18
votes
What punctuation do I use in "stage performers, their stage: the sky"?
I'd agree that it would be a good style choice to have [medium pause/break] ... [short pause/break] here. One way round this is to push the supercomma usage of the semicolon:
They dance in the ...
10
votes
Use of double colon (::) as a sentence separator
As a native English speaker who has been speaking and reading the language for most of my 65 years ... I am not aware of any accepted uses in ordinary writing of a double colon. (By "ordinary ...
7
votes
What punctuation do I use in "stage performers, their stage: the sky"?
Their stage the sky is an absolute phrase. An absolute phrase has its own noun or pronoun along with a participle phrase. When the participle is a form of to be, it can be omitted (which is what’s ...
4
votes
Use of double colon (::) as a sentence separator
In logic and mathematics, :: is an analogy symbolism operator. It's used to express a correspondence or comparison, and related questions, such as:
dog : puppy :: cat : ?
…which is read as: “Dog is ...
3
votes
Punctuation Breakdown: Examining Commas in a Sentence
Use a pair of commas to set off parenthetical phrases (non-essential elements) in a complete sentence. In other words, non-essential elements are phrases that can be removed from the sentence and the ...
3
votes
What punctuation do I use in "stage performers, their stage: the sky"?
If you wanted a slightly different intonation:
They dance in the distance like graceful stage performers. Their stage? The sky!
But the alliteration of "dance in the distance" makes me ...
3
votes
Accepted
How best to punctuate this sentence?
Your instructor’s version is incorrect; if the semicolon “super comma” is deployed, it must be used for all items:
The following regions were most hit by the storms: Venezuela, or, to be more precise,...
1
vote
Punctuation Breakdown: Examining Commas in a Sentence
The commas around arguably set it off because it is a nonessential adverb and serves to qualify the statement without being integral to its meaning.
The last comma is there not because it precedes an ...
1
vote
Is a comma still required between "said" and a quote if no one actually says anything?
He gave me a look that said don't you dare.
Why not italicize it?
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