"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! - Page 172 - 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 172 of 247

First

72 122 152 162 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 182 192 222

Last

04-01-2013 , 03:04 PM

#4276

AJW

a distant tied 2nd

Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 3,371

Now I feel bad English isn't his first language.

Quote

04-01-2013 , 06:52 PM

#4277

W0X0F

sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight

Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 5,853

Quote:

Originally Posted by AJW

Just came across this on the first page.

"mom turns 52, sports a lot, has her own communication office and very social"

I'm normally pretty uninterested in grammar and punctuation but the use of "Sports" as a verb just really annoys me the poster also managed to use emphatic when he meant empathic but that's forgivable.

"Sports" can definitely be used a verb, but needs an object. Here's a possible rewrite for you:

"mom turns 52, sports a lot of cleavage, has her own communication office and very social"

Quote

04-01-2013 , 08:11 PM

#4278

NewOldGuy

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 5,935

Quote:

Originally Posted by W0X0F

"Sports" can definitely be used a verb, but needs an object. Here's a possible rewrite for you:

"mom turns 52, sports a lot of cleavage, has her own communication office and very social"

From a grammar standpoint it only needs an object if you use it with the meaning in your example. But the verb "sports" can certainly be defined in an intransitive sense. Use your imagination. Grammar doesn't care about word definitions, only that you construct the sentence properly to convey the intended meaning.

Quote

04-01-2013 , 08:51 PM

#4279

W0X0F

sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight

Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 5,853

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewOldGuy

I couldn't think of an example where "sports" would be intransitive. Since you have a better imagination, would you mind sharing?

Quote

04-01-2013 , 08:59 PM

#4280

GusJohnsonGOAT

SESwamiGOAT

Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 16,489

Very tilting billboard.

Quote

04-01-2013 , 10:24 PM

#4281

Rei Ayanami

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 11,685

What is that billboard even advertising?

Quote

04-01-2013 , 10:39 PM

#4282

GusJohnsonGOAT

SESwamiGOAT

Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 16,489

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rei Ayanami

What is that billboard even advertising?

It's just an empty billboard advertising for an ad there.

Not so easy to take a good picture while driving 80 MPH.

Quote

04-02-2013 , 07:20 PM

#4283

New Kid

adept

Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 750

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rei Ayanami

What is that billboard even advertising?

"If U have 2 ask," U can't a4d it.

Quote

04-02-2013 , 08:16 PM

#4284

NewOldGuy

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 5,935

Quote:

Originally Posted by W0X0F

I couldn't think of an example where "sports" would be intransitive. Since you have a better imagination, would you mind sharing?

I'm sure you're familiar with the colloquial use of "represents" as an intransitive verb, as in, "he's representing", or the street slang form, "he be representin'."

Similarly, she can be sportin'.

Quote

04-02-2013 , 08:48 PM

#4285

W0X0F

sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight

Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 5,853

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewOldGuy

I'm sure you're familiar with the colloquial use of "represents" as an intransitive verb, as in, "he's representing", or the street slang form, "he be representin'."

Similarly, she can be sportin'.

I'll accept that, but it comes under the heading of slang or colloquial speech. I don't think anyone would call it "proper grammar."

Quote

04-03-2013 , 09:46 AM

#4286

ObezyankaNol

banned

Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 3,115

Neck in neck.

Quote

04-03-2013 , 12:15 PM

#4287

RussellinToronto

veteran

Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 2,243

Quote:

Originally Posted by ObezyankaNol

Neck in neck.

Tongue and cheek?

Quote

04-03-2013 , 01:25 PM

#4288

soah

Unexpected

Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 61,666

When writing in English, should the spelling be "Carnaval" or "Carnival" when referring to festivals in countries which spell the event "Carnaval"?

I always spell it "Carnaval", but I find that I may be in the minority. (For what it's worth, I also use the Spanish pronunciation when speaking about it in English.)

Quote

04-03-2013 , 03:37 PM

#4289

NewOldGuy

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 5,935

Quote:

Originally Posted by soah

In American usage these should really be two different words, but they are often spelled interchangeably.

Carnaval is another word for Mardi Gras, or any pre-Lent celebration (not necessarily on "fat tuesday").

In American usage, "carnival" is a traveling circus/fair/rides.

Edit:
Word origin of the first is Italian "carnevale" meaning no meat, leave out the meat (for Lent).

Last edited by NewOldGuy; 04-03-2013 at 03:47 PM.

Quote

04-05-2013 , 01:56 AM

#4290

five4suited

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 9,026

I just read milleniums on the website of... wait for it... the New York ****ing Times.

the illiterate mother****ers surrounding us have won.

Quote

04-05-2013 , 02:32 AM

#4291

ObezyankaNol

banned

Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 3,115

Quote:

Originally Posted by five4suited

I just read milleniums on the website of... wait for it... the New York ****ing Times.

the illiterate mother****ers surrounding us have won.

An acceptable plural according to Merriam-Webster. We speak English; why should we use Latin plural forms?

Quote

04-05-2013 , 08:18 AM

#4292

W0X0F

sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight

Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 5,853

This is a snippet from another thread (about Roger Ebert's death):

Quote:

The anniversary of Siskel's death was a few months ago, and Roger posted this collection of outtakes of he and Gene sniping at each other.

I see this so often that I'm beginning to think I've been wrong all this time. I've always believed it should be "him" following any preposition, but this particular usage is rampant on radio, TV, podcasts, etc. It's like an aural speed bump to me.

Could one of the grammar mavens itt please chime in and let me know: should it be "he" or "him" in this sentence?

Quote

04-05-2013 , 10:06 AM

#4293

garcia1001

old hand

Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 1,500

him

Quote

04-05-2013 , 10:33 AM

#4294

NewOldGuy

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 5,935

Quote:

Originally Posted by garcia1001

him

Agreed.

Edit:
Here we have a participial phrase ("sniping at each other") functioning as an adjective and modifying two nouns conjuncted together ("him and Gene"), which in turn is the object of the preposition. Take away the participial and the confusion goes away.

If it sounds wrong to a literate person, it usually is.

Last edited by NewOldGuy; 04-05-2013 at 10:49 AM.

Quote

04-05-2013 , 01:30 PM

#4295

mikech

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 3,799

Quote:

Originally Posted by five4suited

I just read milleniums on the website of... wait for it... the New York ****ing Times.

the illiterate mother****ers surrounding us have won.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ObezyankaNol

An acceptable plural according to Merriam-Webster. We speak English; why should we use Latin plural forms?

it may be an acceptable plural; it's not an acceptable spelling.

Quote

04-05-2013 , 03:32 PM

#4296

GMan42

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 5,329

I'm assuming that 54s was the one that left out the 2nd n, not NYT.

Quote

04-05-2013 , 09:40 PM

#4297

five4suited

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 9,026

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikech

it may be an acceptable plural; it's not an acceptable spelling.

lol at me. thought it looked wrong.

nevertheless, if millenniums is acceptable, so is octopuses, radiuses, etc. so unless this thread has had a "language grows and changes, common-use-and-so-on" conversation (which is pretty much bull**** imo), it is completely unacceptable.

in which case just enjoy the lulz I've provided for you peeps, ttyl