Template talk:Second-hand

Comma

@EncycloPetey: The comma is a bit weird because it separates the "a hardcopy" from the "of the original work". To me it seems like a comma in the middle of the sentence for no clear reason. — Alien333 (what I did & why I did it wrong) 16:48, 2 June 2024 (UTC)

You are reading only part of the dependent clause, without including the referent of the clause. You need to read the full clause for content: "You can improve the provenance of this work by transcribing a scan, or proofing it against a hardcopy, of the original work" which should make it clear that "or proofing it against a hardcopy" is an option set off within the clause "You can improve the provenance of this work by transcribing a scan of the original work". The prepositional phrase "of the original work" refers to the scan, not to the hardcopy, and the option to proof from a hardcopy is an inserted phrase. --EncycloPetey (talk) 17:49, 2 June 2024 (UTC)

Oh, sorry. You're right, I misunderstood it. Thank you for the explanation. — Alien333 (what I did & why I did it wrong) 17:51, 2 June 2024 (UTC)