Thursday, August 8, 2013

How does one separate the complete subject from the complete predicate by using a / in compound sentences? Example: Marion/read the paper. Please...

First, your “sample” is not a compound sentence. It is a simple clause with sentence punctuation (capital letter and period). There is no reason to separate the subject from the predicate with a / (called a solidus). Secondly, the solidus’ function is ambiguous, according to the Chicago Manual of Style. It is mostly a visual device, not punctuation, and can take the place of a semicolon to emphasize a distinct parallel relationship between two clauses, thus:


                 Our moon is usually simply called “the moon”/ our sun is simply called “the sun.” But astronomers use more precise and exclusionary terms.


In a normal multi-clause sentence, the solidus should be avoided.  Your problem sentence --"The boys went to the park, but they didn't do anything." -- would not benefit from an insertion of a solidus in place of the comma, because the "but" is a conjunction that serves a purpose, to show a negation between two clauses. A solidus in place of "but" would change the meaning of the sentence.


However, if you are using the solidus as part of a grammatical exercise in recognizing and indicating complete subject and predicate, then you would use the solidus quite simply, like this:


  • The boys/went to the park, but they/didn't do anything.

No comments:

Post a Comment

What was the device called which Faber had given Montag in order to communicate with him?

In Part Two "The Sieve and the Sand" of the novel Fahrenheit 451, Montag travels to Faber's house trying to find meaning in th...