Tuesday 21 December 2010

It's the Little Things that Count

In this passage from Tom Dusevic's article in the latest Weekend Australian, a well-placed comma plus a preposition would have avoided confusing the reader with the impression that the hungry hounds who follow Gillard are relentless but do garner some sympathy for her chosen path:

I think it would read better thus: "...it's probably designed to discredit the hungry hounds who follow her relentlessly, and to garner some sympathy for her chosen path", although I suppose Dusevic may actually be saying that some sympathy is gained for Gillard by the fact that she is so relentlessly pursued. The problem is that he hasn't made himself completely clear.

2 comments:

  1. Yes, commas are wonderful things, but, as in this instance, not when one is left alone to its own devices.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Most of the time commas should be like those little Startrite kids, I think, going around in contented pairs.

    ReplyDelete