posted
That's what I thought, but B doesn't really give me the right inflection. I use this sentence form a lot and it always makes me crazy that there's not a better way to punctuate it.
Posts: 938 | Registered: May 2008
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posted
In dialogue any of them could work. The first implies impatience--the emphasis will fall on the "do". The second is the more grammatically correct, but you're right, it has a different tone to it.
posted
So do you want a crit? Or should I just read this purely for fun? might offer the sought-after impact.
Beginning a sentence with a conjunction is by no means as rigid a no-no as grammar school tyrants have hammered into we writers. So is itself a conjunction--albeit in an introductory and implied response to correspondence capacity--beginning the sentence. Following so with a comma is not generally a preferred style. It's like following and, or, but, or any other conjunction with an unnecessary comma. Of course, in that sentence, the conjunctions are separated by the serial comma: A, B, and C.
Style manuals and usage guides go on at length about what constitutes an appropriate style in the usage of conjunctions to begin a sentence. The guiding principle is that the idea of the sentence begun with a conjunction should contrast with the preceding sentence's idea. The object of the two sentences is the same, or at least implied as such: a story presented for reading; however, the subjects and predicates are not. Are the ideas the same or in contrast? I sense they are in opposition. For rhetorical effect, a pause, or for pace purposes, separating the two distinctly different questions is perfectly acceptable in creative prose.
[This message has been edited by extrinsic (edited September 17, 2008).]
posted
The second part, "or should I read this purely for fun?", is unnecessary. "So do you want a crit?" conveys your point with less risk of seeming sarcastic.
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quote:The second part, "or should I read this purely for fun?", is unnecessary. "So do you want a crit?" conveys your point with less risk of seeming sarcastic.
I use this sentence structure way too much to completely change. But I used the dash today, and it made me happy. I might have to try the ellipsis soon too...
quote:Can I just create a newsletter on Word and send it to you - or is there some other software I ought to use?
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