When splitting a long sentence, is using a colon as good as making it two sentences?
English is not my first language, although I use it daily. When writing in English, I tend to write long, complicated sentences. I then edit the text with the Hemingway app to highlight such lengthy/complex sentences.
Splitting a sentence into two sentences is a typical way to make the text simpler and clearer. But I often want to highlight a logical connection between the two parts by using a colon. For example:
"This function is always deterministic, which means that given a certain input, its output is always the same."
would become:
"This function is always deterministic: given a certain input, its output is always the same."
This typically makes the Hemingway app happier, but it still considers the whole as one sentence, and highlights it for being too long. I'm not sure whether I agree. For me, a long sentence split by a colon is not more difficult to read than two sentences. Is this true in general? What's the typical recommendation: are two sentences generally clearer if they're really separated, or joined with a colon?
phrases punctuation writing-style colon
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English is not my first language, although I use it daily. When writing in English, I tend to write long, complicated sentences. I then edit the text with the Hemingway app to highlight such lengthy/complex sentences.
Splitting a sentence into two sentences is a typical way to make the text simpler and clearer. But I often want to highlight a logical connection between the two parts by using a colon. For example:
"This function is always deterministic, which means that given a certain input, its output is always the same."
would become:
"This function is always deterministic: given a certain input, its output is always the same."
This typically makes the Hemingway app happier, but it still considers the whole as one sentence, and highlights it for being too long. I'm not sure whether I agree. For me, a long sentence split by a colon is not more difficult to read than two sentences. Is this true in general? What's the typical recommendation: are two sentences generally clearer if they're really separated, or joined with a colon?
phrases punctuation writing-style colon
asked 2 days ago
TedTed
1012
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Ted is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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2
Semi-colon will also often be the right choice; colons tend to be when the latter is the thing discussed in the former, whilst semicolon makes less promises about the relationship.
– Orangesandlemons
2 days ago
add a comment |
English is not my first language, although I use it daily. When writing in English, I tend to write long, complicated sentences. I then edit the text with the Hemingway app to highlight such lengthy/complex sentences.
Splitting a sentence into two sentences is a typical way to make the text simpler and clearer. But I often want to highlight a logical connection between the two parts by using a colon. For example:
"This function is always deterministic, which means that given a certain input, its output is always the same."
would become:
"This function is always deterministic: given a certain input, its output is always the same."
This typically makes the Hemingway app happier, but it still considers the whole as one sentence, and highlights it for being too long. I'm not sure whether I agree. For me, a long sentence split by a colon is not more difficult to read than two sentences. Is this true in general? What's the typical recommendation: are two sentences generally clearer if they're really separated, or joined with a colon?
phrases punctuation writing-style colon
asked 2 days ago
TedTed
1012
New contributor
Ted is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
English is not my first language, although I use it daily. When writing in English, I tend to write long, complicated sentences. I then edit the text with the Hemingway app to highlight such lengthy/complex sentences.
Splitting a sentence into two sentences is a typical way to make the text simpler and clearer. But I often want to highlight a logical connection between the two parts by using a colon. For example:
"This function is always deterministic, which means that given a certain input, its output is always the same."
would become:
"This function is always deterministic: given a certain input, its output is always the same."
This typically makes the Hemingway app happier, but it still considers the whole as one sentence, and highlights it for being too long. I'm not sure whether I agree. For me, a long sentence split by a colon is not more difficult to read than two sentences. Is this true in general? What's the typical recommendation: are two sentences generally clearer if they're really separated, or joined with a colon?
phrases punctuation writing-style colon
phrases punctuation writing-style colon
asked 2 days ago
TedTed
1012
New contributor
Ted is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 2 days ago
TedTed
1012
New contributor
Ted is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 2 days ago
TedTed
1012
New contributor
Ted is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 2 days ago
TedTed
1012
asked 2 days ago
TedTed
1012
1012
New contributor
Ted is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Ted is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Ted is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
2
Semi-colon will also often be the right choice; colons tend to be when the latter is the thing discussed in the former, whilst semicolon makes less promises about the relationship.
– Orangesandlemons
2 days ago
add a comment |
2
Semi-colon will also often be the right choice; colons tend to be when the latter is the thing discussed in the former, whilst semicolon makes less promises about the relationship.
– Orangesandlemons
2 days ago
2
2
Semi-colon will also often be the right choice; colons tend to be when the latter is the thing discussed in the former, whilst semicolon makes less promises about the relationship.
– Orangesandlemons
2 days ago
Semi-colon will also often be the right choice; colons tend to be when the latter is the thing discussed in the former, whilst semicolon makes less promises about the relationship.
– Orangesandlemons
2 days ago
add a comment |
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Semi-colon will also often be the right choice; colons tend to be when the latter is the thing discussed in the former, whilst semicolon makes less promises about the relationship.
– Orangesandlemons
2 days ago