• jh29a@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    5 months ago

    The problem with that interpretation is that you can’t have “libraries turning into drug-infested, libraries turning into sex dens.” because “drug-infested” is not a noun phrase a library can turn into like “sex dens” is. I also tried misinterpreting this comma as a comma between two adjectives, which doesn’t work because “sex” is not an adjective. Maybe “Libraries turning drug-infested, into sex dens” fits your interpretation better. Does it?

    • FarFarAway@startrek.website
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      5 months ago

      I suppose, yes. The library is turning drug infested and into a sex den. The comma is replacing all the words “and into a.” Which is essentially what you wrote. I guess i was trying to point out they were two separate situations and that drug infested is not describing the sex den. I was also trying to establish that commas can replace words and phrases. Although the example I gave above only replaced one word, it would make sense they would replace other words, as well, to shorten the headline.

      I guess there are actual headline specific grammatical rules that are followed. While not a comprehensive list, some of these rules include leaving out auxiliary and some joining verbs, articles, conjunctions, etc, and replacing some words with various punctuation. Apparently, the list goes on.