Saturday, September 03, 2016

Points

I am reading a book (Making a Point) that dedicates three chapters to the use of the comma.

Honestly, if it weren't for the way the author's personality shines through in his didactic suggestions sprinkled with examples from his own life, I don't think I would have made it this far into the book. I should finish it tomorrow or Monday at the latest. It contains the following helpful  gems:

About changing typeface rather than punctuation to perform a separating function (as here, with no colon following the italics!)
The modern principle is to avoid graphic tautology: don't use two conventions when one would do. Use the fewest marks possible to make your meaning clear. (p. 135)
About the semicolon
Its use or non-use should be governed by a sensitive appreciation of its role in relation to the discourse as a whole, in which semantics - not grammar - is the primary consideration. (p. 211) 
 The book is 360 pages long. Don't be jealous.

No comments: