Correct Punctuation?

Question

Is the following extract punctuated correctly?

I don’t know why but, rather disconcertingly, Jake looked me up and down before answering. ‘Go on.’

I wasn't sure if this was correct use of bracketing commas or if they were even needed? Any other mistakes? If you could justify any answers I would be very grateful!

Answer 1

Good luck! I have never seen so many different answers for one question, where all the answerers were serious.

My take:

I don't know why, but, rather disconcertingly, Jake looked me up and down before answering, "Go on."

The prepositional phrase starting with "but" has to be set off with a comma.

Since "rather disconcertingly" is an adverbial phrase that is out of place (still technically correct), it must be set off by commas. It would be better written as, "but Jake looked at me up and down rather disconcertingly...."

A comma is customarily used to set off the quotation, even though it is technically the object of the verb "answering" in the prepositional phrase.

And finally, modern use seems to put the punctuation following a quotation inside the quotes, despite what they taught us old fogies in grade school.

Answer 2

Here's my 2 cents worth:

I don’t know why, but, rather disconcertingly, Jake looked me up and down before answering, ‘Go on.’

As an English teacher, I would also accept the sentence as correct if the comma after "why" was not inserted.

Answer 3

Your sentences are quite correct the way they are. Commas are correctly placed.

You could also have a comma after the word 'why' but it is not necessary as too many commas tend to break the flow of a sentence.

You could also put a comma after the word 'answering' and it would also be correct, making it all one sentence.

You have received some bad answers. The phrase in commas should be 'rather disconcertingly' - just as you have written it - NOT 'but rather disconcertingly'.

Even if you decide to accept someone else's answer, please make a copy of my answer and check with your teacher. I am right.

Answer 4

I don’t know why, but rather disconcertingly Jake looked me up and down before answering, "Go on".

This is the correct punctuation. The comma is after 'answering' as it shows the third person is speaking.
Note the full stop comes at the end of the sentence and after the quotation marks as it denotes completion.

Answer 5

This is how it should be:

I don’t know why, but rather disconcertingly, Jake looked me up and down before answering, "Go on."

You must always put the comma before "but," and when making a quotation, the correct style is to separate with a comma and quotation marks around what was said.

P.S. Phil G, above, is incorrect.

Answer 6

dont think there is too much wrong with it, here are the corrections:

I don’t know why, but rather disconcertingly Jake looked me up and down before answering. ‘Go on’.

Answer 7

CORRECT VERSION: I don’t know why, but, rather disconcertingly, Jake looked me up and down before answering: ‘Go on.’

Yes, strictly speaking you need a comma before the 'but' although in common usage it is optional.

'rather disconcertingly' is a subordinate clause, providing non-essential (extra) information, and should therefore be bracketted with commas.

Since you have appended the direct speech - 'Go on' - to the end of the sentence rather than making it a new line, the correct punctuation is a colon, but in common usage a comma here would be acceptable.

The abundance of commas in the corrected version rather suggests the sentence itself is somewhat inelegant, and perhaps should be rewritten, don't you think?

.

Answer 8

I don’t know why, but rather disconcertingly, Jake looked me up and down before answering, "Go on."

Comma after the why instead of the but scans better.
I might drop the second comma as well - read it aloud to yourself, a comma is a natural pause in speech.
Usually a comma before vocal narrative.

Answer 9

I don't know why, but rather disconcertingly, Jake looked me up and down before answering "Go on".

Answer 10

I don’t know why but, rather disconcertingly, Jake looked me up and down before answering "go on".