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A day after a politician said ISIS bride should be let back into UK... how an M.P once called for anyone who fought for Israel to be stripped of their British citizenshipHow would you describe this example? Is the ellipsis removing (we look at how an M.P) Is this grammatically accurate? The first part preceding the colon is not a complete sentence.The first and foremost piece of advice we have: do not pay the ransom.(Is this OK too? Is that a phrase here in the dashes)Sorry to hear about the theft — just the wrong place at the wrong time— but you need to file a report.

Clive · Accepted Answer

A day after a politician said that an ISIS bride should be let back into the UK... how an M.P once called for anyone who fought for Israel to be stripped of their British citizenship.

How would you describe this example? Is the ellipsis removing (we look at how an M.P) Maybe. The ellipsis could represent a lot of things.

Is this grammatically accurate? The first part preceding the colon is not a complete sentence.

The first and foremost piece of advice we have: do not pay the ransom.

It's correct as a phrase.

(Is this OK too? Is that a phrase here in the dashes) Yes, it is.

Sorry to hear about the theft — just the wrong place at the wrong time— but you need to file a report.

As is often the case with words inserted between dashes, the reader is left to figure out the writer's precise meaning. eg Was the person in the wrong place at the wrong time? Or was it the property that was stolen that was in the wrong place at the wrong time? I find it more precise to write

eg Sorry to hear about the theft. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. You need to file a report.

or

eg Sorry to hear about the theft. Your car was in the wrong place at the wrong time. You need to file a report.

Clive

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