Typos and mis-spellings

[Rhythm Thief]

<dubious mutterings>
Ok, it's safe to go. The coast's clear.

I hope you're not asking me to compromise my integrity as an upstanding forum moderator for tawdry financial gain ... oh, you are. Cool, a monkey should do it.

 

[TheDoctor]

I saw that!

So, pizza...

 

[Dave5N]

Deal. Meet me round the back in five.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I hope you know what a monkey is in monetary terms, cos I've no idea.

 

[Dave5N]

Sorry. Had to keep me head down for a bit because Shaun was around over on Yenner's thread.

 

[Dave5N]

I hope you know what a monkey is in monetary terms, cos I've no idea.

Dunno. Keith/Mr Hippo - how much do monkeys cost?

 

[mr_hippo]

You need 20 ponies for a monkey but you can get two monkeys for a bag of sand.

 

[Dave5N]

There ya go RT. There's a whole half bag of sand with your name on it if you play yer cards right and behave. Know what I mean?

 

[Pete]

Back to Split Infinitives - as threatened. I looked up the article in Fowler's, as I said I would. It's not a book I follow slavishly, and it's very dated in places: furthermore many people rubbish it. But it does help me to get my grammar more or less right, something in which I take some pride.

So: it classifies infinitive-splitters into five categories:

(1) Those who neither know or care.
(2) Those who do not know, but care very much.
(3) Those who know and condemn.
(4) Those who know and approve.
(5) Those who know and distinguish.

In the fifth category, deemed to be the most informed group, the following example of a correct use of Split Infinitive is cited:

Our object is to further cement trade relations.

which, according to the article, is far clearer and less ambiguous than:

Our object is further to cement trade relations.

And, yes, I do admit to sometimes splitting infinitives. Note that the preceding sentence does not contain a split infinitive, even though at first sight it appears to.

 

[Cathryn]

Brilliant, yes! I can hear it!

When we first arrived at York, we were all directed to the Rools of Riting Inglish departmental webpage:

"To start with, here are some short rules. The point is that each of them illustrates the common error that it describes. Read them carefully, and be sure that you can see the error.

1. Verbs has to agree with their subjects.

2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.

3. And don't start a sentence with a conjunction.

4. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.

5. Avoid cliches like the plague.

6. Also, always absolutely avoid and abjure annoying alliteration.

7. Be more or less specific.

8. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) inappropriate.

9. No sentence fragments.

10. One should never, ever generalise.

11. Contractions aren't necessary, and shouldn't be used.

12. Do not use no double negatives.

13. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.

14. Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary.

15. Never use a big word when a diminutive one would suffice.

16. Kill all exclamation marks!!!!!!

17. Use words correctly, irregardless of how others use them.

18. Use the apostrophe in it's proper place, and omit it when its not needed.

19. Puns are for children, not groan adults.

20. Proofread carefully to see if you any words out. "


It was actually a very good way to double check some things...

Arch, I LOVE that!!! Wonderful.

 

[Milo]

theres a cafe near birkbeck college in london called i kid you not a,apostrophes

 

[mr_hippo]

"Our object is to further cement trade relations." - There is no split infinitive in that sentence, it is an example of a compound verb (v+v).

"Our object is further to cement trade relations." - This is a strange sentence construction! Try "Our object is to cement trade relations further."

Please explain why you think "And, yes, I do admit to sometimes splitting infinitives." is not an example of a split infinitive.

 

[Dave5N]

'to splitting' is not an infinitive.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

No, but "to split" is. And "split" is the verb in this instance. (I think that's relevant ... I'm with the people who know why it's wrong to split infinitives, but I find it difficult to really give a damn.)

 

[Dave5N]

Yebbut,

It's "admit to"