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Anonymous Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
Punctuation rules (parentheses)
Hi all,
How would you interpret the sentence below and would you accept the alternative interpretation from the student?
“Students are allowed to bring into the examination ONEA4 piece of paper with up to 39 formulae (no text) written on one side of it, with the equations sequentially numbered. “
The typical student response is to create a sheet of paper with 39 formulas and sequentially numbered.
(I am asking you to take this with a pinch of salt as you read on.)
Now let’s take for example a student applies the rules of punctuation for the parentheses ( ).
The Oxford- A-Z of Grammar and Punctuation[1] describes the parenthesis as;
“When something is put ‘in parenthesis’ it is separated off from the main part of the sentence by a pair of brackets, commas, or dashes. This is usually because it contains information or ideas that are not essential to an understanding of the sentence.”
And The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language[2] describes the parentheses as;
“In their primary use parentheses occur in pairs and enclose what we call a parenthesised element.15 Their function is to present that element as extraneous to a minimal interpretation of the text, as inessential material that can be omitted without affecting the well-formedness and without any serious loss of information.16 [...]”
1. In reading the sentence and taking into account the punctuation rule.
2. On the first reading, can the student, choose to first omit the “(no text)” and or at the same time, as an aside, relegate the “(no text)” as “supplementary material” forming the sentence,
“Students are allowed to bring into the examination ONEA4 piece of paper with up to 39 formulae written on one side of it, with the equations sequentially numbered. “
Which forms a logical sentence on its own and takes it as the first “requirement” of the sentence.
The student reads “(no text)” as supplementary material, not as a clarifying statement. Is this acceptable or even correct? BTW is “no text” considered a sentence itself?
Also note there is no conjunction between the words “39 formulae” and the words “(no text)”, the student takes the conjunction “with” as in “with up to 39...or with no text...”
3. On the second reading, he replaces the “(no text)” back into the sentence to form
“Students are allowed to bring into the examination ONEA4 piece of paper with no text written on one side of it, with the equations sequentially numbered. “
Which also forms a logically sentence on its own and takes it as the second “requirement” of the sentence.
In essence the student produces a sheet of paper with 39 formulas, sequentially numbered and with text on one side of the paper.
Questions are, or your views;
How would you interpret the sentence below and would you accept the alternative interpretation from the student?
“Students are allowed to bring into the examination ONEA4 piece of paper with up to 39 formulae (no text) written on one side of it, with the equations sequentially numbered. “
The typical student response is to create a sheet of paper with 39 formulas and sequentially numbered.
(I am asking you to take this with a pinch of salt as you read on.)
Now let’s take for example a student applies the rules of punctuation for the parentheses ( ).
The Oxford- A-Z of Grammar and Punctuation[1] describes the parenthesis as;
“When something is put ‘in parenthesis’ it is separated off from the main part of the sentence by a pair of brackets, commas, or dashes. This is usually because it contains information or ideas that are not essential to an understanding of the sentence.”
And The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language[2] describes the parentheses as;
“In their primary use parentheses occur in pairs and enclose what we call a parenthesised element.15 Their function is to present that element as extraneous to a minimal interpretation of the text, as inessential material that can be omitted without affecting the well-formedness and without any serious loss of information.16 [...]”
1. In reading the sentence and taking into account the punctuation rule.
2. On the first reading, can the student, choose to first omit the “(no text)” and or at the same time, as an aside, relegate the “(no text)” as “supplementary material” forming the sentence,
“Students are allowed to bring into the examination ONEA4 piece of paper with up to 39 formulae written on one side of it, with the equations sequentially numbered. “
Which forms a logical sentence on its own and takes it as the first “requirement” of the sentence.
The student reads “(no text)” as supplementary material, not as a clarifying statement. Is this acceptable or even correct? BTW is “no text” considered a sentence itself?
Also note there is no conjunction between the words “39 formulae” and the words “(no text)”, the student takes the conjunction “with” as in “with up to 39...or with no text...”
3. On the second reading, he replaces the “(no text)” back into the sentence to form
“Students are allowed to bring into the examination ONEA4 piece of paper with no text written on one side of it, with the equations sequentially numbered. “
Which also forms a logically sentence on its own and takes it as the second “requirement” of the sentence.
In essence the student produces a sheet of paper with 39 formulas, sequentially numbered and with text on one side of the paper.
Questions are, or your views;
- Is the application of the punctuation rule correct?
- Should the “(no text)” be structured into a sentence to be classified as a clarification?
- Can the student’s interpretation be accepted?
- A better way of writing the sentence?
- Or should the sentence be using the colon for clarification?
- Any other views.
Top answer
Hi, “ Students are allowed to bring into the examination ONEA4 piece of paper with up to 39 formulae (no text) written on one side of it, with the equations sequentially numbered. “ A student would have to 'work hard' to misinterpret this. However, you could write it more clearly as follows.
- Hi, “ Students are allowed to bring into the examination ONEA4 piece of paper with up to 39 formulae (no text) written on one side of it, with the equations sequentially numbered.
- “ A student would have to 'work hard' to misinterpret this.
- However, you could write it more clearly as follows.
- “ Students are allowed to bring into the examination only ONE A4 piece of paper with up to 39 formulae written on one side of it, with the equations sequentially numbered.
- Nothing should be written on the other side.
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1 Answers
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Hi,
“Students are allowed to bring into the examination ONEA4 piece of paper with up to 39 formulae (no text) written on one side of it, with the equations sequentially numbered. “
A student would have to 'work hard' to misinterpret this.
However, you could write it more clearly as follows.
“Students are allowed to bring into the examination ONEA4 piece of paper with up to 39 formulae (no text) written on one side of it, with the equations sequentially numbered. “
A student would have to 'work hard' to misinterpret this.
However, you could write it more clearly as follows.
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