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they use contemporary instruments, although they play a number of baroque pieces

English translation: they use contemporary instruments, although they play a number of baroque pieces

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:they use contemporary instruments, although they play a number of baroque pieces
Selected answer:they use contemporary instruments, although they play a number of baroque pieces
Entered by: Laurens Landkroon

21:55 Jan 24, 2007
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Music / Punctuation
English term or phrase: they use contemporary instruments, although they play a number of baroque pieces
The text is an interview with the conductor of an orchestra booked to play a concert at the end of the month. He's comparing two orchestras and he says:

"Both orchestras have a similar style, as well as repertoire; they use contemporary instruments, although they play a number of baroque pieces."

I do apologise - this is such a banal question, but I've gone punctuation blind. Do I want the comma after 'although' or don't I in this particular sentence?

None of my reference books are the slightest help and I can't see the wood for the trees :-(

All thoughts will be very gratefully received, but I'd be particularly grateful to hear from any American English specialists as the greater proportion of the target readers may well be American.

Thank you in advance :-)
Caryl Swift
Poland
Local time: 18:50
they use contemporary instruments, although they play a number of baroque pieces
Explanation:
I wouldn't change it................
Selected response from:

Laurens Landkroon
Local time: 18:50
Grading comment
Thank you for your help :-)
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +7they use contemporary instruments, although they play a number of baroque pieces
Laurens Landkroon
5 +1Full stop (period) after repertoire. Then...
Anna Maria Augustine (X)
4not what you asked, but
Ken Cox


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +7
they use contemporary instruments, although they play a number of baroque pieces


Explanation:
I wouldn't change it................

Laurens Landkroon
Local time: 18:50
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thank you for your help :-)

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  kmtext: Nor would I
19 mins
agree  Ken Cox: Yes, the comma must stay (spoken as an NA NES). Also, despite what Caryl says about the style of the original, semicolons are rather rare in NA usage.
24 mins
agree  Will Matter: I, too, would leave it as you have it.
4 hrs
agree  R. Alex Jenkins: The comma gives a little pause before 'although' trots off, working nicely.
4 hrs
agree  Chris Rowson (X): I think the comma there is optional, but I would keep it (and I also play Baroque music on contemporary instruments :-)
6 hrs
neutral  Hakki Ucar: I think no need comma
13 hrs
agree  William [Bill] Gray
23 hrs
agree  Alfa Trans (X)
3 days 15 hrs
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5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Full stop (period) after repertoire. Then...


Explanation:
They use contemporary instruments although they play a number of baroque pieces."

The sentence begins with: They and no coma is needed.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 mins (2007-01-24 22:04:57 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Alternatively, you could add the word "but" after repertoire...but no comma is needed.

Anna Maria Augustine (X)
France
Local time: 18:50
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you for the suggestion., Anna Maria. However, the speaker has a specific style which I'm trying as far as possible to retain. He lists things and rarely uses conjunctions such as 'and' or 'but'. Otherwise I'd put 'and' after repertoire' and stop worrying! :-)

Asker: Thak you for your help :-)


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Hakki Ucar
13 hrs
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40 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
not what you asked, but


Explanation:
At first glance, there's no logical connection between the two phrases of the sentence, so there is no logical reason for the semicolon. However, what the speaker probably meant was that both orchestras *also* use contemporary instruments, although they play...'' -- i.e. a further point of similarity.

From a formal grammatical perspective, this would be better worded worded as:

The two orchestras have similar styles and repertoires, and they both use contemporary instruments, although they play a number of baroque pieces.

This preserves the logic of number, which is more closely regarded in English than in some other languages.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 44 mins (2007-01-24 22:39:55 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Apologies for the redundant words. Composition on the fly isn't my strong point.

Ken Cox
Local time: 18:50
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you for your help. I'm not fod of composition on the fly either! :-)

Asker: As can by seen by another of my 'signature' typos!! :-)


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Alfredo Tutino: in fact there is a connection: the author means that one of the main reasons for the similarity of style is the fact that both orchestras use contemporary instrument for baroque repertoire - a distinctive and not obvious feature in the current music scene
44 mins
  -> I'm not convinced that using contemporary instruments for baroque repertoire is the reason for the similarity of style
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