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JaCKo__007 Posted 19 years ago
Grammar
Symbols, paragraphing and some caps...
Hi everybody, hope you're all doing well and have been on holiday to some place nice. 
I've got a couple of questions:
1.) If I was talking about a manuscript that was going to be published - therefore something formal, could you use symbols in such a text? Symbols like +, -, =,
(I know I'd never use a smiley, but I just have to ask)
2.) In my language this is acceptable, and I never came across it in English, so I thought one of you guys would probably know: In a longer manuscript you have multiple paragraphs, but some are more connected than others. Could you vary the spacing - say you pressed "enter" on your keyboard once for content that related more, and twice for content that did not relate as much?
And just one final thing:
3.) In a sentence where you were going to ask a question, or started a new topic after a colon (like I did in 2.) ), would you start the continuation with a capital letter, or not. I know its with caps for citation or quotes, but am not 100% sure for any other case.
Thanks in advance!
I've got a couple of questions:
1.) If I was talking about a manuscript that was going to be published - therefore something formal, could you use symbols in such a text? Symbols like +, -, =,
(I know I'd never use a smiley, but I just have to ask)2.) In my language this is acceptable, and I never came across it in English, so I thought one of you guys would probably know: In a longer manuscript you have multiple paragraphs, but some are more connected than others. Could you vary the spacing - say you pressed "enter" on your keyboard once for content that related more, and twice for content that did not relate as much?
And just one final thing:
3.) In a sentence where you were going to ask a question, or started a new topic after a colon (like I did in 2.) ), would you start the continuation with a capital letter, or not. I know its with caps for citation or quotes, but am not 100% sure for any other case.
Thanks in advance!
Top answer
) No smileys, but mathematical symbols are fine. ) No; do it with language. ) Colons are followed by capital letters in BrE and lower case letters in AmE (or vice versa).
- ) No smileys, but mathematical symbols are fine.
- ) No; do it with language.
- ) Colons are followed by capital letters in BrE and lower case letters in AmE (or vice versa).
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6 Answers
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1.) No smileys, but mathematical symbols are fine.
2.) No; do it with language.
3.) Colons are followed by capital letters in BrE and lower case letters in AmE (or vice versa).
2.) No; do it with language.
3.) Colons are followed by capital letters in BrE and lower case letters in AmE (or vice versa).
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Excellent! Thanks.
So, colons are followed by uppercase every time in BrE, regardless, or just for the example I gave? Better safe than sorry.
So, colons are followed by uppercase every time in BrE, regardless, or just for the example I gave? Better safe than sorry.
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Better safe than sorry.Yes, let's wait for a Brit to drop by. Though they probably don't require majuscules for simple lists ('Please pick up the following: apples, bananas, kumquats.') I have an idea that it might vary with the style guide one chooses also.
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Yes, let's wait for a Brit to drop by.Agreed
I think you're right though. It probably applies on
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Still waiting on this one, just the one - uppercase after colons in BrE.
Any Brits out there that could lend a hand?
Thanks!
Any Brits out there that could lend a hand?
Thanks!
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Here are some examples to make things easier:
1.) The wind proposed a contest, and when it saw an old man walking on the road, it stipulated the conditions: whoever manages to undress the man, wins.
2.) The teacher came to a surprising discovery: the best salesman are the ones with the most developed sexual instinct.
3.) To clarify: The undeniable force of the w
1.) The wind proposed a contest, and when it saw an old man walking on the road, it stipulated the conditions: whoever manages to undress the man, wins.
2.) The teacher came to a surprising discovery: the best salesman are the ones with the most developed sexual instinct.
3.) To clarify: The undeniable force of the w
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