  Ramsey (1929c, [OT] 9) anticipated a possible reaction to his use of propositional variables and to the translation of (4.1)–(4.3) as (4.1*)–(4.3*).  The objection is the following: (4.1*)–(4.3*) cannot be English* counterparts of English sentences because they are not well-formed.  Free-standing instances, the objection goes, of the variables ‘p’ and ‘q’ cannot fill the argument-slots of truth-functions, such as conjunction and material implication, which need complete sentences as arguments. Free-standing uses of the variables in ‘and p’ and ‘then q’ would lack a verb to complete these clauses into genuine instances of the grammatical category of sentences. Ramsey’s reply insists on the sentential status of the variables ‘p’ and ‘q’, which stand for items that already contain a verb and express a truth-bearer (loc. cit.).