Text 149, 97 rader
Skriven 2005-07-08 21:52:04 av Ardith Hinton (1:153/716.0)
    Kommentar till text 142 av James Bradley (1:134/77.0)
Ärende: Rules...  2A.
=====================
Hi, James!  Recently you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton:

AH>  Hi again, James!  Much cheered by the thought that you
AH>  probably didn't notice the errors in my last message,
AH>  I shall continue bravely on the same path:

JB>  Who... Wa... Me?


          "For this relief, much thanks!" [Wm. Shakespeare]....  :-))



AH>  Hmm.  At least it's not something like "King Charles's
AH>  head", i.e. a recurrent & irrational obsession, from a
AH>  novel by Charles Dickens... [grin].

JB>  But we also have a Dickens' Pub.


          I gather that's correct in American English.  In British English it's
"Dickens's", but the "s" would *not* be added with certain other names....  :-)



AH>  ... but what did I say about decisions based on fear?
AH>  One of the best *and* worst features of English, IMHO,
AH>  is its hybrid vigour....  :-))

JB>  Ah... "Don't let beer and common sense stop you?" I
JB>  mean "fear".


          Perhaps I should have said something like "anxiety".  Fear is healthy
& appropriate in its place, as is common sense!  Okay... so what do you have to
lose??  Confusion is a stage in learning, and I've yet to meet a person who has
had to go to the emergency ward as a result of dangling a participle... [grin].



JB>  A persons' name identifies them *properly,* as a noun?


          Hey, good mnemonic!  I hadn't seen that one before.  Because "person"
is singular in the above context, however, I'd say "person's"....  :-)



JB>  Ah, shoot. My head hurts. Can I go to the washroom?


          "Please, Sir, my brain is too full!"  This comment was allegedly made
by the student of a friend, and it has become one of our family jokes....  :-))



AH>  ... possessive pronouns don't use the apostrophe.

JB>  What apostrophy?


          Apostrophe.  It comes from a Greek word meaning "omission mark".  The
spelling might be easier for you to remember if you think of "calliope"... i.e.
a musical instrument.  When I was young & foolish, I thought it might be rather
fun to study ancient Greek.  I hadn't planned on learning medical terms such as
"thrombocytopenia".  Be careful what you wish for.  You just might get it.  ;-)



JB>  I know it's not a tilde, but there is a name to the
JB>  thing. I heard it once. It's likely a Spanish word.


          Huh??  You lost me there.  Are you thinking of the "schwa", the sound
some people make between /r/ and /l/ in "Charles" (for example) when they can't
get from one to the other without inserting a vowel?  Another Greek word.  :-))



JB>  Neither does Charles. I just know that "e" isn't there
JB>  to augment the "a"! Two vowels... My head hurts. <G>


          Okay, you're on the right track!  Hang in there....  :-)



JB>  Teacher, can I go to the washroom? I REALLY gotta go!


          Sure, whatever.  I'll do a bit more research in your absence....  :-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
 * Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver BC, CANADA [604-266-5271] (1:153/716)