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Q&A How to structure a sentence containing long code examples?

Do the simplest thing that works, which in this case is example 3. The rules of sentence structure don't really cover these kinds of things. That is a defect of the rules of sentence structure, not...

posted 7y ago by Mark Baker‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Answer
#4: Attribution notice removed by user avatar System‭ · 2020-01-03T20:41:49Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/30199
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T04:06:38Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/30199
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T04:06:38Z (almost 5 years ago)
Do the simplest thing that works, which in this case is example 3. The rules of sentence structure don't really cover these kinds of things. That is a defect of the rules of sentence structure, not of the examples themselves.

Remember that the first rule is clarity. Grammar rules and style guides exist to codify the practices that **usually** produce the clearest and least ambiguous result. They are a good guide most of the time. But these rules are the servants of clarity, not its master, and in some cases clarity will demand something that these rules cannot account for.

Doing something more convoluted or complex in order to stay onside with a grammar rule or a style guide is putting the horse before the cart. As George Orwell said, "Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous."

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2017-09-12T22:30:54Z (about 7 years ago)
Original score: 1