and "a as the highest authority in literary matters" is referable to "I." "But while it has that, it is hoped it has a great deal more." If the explanatory sentence, "while it has that," is to be discriminated from the rest by a comma after it, it should be discriminated by a comma before it as well. Otherwise "But while it has that" will naturally be taken for the explanatory sentence. Either, therefore, put a comma after "But" and after "that," or put a comma after neither.