[Grammar] Weird sentence

[khanhhung2512]

Here's a sentence I've found in a GRE book:
In the Newtonian construct for explaining the existence of God, the universe is analogous to a mechanical timepiece, the creation of a divinely intelligent “clockmaker.”

I'd like to ask whether the appearance of the phrase "the creation of a divinely intelligent clockmaker" grammatical. I mean, it could be, but I'm not very familiar with this structure.

Additionally, I'd like to know whether it's better to put the period of the sentence in question above inside or outside the quotation marks.

Many thanks.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Yes, it is grammatical. I would put the quotation mark inside the period there.

 

[MikeNewYork]

"Weird sentence" is not an appropriate title for a thread. The title should be specific and contain words from the actual question.

 

[Rover_KE]

I agree with Mike about the title (a divinely intelligent clockmaker would have been good), but not about the full stop (period), which I would put outside the quotation mark (as would most BrE speakers, I think).

 

[MikeNewYork]

I said to put the quotation mark inside the period. Isn't that the same as yours?

 

[Rover_KE]

Yes. Sorry — I misread it.

 

[khanhhung2512]

"Weird sentence" is not an appropriate title for a thread. The title should be specific and contain words from the actual question.

I agree with Mike about the title (a divinely intelligent clockmaker would have been good), but not about the full stop (period), which I would put outside the quotation mark (as would most BrE speakers, I think).

I tried to be specific, but I just couldn't find a name for the structure of the sentence in question. I'm sorry.
In the Newtonian construct for explaining the existence of God, the universe is analogous to a mechanical timepiece, the creation of a divinely intelligent “clock maker”.

In the sentence above, what is "the creation of a divinely intelligent clock maker"?

 

[khanhhung2512]

It is an appositive.

Does that mean "the creation of a divinely intelligent clock maker" = "mechanical timepiece", which doesn't make sense since one is a "clock/timepiece" while the other is the "creation of a clock maker"?

 

[bhaisahab]

It is saying that the mechanical timepiece was created by a divinely intelligent clockmaker.

 

[Raymott]

"Creation" is a concrete noun here. The timepiece is the creation. It's not talking about the act of creation. The thing created is a creation. You can talk about the creation (abstract act) of a creation (concrete thing).

 

[khanhhung2512]

"Creation" is a concrete noun here. The timepiece is the creation. It's not talking about the act of creation. The thing created is a creation. You can talk about the creation (abstract act) of a creation (concrete thing).

I've finally got it. I mistook the word "creation" here for the act of creation, an abstract noun.
Thanks again.