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But context is not always obvious or accessible.
"They are all out standing by Jove."
ÅΓª╥┐↕§
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Back here for a punctuation consult, if possible please.
"Much of that maintenance metabolism goes to our invisible scheduled replacement." (that's a logic sentence) But then this follows:
"And so I'd guess that where we cost more than a mouse is in putting a bigger fraction of our energy into self-repair, and a smaller fraction into other purposes like keeping warm or caring for babies."
I've read this phrase over and over again and I cannot read it's clear meaning.
Is here a word missing? Should it be " than a mouse is costing"? Or is this a totally normal running sentence and do I not see it?
Comma's maybe missing?
Last edited by BranShea; 05/31/07 05:07 PM.
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Joined: Apr 2007
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Replacing "we cost" with 'human's maintenance metabolism is" may help.
Last edited by Maven; 05/29/07 07:41 PM.
tempus edax rerum
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Thanks Maven, it helps getting more of the general meaning , but it still looks like an odd sentence to me,  when I replace this for that.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Headlines are fun too. Local Man Is Out- Standing In Field
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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You know, I even think headlines are more fun.
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Long sentences are harder to parse. Technical writers try to avoid them, but sadly, many professions no longer emphasize writing skills. Grammar? Spelling? Punctuation? Ha! Who cares, it's word count that matters, right?
tempus edax rerum
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Joined: Jun 2006
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Well, it's a good writer and a good book. Maybe a word was lost in the process of editing-printing. But such a sentence becomes like a little riddel I want to solve. And I read over and over again. Compare it with a scratch in an old gramophone record. Doesn't ultimately stop me from reading on.:~)
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Does the concept of a run on sentance as a grammatical fault occur just in English or in other languages as well?
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