From Artful Sentences: Syntax as Style, Virginia Tufte
"Words flow in clustered, continuous, patterned segments. In speech, segments are indicated by pitch, stress, juncture. In writing, they are indicated by arrangement of words in phrase patterns and by punctuation. Speakers and readers pause at punctuation marks and observe word-groups set off by commas, dashes, semicolons, colons, parentheses. Rather than focusing on one word at a time, we read by making sense of segmented patterns. Segmentation is a basic resource of English syntax, often achieved by nonrestrictive, or free, modifiers."
From Artful Sentences: Syntax as Style, Virginia Tufte "Writers create 'sentence perspective' when trying to decide how to begin the next sentence on the page or screen. The opening words of a sentence glance both backward and forward, establishing a relationship with what precedes and then bringing into view the new information."
From Artful Sentences: Syntax as Style, Virginia Tufte "Dependent clauses are widely used in both nonfiction and fiction. Their predictable rhythms make them a frequent choice in ceremonial and other formal prose. Dependent clauses flourish also in the opening chapters and narrative passages of novels, where authors often want to impart details quickly."
From Artful Sentences: Syntax as Style, Virginia Tufte |
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