Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 01:11:10 -0400 From: "Thomas M. Sommers" <tms2@mail.ptd.net> To: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org Subject: Re: BSDCon East Message-ID: <38F4056E.C745DC8A@mail.ptd.net> References: <Pine.BSF.4.05.10004111749530.473-100000@acp.swbell.net>
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Jay Nelson wrote: > > I would disagree that the notion is antiquated. Split infinitives > create an ambiguous reference that isn't easily understood without > back-tracking and sorting out the pointers. I disagree. In general, split infinitives are easier to understand, if only because the adverb is directly adjacent to the verb it modifies, and it is in the ordinary English position for modifiers: before. "To boldly go" is clearer and even scans better than "Boldly to go" or "To go boldly". Fowler would agree. > Double negatives are equally as bad. "I don't have no X..." is > common American street idiom, but says little except the speaker has > some X -- which isn't what they generally mean. Grammar is not math. In fact, double and triple negatives reinforce each other, not cancel each other. > 'if [ ! "$grammer" != "$common_sense" ]; then...' is difficult to > read, hear or comprehend. The problem arises in defining just what is common sensical, and what isn't. To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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