2

Please consider:

  1. Without so much as a call or a letter – he showed up.

Is sentence (1) above not only grammatical in syntax and morphology, but also acceptably punctuated according to guidelines for standard written English worldwide?

I know that dashes can be used to emphasize parenthetical information, but I feel as though the parenthetical element typically comes either within an enclosing set of dashes or else after a single dash, not before one. After all, dashes typically draw attention to and emphasize what comes after (or within).

Therefore, does placing a dash after a parenthetical element still draw attention to that parenthetical element, or does it draw attention to the independent clause which follows it?

Is it even good style to use a dash in a sentence with a parenthetical element in order to emphasize the independent clause rather than the parenthetical one?

Here’s an example of what I’m wondering about:

  1. He showed up – without so much as a call or a letter.

Here the emphasis is on without so much... in sentence (2) above, isn’t it?

And wouldn’t that be different from this?

  1. Without so much as a call or a letter – he showed up.

Because here in sentence (3) the emphasis is on ...he showed up, isn’t it?

But is this stylistically appropriate for sentences with this grammar?

Improve this question
6
  • Unable to understand the need for a parenthetical usage here.
    – Ram Pillai
    Dec 2, 2020 at 16:50
  • I don't think I've come across a rule / recommendation forbidding this, but I'd agree that placing the independent clause first is usual. Certainly you can't use sentence fragments ('Without so much as a call or a letter. He showed up.') fragment-first without suitable prior context. But if you use a comma as separator, the construction would raise no eyebrows.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Dec 2, 2020 at 16:54
  • 2
    I don't think much of the dash there. Obviously it would look silly with a straightforward single-word adverb: Soon - he showed up, and I can't see why it should become more acceptable just because the adverbial element contains more than one word. Wearing his hat tipped at a jaunty angle - he showed up. I don't think so. The longer the adverbial element, the more justification there is for setting it off with a comma (as an aid to parsing, for the reader). But never a dash, imho.
    – FumbleFingers
    Dec 2, 2020 at 17:22
  • I'd say the way you presented it is fine. Others would use a different punctuation, but that's a personal choice. Revering the order of the phrases would shift the emphasis in a way that is probably not desired.
    – Hot Licks
    Dec 2, 2020 at 18:33
  • Oops -- I meant "Reversing".
    – Hot Licks
    Dec 3, 2020 at 22:45

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
1

No need for a dash, a comma will suffice. The sentence, with the introductory phrase, is strong enough without the dash. See Harbrace College Handbook: With 1998 MLA Style Manual Updates, 13th Revised Edition (HODGES HARBRACE HANDBOOK) by John C. Hodges, Winifred Bryan Horner, et al. | Jan 1, 1998

Improve this answer
3
  • 1
    Your answer could be improved with additional supporting information. Please edit to add further details, such as citations or documentation, so that others can confirm that your answer is correct. You can find more information on how to write good answers in the help center.
    – Community Bot
    Dec 23, 2022 at 14:58
  • This is not an answer. A dash—if it is allowed here—makes for a stronger sentence.
    – Peter Shor
    Dec 23, 2022 at 15:48
  • Welcome to our site, Mary! Good to have you here. Please consider taking our site tour to familiarize yourself with how our question-and-answer model works. As our Community robot has recommended in its comment to you above, we very much prefer longer, more detailed answers, ones optimally including citations from reputable sources and which always provide an explanation of why the answer you have given should be considered correct by others.
    – tchrist ♦
    Dec 24, 2022 at 15:18
0

Either option is fine. The second sentence where 'he showed up' is at the end of the sentence adds emphasis to the suddeness with which he appeared. It's really only a question of sylistic preference by the writer here.

Improve this answer
2
  • 1
    'Answers' require a degree of support (here, from grammars and/or examples from respected authors) that 'comments' don't (though accuracy in 'comments' is also important).
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Dec 28, 2021 at 16:33
  • Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.
    – tchrist ♦
    Dec 30, 2021 at 16:17

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.