From owner-freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Fri May 30 15:52:54 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0ADFE37B401 for ; Fri, 30 May 2003 15:52:54 -0700 (PDT) Received: from phoenix.welearn.com.au (phoenix.welearn.com.au [139.130.44.81]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id CCD5343F75 for ; Fri, 30 May 2003 15:52:51 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from sue@welearn.com.au) Received: from phoenix.welearn.com.au (localhost [127.0.0.1]) h4UMqjgC090002; Sat, 31 May 2003 08:52:45 +1000 (EST) (envelope-from sue@phoenix.welearn.com.au) Received: (from sue@localhost) by phoenix.welearn.com.au (8.12.8/8.12.8/Submit) id h4UMqj0H090001; Sat, 31 May 2003 08:52:45 +1000 (EST) (envelope-from sue) Date: Sat, 31 May 2003 08:52:45 +1000 From: Sue Blake To: Matthew Hunt Message-ID: <20030531085245.T33085@welearn.com.au> Mail-Followup-To: Sue Blake , Matthew Hunt , chat@freebsd.org References: <3ECD3A8C.1040506@potentialtech.com> <00ae01c32668$2ff5ad70$2441d5cc@nitanjared> <20030531072026.O33085@welearn.com.au> <20030530213625.GA41089@wopr.caltech.edu> <20030531080645.Q33085@welearn.com.au> <20030530221619.GA41668@wopr.caltech.edu> <20030531084138.R33085@welearn.com.au> <20030530224550.GA42158@wopr.caltech.edu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.2.5i In-Reply-To: <20030530224550.GA42158@wopr.caltech.edu>; from mph@astro.caltech.edu on Fri, May 30, 2003 at 03:45:50PM -0700 X-PGP-Fingerprint: E9A3 7B97 C563 DBB1 979E BC04 D2A2 9DA3 1274 7885 cc: chat@freebsd.org Subject: Re: grammar X-BeenThere: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: Non technical items related to the community List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 30 May 2003 22:52:54 -0000 On Fri, May 30, 2003 at 03:45:50PM -0700, Matthew Hunt wrote: > On Sat, May 31, 2003 at 08:41:38AM +1000, Sue Blake wrote: > > > I'm not sure. His English is otherwise excellent, but it could be > > his second language, and I'd rather not reveal his identity. > > Maybe it's just a personal quirk. One of my old roommates, a native > speaker of English and perfectly bright person, would consistently use > the word "nevertheless" to mean exactly the opposite of what it should. > He would say things like, "I was hungry; nevertheless I ate a snack." ROFL. I knew someone who would start every third sentence with a superfluous "In one respect..." and never give any hint of another respect. It's fun to watch people trip over their own pretentious frills. > > The correctness or otherwise, and national differences, is > > something we should sort out for its own sake. > > Perhaps it is best just to replace "in case" with another choice of > phrase. Like I said, what stops people from using "if" in the first place? Is there some taboo against two letter words, does it make one feel less learned, or does "if" make it ambiguous for English speakers in other countries? -- Regards, -*Sue*-