Bow Tie Kreative Writing System
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Rules / punctuation

PUN-010 Hard constraint layer: sentence

Colon follows a complete setup

IF a colon introduces an explanation, list, example, or amplification, THEN ensure the material before it can stand as a complete clause ELSE remove or recast.

Why the rule exists

A colon points forward from a grammatically complete setup.

Condition

The rule fires when this evaluates true. Paths marked below must be present in the fact base; the engine reports the rest rather than guessing them.

  • sentence.colon_function in [explanation, list, example, amplification]

Facts this rule reads

PathSource
sentence.colon_function You supply it

Then

  1. verify — target sentence.pre_colon_clause
  2. restructure — target sentence

Else

  1. retain — target current_text, No triggering condition is present.

LAKA

Smallest sufficient intervention
Yes
Primary axes

Sources

  • The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation — Jane Straus; Lester Kaufman
    Accessible grammar, punctuation, examples, and exercises.
  • Eats, Shoots & Leaves — Lynne Truss
    Punctuation and the effect of marks on meaning.
  • Grammar, Punctuation, and Sentence Structure — Purdue Online Writing Lab link
    Practical mechanics, clause, sentence, punctuation, and style guidance.
The raw rule record

Verbatim from 08-punctuation-rules.json. Also available at /v1/rules/PUN-010.

{
  "id": "PUN-010",
  "name": "Colon follows a complete setup",
  "domain": "punctuation",
  "layer": "sentence",
  "strength": "hard_constraint",
  "human_logic": "IF a colon introduces an explanation, list, example, or amplification, THEN ensure the material before it can stand as a complete clause ELSE remove or recast.",
  "when": {
    "path": "sentence.colon_function",
    "operator": "in",
    "value": [
      "explanation",
      "list",
      "example",
      "amplification"
    ]
  },
  "then": [
    {
      "action": "verify",
      "target": "sentence.pre_colon_clause",
      "require": "independent_clause"
    },
    {
      "action": "restructure",
      "target": "sentence",
      "when": "pre_colon_incomplete",
      "options": [
        "remove_colon",
        "complete_setup"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "else": [
    {
      "action": "retain",
      "target": "current_text",
      "reason": "No triggering condition is present."
    }
  ],
  "unless": [],
  "because": "A colon points forward from a grammatically complete setup.",
  "diagnostics": [],
  "examples": {},
  "source_ids": [
    "BK-002",
    "BK-009",
    "WEB-011"
  ],
  "laka": {
    "smallest_sufficient_intervention": true,
    "primary_axes": [
      "scope",
      "depth",
      "magnitude",
      "reversibility"
    ]
  }
}

Other punctuation rules

  1. PUN-001 Terminate complete sentences IF a prose sentence is complete, THEN end it with a mark matching statement, direct question, or strong exclamation ELSE keep it joined to its governing structure. Hard constraint
  2. PUN-002 No comma splice IF two independent clauses are joined only by a comma, THEN add a coordinator, use a semicolon, or make two sentences ELSE retain. Hard constraint
  3. PUN-003 Comma before coordinating conjunction IF a coordinating conjunction joins two independent clauses, THEN place a comma before it unless the clauses are very short and unambiguous ELSE retain. Context default
  4. PUN-004 Comma after introductory material IF introductory material is long, clausal, or potentially misread, THEN add a comma before the main clause ELSE use the lightest mark that preserves clarity. Context default
  5. PUN-005 Set off nonrestrictive material IF a modifier adds nonessential information rather than identifying the referent, THEN set it off with paired punctuation ELSE do not set it off. Hard constraint
  6. PUN-006 Do not isolate restrictive material IF a modifier identifies which person or thing is meant, THEN remove punctuation that falsely marks it as optional ELSE evaluate as nonrestrictive. Hard constraint
  7. PUN-007 Serial comma follows declared style IF a series contains three or more coordinated items, THEN apply the selected serial-comma policy consistently AND add a comma when omission causes ambiguity ELSE retain. Context default
  8. PUN-008 Semicolon joins related independent clauses IF two independent clauses are closely related AND no coordinator is used, THEN a semicolon is available ELSE choose another boundary. Context default