*Correct a sentence

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MrPedantic

#85978 Sat, 02 Apr 05 12:31 PM

Not the slightest tinkle!

The googles seem to suggest it might be the right term; but as you can see from my poltroonly wording ('seem to suggest it might be'), I'm fully expecting a less glossarially challenged member or mod to fly in and put me right.

(I wondered at first whether they were 'ambitransitive'; but this particular tendency seems to apply only to a subset of ambitransitive verbs.)

Sorry!

MrP

MrPedantic

Joined on Tue, Oct 12 2004

Veteran Member (12,231)

...opella forensis / adducit febris...

Verbs

Hela

#86001 Sat, 02 Apr 05 01:13 PM

Since I'm not very fond of linguistics, I'll lazily wait for somebody who might enlighten my mind about (correct preposition ?) this very obscure terminology... Confused [8-)]

See you,
Hela

Hela

Joined on Mon, Nov 15 2004

Tunisia

Regular Member (831)

Prepositions

abbie1948

#86006 Sat, 02 Apr 05 01:33 PM

Hela, have you never considered whether Mr. P's name may be giving us a hint?
Wink [;)]

abbie1948

Joined on Thu, Mar 24 2005

England

Senior Member (2,657)

Hope that helps. Abbie

MrPedantic

#86119 Sun, 03 Apr 05 12:14 AM

I know what you mean about the terminology, Hela. It's like eating thistles.

I wonder where the linguisticians are today. All out V-ing, I suppose.

MrP

MrPedantic

#86121 Sun, 03 Apr 05 12:19 AM

Abbie, you can't imagine what it was like at school, with a name like this. The other kids were merciless.

MrP

MrPedantic

abbie1948

#86130 Sun, 03 Apr 05 12:44 AM

Bullying is a terrible thing, Mr. P. Have you got the wrist band? Crying [:'(]

abbie1948

#86131 Sun, 03 Apr 05 12:45 AM

Eating thistles is like banging your head on a wall - it's lovely when you stop.

abbie1948

MrPedantic

#86141 Sun, 03 Apr 05 01:18 AM

Thank you, Abbie. It was terrible.

I remember one pair of great hulking brutes who used to pin me against the wall during break time and try to make me split infinitives and end my sentences with prepositions. And if I refused – well, let's just say I still can't bear to watch Star Trek.

And then there were the mixed conditionals...

But I'd better pass over that particular episode in silence. (It was an all-boys school, of course.)

MrP

MrPedantic