agent truncated a quote mid-sentence and the missing half contained the 'except' carve-out - the summary reversed the...

TL;DR

The agent truncated a quote mid-sentence, dropping the 'except' carve-out, and the summary reversed the clause's meaning. Quote complete clauses, never fragments: check every quote for exception keywords (except, unless, notwithstanding, provided that) and validate each quote against the source text before publishing.

The symptom

agent truncated a quote mid-sentence and the missing half contained the 'except' carve-out  -  the summary reversed the clause's meaning

Steps

1. Re-quote the complete clause

Go back to the source and capture the full sentence or clause, including everything after the truncation point. Expected: The full clause with the 'except' carve-out intact.

2. Check for exception keywords

Scan the full clause for except, unless, notwithstanding, provided that, however, and carve-out. These words flip meaning. Expected: All exception language identified in the clause.

3. Correct the summary

Rewrite the summary to include the carve-out: the restriction applies except where the carve-out says otherwise. Expected: A summary that preserves the clause's actual meaning.

4. Add the no-truncation rule

Quotes must end at sentence or clause boundaries and must include trailing exception language. Validate quote completeness against the source automatically. Expected: Truncated quotes blocked before they ship.

When to use

• A quote ends mid-sentence
• The summary contradicts the clause's apparent meaning
• Exception keywords appear right after a quote's cutoff

When not to use

• The clause was fairly summarized with the carve-out included
• The quote is long but complete (length is fine; truncation is the problem)
• The source itself is ambiguous (escalate, do not guess)

Why it happens

Exception language lives at the end of clauses: '...shall not disclose, except as required by law.' Truncating before the comma keeps the prohibition and drops the permission, reversing the meaning. Summaries built on fragments inherit the reversal.

Edge cases

• Multi-sentence carve-outs: quote the whole exception block, not just the trigger word.
• Nested exceptions (except as provided in Section X): follow the reference and note it.
• Defined terms with exceptions: apply the same completeness check.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_7Iw59e8e8CWIb59pNGCHQA