PDA

View Full Version : Punctuation question



D-Type
26th March 2018, 20:45
This has come up on another forum. How should this be punctuated?

If you want to walk fast, walk alone. If you want to walk far, walk together.
If you want to walk fast: walk alone. If you want to walk far: walk together.
If you want to walk fast; walk alone: if you want to walk far; walk together.
If you want to walk fast - walk alone. If you want to walk far - walk together.
or?

I've been looking at it too long and I just don't know. What do you think

gadjo_dilo
27th March 2018, 03:39
I don't know the english rules. But in my mother language, definitely it will be:
If you want to walk fast, walk alone. If you want to walk far, walk together.

Big Ben
29th March 2018, 08:36
As far as I know, you put a comma between 2 sentences of the same phrase, when one is subordinate clause to the other sentence. The semicolon should be used between 2 related independent sentences. At least that's what I know. Definitely not the last 2.

inimitablestoo
29th March 2018, 15:51
*brushes off English Language degree* Definitely the first one. You might get away with replacing the commas with "..." for effect, which might allow the fourth one to be correct if you're indicating a deliberate pause between the two parts of the sentence. For best grammar though, it's commas.

Bagwan
29th March 2018, 17:11
As Stoo said , it is the first one , unless you are cooking .

Then , you use "wok" as the verb .