In an essay I recently wrote, I wrote the following two sentences: "Natural selection. By examining the meaning of each of these words, the meaning of the entire phrase becomes pellucid: natural selection is the selection of traits by nature."
I understand that "natural selection" by itself is not a complete sentence and is therefore a fragment; however, i wanted there to be a pause, so that the reader stopped for a moment and reflected on the phrase before continuing to read. I feel like I've read this kind of structure before, but I feel like making natural selection its own sentence by using a period is not correct grammar. Is there a way I could change this? Would a dash or colon instead of a period make the sentence(s) more correct?
I get what you mean about that and i would leave the period but it depends... what come before that sentence?
Kelly -- Use a colon (:) instead of the period after "selection."
It was the start of a new paragraph; the sentence concluding the previous paragraph was: "The addition of this phrase added an entirely new dimension to Darwin's work; even though Darwin added this new descriptive term to further clarify the original title, "survival of the fittest" invoked feelings of competition and superiority that "natural selection" did not."
i think you would use a colon too
Thank you, I had a feeling that was more correct; however, I then end up with two colons in one sentence. Is this incorrect? I've never run into a situation in which I needed to use more than one.
When it comes to the structure of your sentences, it's important to strike a balance between clarity and style. While it's true that "natural selection" by itself is considered a fragment, there are ways you can modify the sentence to achieve a pause or emphasis without sacrificing grammatical correctness.
One option is to use a colon. A colon can be used to introduce or expand upon a previous statement. In your case, you could write: "Natural selection: by examining the meaning of each of these words, the meaning of the entire phrase becomes pellucid - natural selection is the selection of traits by nature."
By using a colon, you establish a connection between the fragment and the subsequent sentence, indicating that the latter is an elaboration or explanation of the former. This helps maintain the flow of ideas while still allowing for a momentary pause for reflection.
Another option is to use an em dash (—) instead of a period. An em dash can be used to indicate an abrupt break or interruption in a sentence. For example: "Natural selection—by examining the meaning of each of these words, the meaning of the entire phrase becomes pellucid: natural selection is the selection of traits by nature."
By using an em dash, you create a slightly stronger break or pause compared to a colon. It draws attention to the fragment before redirecting the reader to the complete explanation that follows.
Both the colon and em dash options provide a way to achieve the pause, emphasis, or reflection you desire while still maintaining grammatical correctness. Ultimately, the choice between the two will depend on the specific tone and stylistic preferences of your essay.