Mar 10, 2011 05:49
13 yrs ago
English term
Better punctuation option?
English
Other
Linguistics
I am wondering if I should use the colon (:) option, or even a dash option, in constructing this sentence as in:
--- X is a culinary professional with over 15 years' experience in teaching cooking: both privately and at Community College in xxxx.
Or, is there some better way of putting this sentence together as in:
--- X is a culinary professional with over 15 years’ experience in teaching cooking both privately and at Community College at xxxxx.
I'm having some punctuational issues at this time. :-) Thank you.
--- X is a culinary professional with over 15 years' experience in teaching cooking: both privately and at Community College in xxxx.
Or, is there some better way of putting this sentence together as in:
--- X is a culinary professional with over 15 years’ experience in teaching cooking both privately and at Community College at xxxxx.
I'm having some punctuational issues at this time. :-) Thank you.
Responses
| 4 +8 | comma |
Tony M
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| 3 +5 | no punctuation mark |
Ivan Borshchevsky
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Responses
+8
2 hrs
Selected
comma
My preference here would be to use a comma; as others have said, a colon, dash, etc. would feel quite wrong.
I advocate the use of the comma because the sentence is very long, and it helps the reader to break it up at the logical break point, since what follows is to some extent parenthetical.
Actually, I think you might do better to turn the sentence around a bit; am I the only one to find 'teaching cooking' awkward and uncomfortable?
I do find it slighlty odd to use the quite pompous word 'culinary', and then follow it with the much more homely 'cooking', to me the register doesn't really fit at all. I think it all very much depends on just what level of cooking is involved here, and the actual overall context.
I can't help thinking "...is a professional chef" (for example) might sound better, or more generally something to do with the catering trade / profession; and you might want to see if you can't use 'haute cuisine', 'cordon bleu cuisine', or something more elegant than mere 'cooking'. Alternatively, you might consider getting rid of one of the '-ing's — "... a cookery teacher with 15 years experience...", that sort of idea...
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Note added at 4 hrs (2011-03-10 10:26:53 GMT)
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One argument for inserting a comma might be to avoid a possible ambiguity: without the comma, it might be read as if it was the cooking that was taking place in these 2 situations, rather then the teaching. Yet another reason IMHO to restructure the sentence a little.
I advocate the use of the comma because the sentence is very long, and it helps the reader to break it up at the logical break point, since what follows is to some extent parenthetical.
Actually, I think you might do better to turn the sentence around a bit; am I the only one to find 'teaching cooking' awkward and uncomfortable?
I do find it slighlty odd to use the quite pompous word 'culinary', and then follow it with the much more homely 'cooking', to me the register doesn't really fit at all. I think it all very much depends on just what level of cooking is involved here, and the actual overall context.
I can't help thinking "...is a professional chef" (for example) might sound better, or more generally something to do with the catering trade / profession; and you might want to see if you can't use 'haute cuisine', 'cordon bleu cuisine', or something more elegant than mere 'cooking'. Alternatively, you might consider getting rid of one of the '-ing's — "... a cookery teacher with 15 years experience...", that sort of idea...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2011-03-10 10:26:53 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
One argument for inserting a comma might be to avoid a possible ambiguity: without the comma, it might be read as if it was the cooking that was taking place in these 2 situations, rather then the teaching. Yet another reason IMHO to restructure the sentence a little.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "A comma it is for me. Thank you, Tony! :-)"
+5
3 mins
Ivan Borshchevsky
Medical translator & interpreter
Native in: Russian 
Works in: Russian to English, English to Russian, Esperanto to Russian, and 1 more.
no punctuation mark
I usually use no punctuation mark
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
JaneTranslates
: I would probably use a comma, but no mark is also acceptable in this context. I certainly would not use a colon or dash.
11 mins
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Thanks
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| neutral |
Ambrose Li
: I would use a comma too.
16 mins
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I agree with comma (sometimes I use it ) but usually there is no mark here. Thank you
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| agree |
Jim Tucker (X)
: Generally speaking, optional commas tend to be less used nowadays than a generation ago.
1 hr
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Thank you
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| agree |
Armorel Young
: Agree with Jane - comma would be fine, but colon, semicolon or dash would feel positively wrong.
2 hrs
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Thank you
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| agree |
Jack Doughty
: with preference for comma
2 hrs
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Thank you
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| agree |
Jenni Lukac (X)
: No solid argument for putting a comma using today's style guidelines.
4 hrs
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Thank you
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