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English 1b3 Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
Punctuation in this sentence from a book
Please can someone help explain the punctuation in this sentence from the book "1984" by George Orwell.
To the future or to the past, to a time when thought is free, when men are different from one another and do not live alone -- to a time when truth exists and what is done cannot be undone: From the age of uniformity, from the age of solitude, from the age of Big Brother, from the age of doublethink -- greetings!
Why is part of the sentence surrounded by hyphens? What makes this part different from the rest of the sentence?
Why is a colon used?
Thank you.
To the future or to the past, to a time when thought is free, when men are different from one another and do not live alone -- to a time when truth exists and what is done cannot be undone: From the age of uniformity, from the age of solitude, from the age of Big Brother, from the age of doublethink -- greetings!
Why is part of the sentence surrounded by hyphens? What makes this part different from the rest of the sentence?
Why is a colon used?
Thank you.
Top answer
The colon is used to separate the concepts of TO and FROM, as in a modern-day memo. The use of the dashes (not hyphens), I think, is simply one of style, perhaps to separate the "future or the past" and "a time". The other choice, would have been to use a semi-colon.
- The colon is used to separate the concepts of TO and FROM, as in a modern-day memo.
- The use of the dashes (not hyphens), I think, is simply one of style, perhaps to separate the "future or the past" and "a time".
- The other choice, would have been to use a semi-colon.
- I prefer the entire passage without the semi-colon.
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1 Answers
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The colon is used to separate the concepts of TO and FROM, as in a modern-day memo. The use of the dashes (not hyphens), I think, is simply one of style, perhaps to separate the "future or the past" and "a time". The other choice, would have been to use a semi-colon. I prefer the entire passage without the semi-colon.
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