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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
Weak Interruptions - Trask et. al.
L. Trask and others make use of the words `weak interruption' to define when bracketing commas may be used. Is this just a syntactic definition?
(Trask)
The rule is this: a pair of bracketing commas is used to mark off a weak interruption of the sentence, that is, an interruption which does not disturb the smooth flow of the sentence.
Smooth flow? I'm not sure what that means in precise terms. The author later states:
In each case a weak interruption has been set off by a pair of bracketing commas...in every one of these examples, the weak interruption set off by bracketing commas could, in principle, be removed from the sentence, and the result would still be a complete sentence that made good sense.
Syntax: complete sentence. Semantics: good sense. Now, this is not necessarily a definition; it may be a comment that does not apply to every instance of bracketing comma use. But then he remarks:
This is always the case...and you find you can't remove those words without destroying the sentence, you have done something wrong.
There are a number of common words which typically introduce weak interruptions containing complete sentences. Among the commonest of these are although, though, even though, because, since , after, before, if, when and whenever.
Now, please consider this:
If I win the lottery, I shall be rich.
I feel that the comma is used in an acceptable way. But `If I win the lottery' cannot, surely, be viewed as a weak interruption. If we remove it, the sentence may make sense, but the wrong sense. This will be the case for most instances in which if-conditions are expressed. The interruption is in no sense weak.
Comments appreciated,
R.
(Trask)
The rule is this: a pair of bracketing commas is used to mark off a weak interruption of the sentence, that is, an interruption which does not disturb the smooth flow of the sentence.
Smooth flow? I'm not sure what that means in precise terms. The author later states:
In each case a weak interruption has been set off by a pair of bracketing commas...in every one of these examples, the weak interruption set off by bracketing commas could, in principle, be removed from the sentence, and the result would still be a complete sentence that made good sense.
Syntax: complete sentence. Semantics: good sense. Now, this is not necessarily a definition; it may be a comment that does not apply to every instance of bracketing comma use. But then he remarks:
This is always the case...and you find you can't remove those words without destroying the sentence, you have done something wrong.
There are a number of common words which typically introduce weak interruptions containing complete sentences. Among the commonest of these are although, though, even though, because, since , after, before, if, when and whenever.
Now, please consider this:
If I win the lottery, I shall be rich.
I feel that the comma is used in an acceptable way. But `If I win the lottery' cannot, surely, be viewed as a weak interruption. If we remove it, the sentence may make sense, but the wrong sense. This will be the case for most instances in which if-conditions are expressed. The interruption is in no sense weak.
Comments appreciated,
R.
Top answer
[nq:1]There are a number of common words which typically introduce weak interruptions containing complete sentences. Among the commonest of these ... This will be the case for most instances in which if-conditions are expressed.
- [nq:1]There are a number of common words which typically introduce weak interruptions containing complete sentences.
- Among the commonest of these ...
- This will be the case for most instances in which if-conditions are expressed.
- [/nq] Well, he said, in effect, that 'if' and like words typically introduce weak interruptions.
- He didn't say its presence implies one.
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24 Answers
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[nq:1]There are a number of common words which typically introduce weak interruptions containing complete sentences. Among the commonest of these ... This will be the case for most instances in which if-conditions are expressed. The interruption is in no sense weak.[/nq]
Well, he said, in effect, that 'if' and like words typically introduce weak interruptions. He didn't say its presence implie
Well, he said, in effect, that 'if' and like words typically introduce weak interruptions. He didn't say its presence implie
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(Email Removed) (rolleston) wrote on 01 Jan 2004:
[nq:1]There are a number of common words which typically introduce weak interruptions containing complete sentences. Among the commonest of these ... This will be the case for most instances in which if-conditions are expressed. The interruption is in no sense weak.[/nq]
Removing the conditional clause leaves a "good" sentence and "a comple
[nq:1]There are a number of common words which typically introduce weak interruptions containing complete sentences. Among the commonest of these ... This will be the case for most instances in which if-conditions are expressed. The interruption is in no sense weak.[/nq]
Removing the conditional clause leaves a "good" sentence and "a comple
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[nq:1]Now, please consider this: If I win the lottery, I shall be rich. I feel that the comma is used ... This will be the case for most instances in which if-conditions are expressed. The interruption is in no sense weak.[/nq]
I don't see this as an example of "interruption" because there's only one comma, not a "bracketing" pair as in "By this time next year, if I win the lottery, I shall be
I don't see this as an example of "interruption" because there's only one comma, not a "bracketing" pair as in "By this time next year, if I win the lottery, I shall be
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[nq:1]L. Trask and others make use of the words `weak interruption' to define when bracketing commas may be used. Is ... This will be the case for most instances in which if-conditions are expressed. The interruption is in no sense weak.[/nq]
And it's in no sense an interruption, either: if such conditionals didn't come in pairs they wouldn't mean anything. If I haven't misunderstood you, you
And it's in no sense an interruption, either: if such conditionals didn't come in pairs they wouldn't mean anything. If I haven't misunderstood you, you
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[nq:1]L. Trask and others make use of the words `weak interruption' to define when bracketing commas may be used. Is this just a syntactic definition?[/nq]
The term has no precise definition. It was merely the best label I could think of when I was writing my book. My idea was to find some way of distinguishing the use of bracketing commas from the use of dashes.
Consider one of my example
The term has no precise definition. It was merely the best label I could think of when I was writing my book. My idea was to find some way of distinguishing the use of bracketing commas from the use of dashes.
Consider one of my example
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[nq:1]Now, please consider this:[/nq]
Uh! I wish I hadn't written that. Looking at it
again, it looks so pompous. And then there's
that inelegantly repeated `now'.
[nq:1]I feel that the comma is used in an acceptable way. But `If I win the lottery' cannot, surely, be viewed as a weak interruption. If we remove it, the sentence may make sense, but the wrong sense.[/nq]^
And that
Uh! I wish I hadn't written that. Looking at it
again, it looks so pompous. And then there's
that inelegantly repeated `now'.
[nq:1]I feel that the comma is used in an acceptable way. But `If I win the lottery' cannot, surely, be viewed as a weak interruption. If we remove it, the sentence may make sense, but the wrong sense.[/nq]^
And that
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Thus spake Mike Lyle:
[nq:2]L. Trask and others make use of the words `weak interruption' to define when bracketing commas may be used. Is this just a syntactic definition?[/nq]
[nq:2]Now, please consider this: If I win the lottery, I ... if-conditions are expressed. The interruption is in no sense weak.[/nq]
[nq:1]And it's in no sense an interruption, either: if such conditionals didn
[nq:2]L. Trask and others make use of the words `weak interruption' to define when bracketing commas may be used. Is this just a syntactic definition?[/nq]
[nq:2]Now, please consider this: If I win the lottery, I ... if-conditions are expressed. The interruption is in no sense weak.[/nq]
[nq:1]And it's in no sense an interruption, either: if such conditionals didn
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Thankyou for your helpful response. My point was probably a rather minor one, but what you have said has made things much clearer. I never know in these situations if I've made some horrible error. I remember an occasion when I had managed to convince myself and a friend that I'd found a major error in Papadimitriou's Computational Complexity. We were just about to contact him when I realised I'd
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[nq:1]I don't see this as an example of "interruption" because there's only one comma, not a "bracketing" pair as in "By this time next year, if I win the lottery, I shall be rich."[/nq]
When the interruption occurs at the beginning or
end of a sentence, one of the commas may be dropped. The sentence above illustrates the point.
R.
When the interruption occurs at the beginning or
end of a sentence, one of the commas may be dropped. The sentence above illustrates the point.
R.
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[nq:1]Well, he said, in effect, that 'if' and like words typically introduce weak interruptions. He didn't say its presence implies ... you have such an interruption, it wouldn't be unusual to introduce it with an 'if', if I've understood it right.[/nq]
My argument is that it is unusual for an if-condition to be a weak interruption, but usual, or at least acceptable, for commas to delimit it.
My argument is that it is unusual for an if-condition to be a weak interruption, but usual, or at least acceptable, for commas to delimit it.
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