Question about punctuation
Jul. 16th, 2021 01:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
luzulaHere is a sentence with three variations in the comma placement:
1) It was not yet noon, and though it was October, Keith thought he might reach Ardroy that same day.
2) It was not yet noon and, though it was October, Keith thought he might reach Ardroy that same day.
3) It was not yet noon, and, though it was October, Keith thought he might reach Ardroy that same day.
I feel like 1) is the most common today and the one I would have used before my current fandom. But the 1925 book I'm writing fic for only uses 2) and 3), so that's what I am now using in my fic. I suppose 2) and 3) do make more sense in a way, because if you remove the phrase "though it was October" with its surrounding commas, you still get a sentence that works, which is not the case in the first one if you remove "and though it was October" with its surrounding commas.
My sample here is just one author, but I do wonder whether 2) and 3) are more old-fashioned ways of using commas?
1) It was not yet noon, and though it was October, Keith thought he might reach Ardroy that same day.
2) It was not yet noon and, though it was October, Keith thought he might reach Ardroy that same day.
3) It was not yet noon, and, though it was October, Keith thought he might reach Ardroy that same day.
I feel like 1) is the most common today and the one I would have used before my current fandom. But the 1925 book I'm writing fic for only uses 2) and 3), so that's what I am now using in my fic. I suppose 2) and 3) do make more sense in a way, because if you remove the phrase "though it was October" with its surrounding commas, you still get a sentence that works, which is not the case in the first one if you remove "and though it was October" with its surrounding commas.
My sample here is just one author, but I do wonder whether 2) and 3) are more old-fashioned ways of using commas?
(no subject)
Date: 2021-07-16 04:14 pm (UTC)Anyway, my preference here would be for 2)—1) feels wrong without a comma after 'and', but 3) feels overly fussy putting so many commas close together.
Then, of course, there are plenty of other options—I think it'd be very Broster-appropriate to put em dashes around 'though it was October' instead, or you could get rid of the 'and' and put a semi-colon after 'noon', etc. etc. Isn't language fun :D
(no subject)
Date: 2021-07-18 02:15 pm (UTC)Actually, here is an example I stumbled on where you use 2), when I was rereading (and much appreciating!) the ballad fic: "'Yes, sometimes,' said the girl, and without explaining this obscure remark, added, 'It's nice to meet you. My name is Peggy.'"
: )
Yes, of course, there are plenty of other options! One could use a completely different construction, too.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-07-19 05:19 pm (UTC)