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Anonymous Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Thesis dedication syntax
Hi all,
I've got a question regarding the syntax I should use for a dedication to my wife. This will be included in my PhD thesis dedication page. The dedication will have the following structure:
To my wife, Vanessa-
For X,
For Y,
For Z.
My question is, what's the correct synax for the above? I've got some ideas for X, Y and Z but I have not yet decided. I think Z will be "being there." Should there be a space between "To my wife, Vanessa-" and "For X"? Should there be a dash after the name or should it be a colon instead? Should X and Y be followed by a comma, a simicolon, or nothing at all (like in some poems)? Should I begin each line in uppercase?
Thanks heaps!
Lawrence
I've got a question regarding the syntax I should use for a dedication to my wife. This will be included in my PhD thesis dedication page. The dedication will have the following structure:
To my wife, Vanessa-
For X,
For Y,
For Z.
My question is, what's the correct synax for the above? I've got some ideas for X, Y and Z but I have not yet decided. I think Z will be "being there." Should there be a space between "To my wife, Vanessa-" and "For X"? Should there be a dash after the name or should it be a colon instead? Should X and Y be followed by a comma, a simicolon, or nothing at all (like in some poems)? Should I begin each line in uppercase?
Thanks heaps!
Lawrence
Top answer
It should just be a normal, simply-phrased paragraph, Lawrence, not set up like a list. Yours is an academic thesis, not an avant garde novel. Take a look in some of the books around you for how their dedications are presented.
- It should just be a normal, simply-phrased paragraph, Lawrence, not set up like a list.
- Yours is an academic thesis, not an avant garde novel.
- Take a look in some of the books around you for how their dedications are presented.
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8 Answers
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It should just be a normal, simply-phrased paragraph, Lawrence, not set up like a list. Yours is an academic thesis, not an avant garde novel. Take a look in some of the books around you for how their dedications are presented.
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Thanks for your reply!
I want to give three reasons in the dedication, and I thought separating them would be best. It will look something like the following (I have not yet settled on the exact text):
To my wife, Vanessa-
For being the flicker of a candle in dark times,
For being ...,
For being there.
Maybe I can combine the above i
I want to give three reasons in the dedication, and I thought separating them would be best. It will look something like the following (I have not yet settled on the exact text):
To my wife, Vanessa-
For being the flicker of a candle in dark times,
For being ...,
For being there.
Maybe I can combine the above i
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To my wife Vanessa, for being the flicker of a candle in dark times, for being an able amanuensis...for being there.
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Great!! Is it OK to use those three dots, or did you put it in there for me to fill in with some text? If I can use those dots, what do they mean in a sentence? Should I include a comma after "wife" or just exclude it? Thanks for your help -- I've been wracking my brain for a while now :-)
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The three dots are an ellipsis-- one way of leading up to a climax, punctuation-wise.
A comma after wife is unnecessary, and it slows the word flow. (And the comma after Vanessa is unnecessary too, but its absence speeds the flow too much. HOWEVER, a comma only after wife with none after Vanessa would be incorrect punctuation.)
A comma after wife is unnecessary, and it slows the word flow. (And the comma after Vanessa is unnecessary too, but its absence speeds the flow too much. HOWEVER, a comma only after wife with none after Vanessa would be incorrect punctuation.)
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OK. One more question. I was thinking of putting a third reason in the dedication before the climax, e.g. (again, I haven't settled on the exact wording):
To my wife Vanessa, for being the flicker of a candle in dark times, for being an able amanuensis, for being the patient endurer . . . for being there.
Is it too much to have three reasons before the climax? Or does it lead to
To my wife Vanessa, for being the flicker of a candle in dark times, for being an able amanuensis, for being the patient endurer . . . for being there.
Is it too much to have three reasons before the climax? Or does it lead to
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I think that it will be fine– you can shorten it a bit ('flicker' is not really very complimentary here), and with three, I think 'being' is overdone; you can also put them in increasing 'spiritual' order:
To my wife Vanessa, for being an able amanuensis and a patient endurer, for being a candle flame in dark times...for being there.
And no spaces between the 3 dots (it is a si
To my wife Vanessa, for being an able amanuensis and a patient endurer, for being a candle flame in dark times...for being there.
And no spaces between the 3 dots (it is a si
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Done!
Just thought I'd type here that I've used fake names (although our names do start with "Va" and "La"), in case she Googles for our names and sees this before I submit.
Just thought I'd type here that I've used fake names (although our names do start with "Va" and "La"), in case she Googles for our names and sees this before I submit.
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