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Guest Posted 22 years ago
Grammar
Punctuating sentence with 'then' used as a conjunction
In the following construction, is there a comma before the word 'then'?
"She leaped up and scanned the room then ran for the door."
I realize the sentence is more properly written, "She leaped up and scanned the room, and then she ran for the door."
This is for use in a work of fiction where allowances are generally made for readability.
"She leaped up and scanned the room then ran for the door."
I realize the sentence is more properly written, "She leaped up and scanned the room, and then she ran for the door."
This is for use in a work of fiction where allowances are generally made for readability.
Top answer
" This gives us a more accurate picture of the series of events, the 'leaping and scanning' happening first, followed by the 'running'. This sentence is just as 'proper' as your longer version; they are different ways of saying the same thing. Fiction receives no special dispensation from appropriate language use, but then good grammar and structure never get in the way of 'readability'!
- " This gives us a more accurate picture of the series of events, the 'leaping and scanning' happening first, followed by the 'running'.
- This sentence is just as 'proper' as your longer version; they are different ways of saying the same thing.
- Fiction receives no special dispensation from appropriate language use, but then good grammar and structure never get in the way of 'readability'!
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6 Answers
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Comma usage is not written in stone; however, for clarity, I think you should include the comma:
"She leaped up and scanned the room, then ran for the door."
This gives us a more accurate picture of the series of events, the 'leaping and scanning' happening first, followed by the 'running'.
This sentence is just as 'proper' as your longer version; they are different w
"She leaped up and scanned the room, then ran for the door."
This gives us a more accurate picture of the series of events, the 'leaping and scanning' happening first, followed by the 'running'.
This sentence is just as 'proper' as your longer version; they are different w
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"She leaped up and scanned the room, then ran for the door" is a comma splice. To keep it concise, use a semicolon. "She leaped up and scanned the room; then ran for the door." Otherwise, you'd have to separate them into two different sentences. I don't understand why people keep saying "then" is a conjunction. I've checked three different dictionaries and none of them says that it is. Most
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You are answering a question from 2004.
Your solution with the semicolon is not correct -- you create an independent clause with no subject. Notice in the original the subject is not repeated, hence no second independent clause and therefore no comma splice.
Think of "then" as a conjunctive adverb, joining her actions together in sequence.
Your solution with the semicolon is not correct -- you create an independent clause with no subject. Notice in the original the subject is not repeated, hence no second independent clause and therefore no comma splice.
Think of "then" as a conjunctive adverb, joining her actions together in sequence.
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Okay right. It definitely wasn't a comma splice. "Then" is only a conjunction in the correlative conjunction pair if/then, right? In the primary example it's an adverb, right? This has been driving me crazy all day!
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I had to look it up too, and found this whole discussion on conjunctive adverbs. Basically, I suck at naming things, but that seemed right to me.
Unfortunately, all the examples they gave were with the repeated subject and therefore a comma splice if used solely as a fanboys-type conjunctive. None of addressed the situation in the original example with the list of actions and without a
Unfortunately, all the examples they gave were with the repeated subject and therefore a comma splice if used solely as a fanboys-type conjunctive. None of addressed the situation in the original example with the list of actions and without a
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"Then" can be a conjunctive adverb when used to join two independent clauses—clauses with both a subject and a predicate.
Unlike the required punctuation for most conjunctive adverbs joining two independent clauses, when using "then," one doesn't need to use a semicolon preceding it and a comma following it. Just use a comma before it the same way you would with a coordinating conjunction
Unlike the required punctuation for most conjunctive adverbs joining two independent clauses, when using "then," one doesn't need to use a semicolon preceding it and a comma following it. Just use a comma before it the same way you would with a coordinating conjunction
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