BoGoWo wrote:cavfancier wrote:.........My preference, grammar-wise, is not transformational, but transcendental. I meditate to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and he tells me how to write. Yes, it's a bit of a problem with him being Indian and all, but I have faith.
is "Faith" your translator, or your 'grammar'?
Extremely coincidentally, my grammars name was Faith.
my next post, i decided to retract; i'll let you guess.......
Aww, Bo, don't retract your post on account of me, that could be unhealthy.
[oh, the 'i'm' 'bare' 'ass' 'meant' of it!]
Osso, That was a mouth-full.
Wow, I, can't, believe, there, are, seventeen, uses, for, the, simple, humble, somewhat, sperm-like, looking, but, necessary, comma.
Please excuse my stutter.
Sounded like straight talk to me. LOL
I liked the article. I have a long time interest in the byways of grammar, but I am a bit uncomfortable with people, myself or others, being highly irritated by grammatical errors. Not everyone has had the benefits of excellent classes or a facility in them if they were lucky enough to have the classes. I have an interest in word play too, so am a little uncomfortable with the rigidity that many of us grammar fans seem to have. Puppies, for example, is used in a rather fetching (now there's an old adjective) metaphoric way in the earlier examples, and I like seeing new metaphors show up.
I must add that I might be on a grammar warpath myself if I spent much time watching tv.
Fine article, Osso. I agree with the writer wholeheartedly (except when it comes to apostrophes
). Thank you for sharing it.
Hi, MA, how're you doin'? She says, while flinging apostrophes here and there.
Doin' jist fine, Osso. <waving wild apostrophes in the air>
Catching all the dots with her mitt...
you've been quiet lately, miss you around here.
My peeves are not grammatical. As long as I understand the writer's message. But there are some usages that get me down. In business and academia there's an excessive use of "excellence" and "cutting edge", most often used to hypocritically express high standards and achievements that simply are not there.
I'm finally getting used to young waiters addressing me and my wife as "you guys". I know they mean well, but I sometimes take them aside and advise them that, if it matters, old timers prefer to be addressed as"you folks."
Also, I hate the misuse of "impact" as a verb. As a verb, it should only be used for actual collisions, e.g., the meteor will impact in five minutes. The weather will have a negative impact (noun) on the festivities; not The weather will impact (verb) the.... As a verb, "affect" is usually best, e.g., The weather will affect the... festivities.... Wine usually affects me positively. And it is due to laziness that we confuse effect (noun) with affect (verb).
I know. I'm an old fogey. Usage is just a matter of convention, not God given.
When did "have no" and "are no" become acceptable? When did "haven't any" and "aren't any" become archaic ? Am I archaic?
I have no qualms about "haven't any." And you aren't any more archaic than I am, Maya, so there are no objections to your pet peeve.
maya wrote:When did "have no" and "are no" become acceptable? When did "haven't any" and "aren't any" become archaic ? Am I archaic?
That's an interesting one. I would freely use any of these, and have no qualms about it. I haven't any problems with that.
Clazza, where are you on this one?
"I have no bananas." Similar to "I have four bananas." Similar to "I possess no bananas."
"I haven't any bananas." This sentence uses a contraction to shorten "I have not any bananas" - which doesn't sound mellifluous, but I am not sure it is grammatically incorrect. I'd rather see "I do not have any bananas." (or don't)
Could one say "I haven't bananas", as one could say "I haven't courage"? In the case of a physical object such as a piece of fruit, it sounds better to me to use a modifier in front of the object.
Well, I await Clary...
"There are no bananas on the table."
"There aren't bananas on the table."
"There are not", I say insistently, "bananas on the table."
"There aren't any bananas on the table."
These last four sentences are ok to me.
