For want of a Comma

[Doctor.Sphinx]

I disagree.

Your comma free sentence was ambiguous. It leaves the sentence open to incorrect interpretation, and is harder to read.

 

[Tinker Grey]

Your comma free sentence was ambiguous. It leaves the sentence open to incorrect interpretation, and is harder to read.

Please elaborate.

 

[Doctor.Sphinx]

Please elaborate.

"These texts detail the seige and focus on the city rather than on the temple alone as the accounts in Matthew and Mark do."
Do the texts detail the siege, and focus on the city rather than on the temple alone, or do the texts detail the siege and focus on the city, rather than on the temple alone? Do the accounts in Matthew and Mark detail the siege, the siege and focus on the city, or on the temple alone?

 

[Tinker Grey]

"These texts detail the seige and focus on the city rather than on the temple alone as the accounts in Matthew and Mark do."
Do the texts detail the siege, and focus on the city rather than on the temple alone, or do the texts detail the siege and focus on the city, rather than on the temple alone? Do the accounts in Matthew and Mark detail the siege, the siege and focus on the city, or on the temple alone?

OK. I can see that. Typical problem with not using the Oxford comma. I was focused on making it clear how "M and M" related to the first part of the sentence.

 

[Dirk1540]

A bigger problem here is that the word 'siege' is misspelled.

Oops that mistake was me not the book lol. I double checked that’s the only part I didn’t copy accurately.