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Prepositions and sentence starters...

 
 
Reply Thu 17 Jun, 2004 11:37 am
Hey guys I've been reading these boards for a couple of weeks now, finally decided to join in.
<BREIF HISTORY>
I have this horrible habit of correcting people when they speak incorrectly. When people started making fun of the way G.W. Bush talks, I kind of showed them that the pot is calling the kettle black. I even corrected my supervisor when facing a write up on his usage of "can't not." He used two double negatives and i made him clarify exactly what he meant. (obviously that didn't go over too well and the write up is still pending)

Anyway I'm obviously not much for writing correctly, but i must feed my speaking addiction and I need some help.

It's been a few years since school, what is a preposition? Furthermore what can you and can't you start and end a sentence with? (is it a preposition?)

Thanks for all your help =)
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Roberta
 
  1  
Reply Thu 17 Jun, 2004 11:49 am
A preposition is a part of speech that links with a noun to modify something--provide a description.

I will go WITH you To the store.

The rule about not ending sentences with prepositions is no longer followed much. There are no rules about what words may begin sentences.

BTW, "Can't not" is not two double negatives. It's a double negative.

I am wondering why you feel the need to point out people's mistakes. In spoken English, things are far looser than they are in written English. I'm not surprised you got in trouble with your supervisor. If you felt strongly about the mistake, maybe you could have found a tactful way to point it out.

Sorry to sound maternalistic.
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GeneralTsao
 
  1  
Reply Thu 17 Jun, 2004 03:57 pm
morphenine,
You would enjoy www.grammarlady.com's bulletin board.

You should especially read the Question & Answer section.

You'd really enjoy the Pet Peeves and Typos of the Weak(tm) sections.

And Language Funnies are great!

Roberta, While it is wrong to correct one's supervisor (even if the guy's an idiot), I would be more concerned about making sure anything going in my file (e.g. a writeup) was correct and clearly written, so there were no future misreadings.

So, asking for clarity on a writeup I think would be justfied (still won't make an idiot manger happy, though).
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morphenine
 
  1  
Reply Fri 18 Jun, 2004 01:19 am
Thanks for the help guys.
BTW i just meant the can't not as an axample of one of the double negatives that he used Smile
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GeneralTsao
 
  1  
Reply Fri 18 Jun, 2004 07:39 am
How many negatives?
Heard here in Tennessee:

There ain't never gonna be no more none of that, nohow!
alexprincessotw
 
  1  
Reply Wed 30 Jun, 2010 11:32 am
@GeneralTsao,
That was terrifying to read. The double negatives just gave me a headache.
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