Changeling Sentences :-O

Ken · Mar 7, 2008

"Instead of arguing with him, from now until the end of time, why don't I just get my point across, physically, which would be easy enough with this thick branch by my feet."

Starting off as a question, this sample sentence morphs into a statement, midway through, so does it still get a question mark at the end or a period? (Have been wondering about this for the longest time.)

DeleyanLee · Mar 7, 2008

Personally, I'd restructure it completely so it wasn't so blasted confusing. Maybe make two sentences out of it so the point doesn't get lost in the middle.

Stew21 · Mar 7, 2008

I'd make it more than one sentence.
"Instead of arguing with him from now until the end of time, why don't I just get my point across physically? Which would be easy enough with this thick branch by my feet."

The last isn't really a complete sentence, but it has enough impact to stand alone. Especially in dialogue I don't have a problem using sentence fragments.

The last could be reworked just a bit more. I imagine the person wouldn't have to say "with this thick branch at my feet" but rather would pick it up and say, "With this!"

DeleyanLee · Mar 7, 2008

anis said:
"Instead of arguing with him, from now until the end of time, why don't I just get my point across, physically, which would be easy enough with this thick branch by my feet."

I was thinking something along the line of:

I could stand and argue with him until the end of time. Or I could get my point across by whacking him with this branch at my feet.

Depending on the voice being used in the piece, there's all kinds of options.

Ken · Mar 7, 2008

thnx Stew and Del.

Both your suggestions are excelent. I knew the sentence read poorly and probably wouldn't ever use a construction like it but was just wondering how it would be punctuated if I did choose too. Maybe there isn't a way to combine a question and statement in one sentence, which would be a shame as there probably are some instances where the combo would be prefered, but more likely in non-fiction.

(Sorry if I spelled excelent wrong. Can never remember if it gets one "l" or two.)

DeleyanLee · Mar 7, 2008

anis said:
(Sorry if I spelled excelent wrong. Can never remember if it gets one "l" or two.)

Two.

maestrowork · Mar 7, 2008

anis said:
"Instead of arguing with him, from now until the end of time, why don't I just get my point across, physically, which would be easy enough with this thick branch by my feet."

Starting off as a question, this sample sentence morphs into a statement, midway through, so does it still get a question mark at the end or a period? (Have been wondering about this for the longest time.)

To me, it's not really a statement but still a question, even though you have an extra statement at the end. You still need a question mark.

But I agree, the whole sentence is clunky. Well too many ideas in one sentence, not to mention mixing statements with a question.

Ken · Mar 7, 2008

thanks. Question/statements are definitely out from now on . . . though I might give statement/questions a whirl.

Lance_in_Shanghai · Mar 7, 2008

Stew21, your incomplete sentence would be remedied quite easily by replacing 'which' with 'that'. Which would be better. Maybe I should say, "Which would be better?"

Changeling Sentences :-O

Ken

DeleyanLee

Writing Anarchist

Stew21

DeleyanLee

Writing Anarchist

Ken

DeleyanLee

Writing Anarchist

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

Ken

Lance_in_Shanghai