A Comment Upon Commas - by Don Neuendorf
Since I write these for public consumption, I am more aware of my personal literary foibles with these blog postings than I am with other writings. I have noticed that I often use an elipsis (...) where a comma would normally be used. If that troubles the literary types among us, I apologize. It is, however, not an accident.
I agree with the editor who once said that a loose usage of commas was like leaving chairs pulled out from the table so that people stumbled as they walk through the room. However, I like to write so that the reader "hears" the words, and when I want to pause for effect it seems to me that a comma isn't even a long enough pause to take a breath. I doubt that the modern reader even pauses much for a semicolon, so I use the elipsis.
Technically, the elipsis is supposed to represent missing text. And if I'm quoting someone else (like the Bible) then I use it that way. But otherwise my three dots are intended to let you stop to think... and then to lead you on.
I hope you follow the dots and keep reading!
Since I write these for public consumption, I am more aware of my personal literary foibles with these blog postings than I am with other writings. I have noticed that I often use an elipsis (...) where a comma would normally be used. If that troubles the literary types among us, I apologize. It is, however, not an accident.
I agree with the editor who once said that a loose usage of commas was like leaving chairs pulled out from the table so that people stumbled as they walk through the room. However, I like to write so that the reader "hears" the words, and when I want to pause for effect it seems to me that a comma isn't even a long enough pause to take a breath. I doubt that the modern reader even pauses much for a semicolon, so I use the elipsis.
Technically, the elipsis is supposed to represent missing text. And if I'm quoting someone else (like the Bible) then I use it that way. But otherwise my three dots are intended to let you stop to think... and then to lead you on.
I hope you follow the dots and keep reading!