[title]Family quotes[/title] [description]Welcome to our family quotes section! Here you'll find some of the funniest (and wisest) quotes on the subject of family life![/description]
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Latest post Fri, Oct 20 2006 9:50 AM by J Lewis. 12 replies.
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Sextus  +  283255 Thu, 19 Oct 06 11:02 PM

"They are not aware of the skeptical origin of the problematic they deal with."

"They are not aware of the skeptical origin of the problematic with which they deal."

In formal writing, is it better to use the second phrasing?

Thanks

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Tanit  +  283258 Thu, 19 Oct 06 11:08 PM
Isn't problematic an adjective? Did you mean problem?
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There is no greater pain than to remember a happy time when one is in misery. (Dante)
Sextus  +  283263 Thu, 19 Oct 06 11:23 PM
I've seen it used as a noun in, e.g., the expression "the Pyrrhonian problematic".
Tanit  +  283268 Thu, 19 Oct 06 11:32 PM

Interesting, thank you.

Grammar Geek  +  283278 Fri, 20 Oct 06 12:06 AM

I think that the "never end a sentence with a preposition" has been pretty well killed off. In my own opinion, "with which they deal" sounds artificial.  I would use your first example.

(Although the point about missing a noun remains.)

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Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random!
Sextus  +  283284 Fri, 20 Oct 06 12:12 AM

Thanks, GG. Yes, it sounded artificial to me, too. That's why I asked.

Regarding the "missing noun", "problematic" has been used as a noun, as I said. If you google it, you'll find the expressions "Pyrrhonian problematic" and "skeptical problematic".

Cheers

Marius Hancu  +  283314 Fri, 20 Oct 06 02:46 AM
 Grammar Geek wrote:
I think that the "never end a sentence with a preposition" has been pretty well killed off. In my own opinion, "with which they deal" sounds artificial.  I would use your first example. missing a noun remains.)

Same here.
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Anonymous, 3 yr 37 days ago
 Sextus wrote:

Regarding the "missing noun", "problematic" has been used as a noun, as I said. If you google it, you'll find the expressions "Pyrrhonian problematic" and "skeptical problematic".

Well, when I found problematic as an adjective in Wiktionary.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/problematic

GB.

Grammarian-bot  +  283350 Fri, 20 Oct 06 04:44 AM

Well guys, according to my search results, problematic is an adjective.

1. Wiktionary               http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/problematic

2. World Web Online   http://www.wordwebonline.com/en/PROBLEMATIC

GB

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