"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! - Page 106 - Other Topics Forum - Discuss Pop Culture, Arts and Entertainment

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"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode!

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Page 106 of 247

First

6 56 86 96 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 116 126 156 206

Last

10-18-2011 , 06:30 PM

#2626

TheNiggler

adept

Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 792

Quote:

Originally Posted by McCormack

"paedophile's are funny and so is rape"

could someone plz explain what is wrong with the above sentance?

Only one space between 'paedophile's' [sic] and 'are'

Quote

10-18-2011 , 08:18 PM

#2627

S.K

Toffees >> Jellybeans

Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 9,201

dOnt get wot this threads about.....

any1?

Quote

10-20-2011 , 12:24 PM

#2628

RussellinToronto

veteran

Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 2,243

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlligatorBloodFTW

What is...the correct usage of an...(drumroll)...elipsis? Is using it to imply sarcasm grammatically correct? I'm sure none of you grammar nits know...

Can you give an example of how it would be used to imply sarcasm? If either of your sentences is intended to be an example then the sarcasm is eluding me ...

At the end of a sentence, it has the sense of a dying fall. Or of something left unsaid. Is that what you have in mind?

Quote

10-20-2011 , 11:00 PM

#2629

ToTheInternet

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 13,876

Quote:

Originally Posted by soah

which is correct?

logically, the former seems correct, but it's very jarring

The former is correct.

Gardner's Modern American Usage states that sentences must remain logical if parenthetical parts were to be added to or removed from them, and that, in such sentences, any discordance between "a/an" and the subsequent phoneme can be removed by substituting the parentheses' contents with analogous onomatopoeia, which substitution is known as "burritolopsis."

Quote:

an... (ededdunununununununun)... ellipsis

Quote

10-21-2011 , 05:44 PM

#2630

browser2920

Niceness Influencer

Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 6,527

Quote:

Originally Posted by SGT RJ

Meh, this is why I shouldn't get involved with people who are even nittier than me. :P

In the example he posted, resolved clearly refers to the issues, not the wide range. You can't resolve a wide range. Ergo the verb tense should agree with issues, not with range, IMO. "Issues" is the subject of the sentence as far as I can tell.

Although maybe I'm just very wrong and I should shut my mouth and just enjoy finding posts where people mangle spelling and punctuation. It's been a very long time since I reviewed the intricacies of parts of speech.

Actually, in this example it is the range that is getting resolved. If you had 10 issues, and you resolved 7 of them, then the range of issues was not resolved.

As RT said, the prepositional phrase "of issues" modifies range. The subject is in fact range, though it may seem odd at first glance.

Quote

10-21-2011 , 07:57 PM

#2631

SGT RJ

Twitching

Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 48,792

Quote:

Originally Posted by browser2920

Mmmm. Yeah, it does seem odd, but since I already admitted it's been quite some time since I reviewed parts of speech, I'm going to go ahead and just defer to you (and RT) who corrected me.

Quote

10-21-2011 , 10:31 PM

#2632

Claunchy

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 10,757

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlligatorBloodFTW

What is...the correct usage of an...(drumroll)...elipsis? Is using it to imply sarcasm grammatically correct? I'm sure none of you grammar nits know...

The primary use for formal writing is when you're quoting someone/something and want to omit part of the quote. I'm too lazy to make up an example for this though so hopefully you know what I'm talking about.

In informal writing it can be used just to indicate a trail-off or delay. Like "um...I'm not sure that means what you think it means" which I guess is what you mean when you talk about implying sarcasm. fwiw it's almost impossible to use an ellipsis in this way and not come off like a giant ******.

Quote

10-21-2011 , 11:08 PM

#2633

SGT RJ

Twitching

Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 48,792

I should get one of you guys to proof read my dissertation. It's always hardest to catch your own mistakes. But then again I guess the fact that I'll ultimately have five professors on my committee means they should catch most that ****.

Quote

10-22-2011 , 09:21 AM

#2634

AlligatorBloodFTW

banned

Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 6,425

Wow rj at least put a little effort into hiding your brags

Quote

10-22-2011 , 11:03 AM

#2635

SGT RJ

Twitching

Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 48,792

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlligatorBloodFTW

Wow rj at least put a little effort into hiding your brags

Oh FFS, I've mentioned this before, most recently in the "What do you do for a living" thread.

I actually think it would be great to have an outsider proof read my work, not only because it is hard to catch your own mistakes but also because I have a tendency to jump from present to past tense, although I hardly expect anyone to volunteer, because it's a **** ton of work, as is writing the damn thing. And the number of professors on my committee is set by the school. If you think that's a brag, that says more about you than it does about me.

Quote

10-23-2011 , 07:20 AM

#2636

private joker

Most Definitely

Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 25,244

We don't work for free here.

Ahhh, who am I kidding? Yes we do.

Quote

10-23-2011 , 02:09 PM

#2637

eminenz

journeyman

Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 371

How bad of a sign is it to start being nitty about English grammar while not even being a native speaker? Nobody seems to be able to write "anti-climactic" correctly, and it tilts the **** out of me. It derives from climax ffs, or are you really against the climate?

Quote

10-23-2011 , 02:36 PM

#2638

RussellinToronto

veteran

Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 2,243

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToTheInternet

Gardner's Modern American Usage states that sentences must remain logical if parenthetical parts were to be added to or removed from them, and that, in such sentences, any discordance between "a/an" and the subsequent phoneme can be removed by substituting the parentheses' contents with analogous onomatopoeia, which substitution is known as "burritolopsis."

?
OED:

Quote:

Sorry, your search yielded no results.

Google

Quote:

No standard web pages containing all your search terms were found.

Your search - burritolopsis - did not match any documents.

Suggestions:

Make sure all words are spelled correctly.
Try different keywords.
Try more general keywords.

Quote

10-23-2011 , 03:10 PM

#2639

atakdog

addicted

Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 50,136

Quote:

Originally Posted by eminenz

It's a very good sign. It's also not all that uncommon — it's easier to avoid developing bad, sloppy habits if all your knowledge of English derives from the classroom, rather than semi-literate family and friends.

Quote

10-23-2011 , 08:03 PM

#2640

Dominic

Tripod

Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 75,380

Quote

10-23-2011 , 09:13 PM

#2641

ToTheInternet

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 13,876

Quote:

Originally Posted by RussellinToronto

?
OED:

Google

Spoiler:

Quote

10-24-2011 , 10:56 AM

#2642

GMan42

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 5,329

Question that arose when checking 12yo son's essay last night. In the following sentence:

"If you don't go to college, there [is/are] a limited number of fields you can go into."

Which is correct? First instinct is "is" based on s/v agreement, but is "a number of something" considered plural even though "number" itself is singular? I think this thread is making me overthink things.

Quote

10-24-2011 , 11:11 AM

#2643

mikechike

old hand

Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,470

Go with "are."

Better yet, revamp the whole thing. It's clunky.

"If you don't go to college, your career options are limited."

Quote

10-24-2011 , 10:37 PM

#2644

RussellinToronto

veteran

Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 2,243

Quote:

Originally Posted by GMan42

"a limited number of" is a prepositional phrase modifying the subject "fields": hence, "are" is correct.

It may help to think of it this way: if you reduce this sentence to its essential meaning, it becomes: "fields are limited" (not "number is limited").

Quote

10-24-2011 , 10:41 PM

#2645

Gordy N. Okam

grinder

Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 435

Your son are in for a hard time

Quote

10-24-2011 , 10:56 PM

#2646

private joker

Most Definitely

Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 25,244

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gordy N. Okam

Your son are in for a hard time

lol

Quote

10-24-2011 , 11:42 PM

#2647

GMan42

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 5,329

Quote:

Originally Posted by RussellinToronto

Thanks. So how does this differ from the "wide range of issues" example earlier, where the consensus was that "range" was the subject?

Quote

10-25-2011 , 04:17 AM

#2648

browser2920

Niceness Influencer

Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 6,527

Quote:

Originally Posted by GMan42

Thanks. So how does this differ from the "wide range of issues" example earlier, where the consensus was that "range" was the subject?

I believe "of fields" is a prepositional phrase describing "number" ; from what I can find, the rule is:

The number ... is singular; e.g. The number of tools is large.

A number ...is plural; e.g. a number of tools are on the bench.

So I believe it is "there are a limited number of fields ..."; however, as another poster put it, it's a clunky structure to begin with and should be streamlined.