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JJDouglas Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
Subordinate clauses as standalone sentences.
Is it considered grammatically incorrect to have a subordinate clause stand as its own sentence for the sake of emphasis?
For example,
"When it comes to punctuation, you should put whatever you feel is right. Unless, of course, whatever you feel is right is wrong."
The above reads better to me than the following, which is technically correct.
"When it comes to punctuation, you should put whatever you feel is right, unless, of course, whatever you feel is right is wrong."
For example,
"When it comes to punctuation, you should put whatever you feel is right. Unless, of course, whatever you feel is right is wrong."
The above reads better to me than the following, which is technically correct.
"When it comes to punctuation, you should put whatever you feel is right, unless, of course, whatever you feel is right is wrong."
Top answer
Yes, it's technically incorrect. But good writers rely on their own judgement. Good style trumps good grammar!
- Yes, it's technically incorrect.
- But good writers rely on their own judgement.
- Good style trumps good grammar!
- Clive.
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5 Answers
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Yes, it's technically incorrect. But good writers rely on their own judgement.
Good style trumps good grammar!
Clive.
Good style trumps good grammar!
Clive.
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I think you have to consider that "unless, of course" is an adjunct (in which "of course" seems to modify "unless"), an optional element whose omission would still leave a grammatically correct clause, in this case the independent (main) clause "whatever you feel is right or wrong". That being the case, your first example is just as 'technically correct' as your second one.
I prefer the f
I prefer the f
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BillJI think you have to consider that "unless, of course" is an adjunct (in which "of course" seems to modify "unless"), an optional element whose omission would still leave a grammatically correct clause, in this case the independent (main) clause "whatever you feel is right or wrong".But 'whatever you feel is right or wrong' is not, in that sentence
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fivejedjon BillJI think you have to consider that "unless, of course" is an adjunct (in which "of course" seems to modify "unless"), an optional element whose omission would still leave a grammatically correct clause, in this case the independent (main) clause "whatever you feel is right or wrong".But 'whatever you feel is right or wrong' is not, in that sentence,
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