word order - Position of the adverb "of course"



...which is of course zero.


...which of course is zero.



Which one is preferred?



Answer



I don't think there's much difference between the two. It depends on which word you wish to stress more: which or zero. (Incidentally, I would set it off with commas, but that is a matter of taste.)


This saves all the emphasis for the final word zero:



... which is, of course, zero.



This puts the emphasis on which:



... which, of course, is zero.



There is no difference in meaning, only in dramatic effect. The effect is greater if the sentence is spoken; if it is written, the effect is vanishingly small.


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