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Subject:Re: and then (was: Silly but important to me) From:"Bonnie Granat" <bgranat -at- granatedit -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 1 Sep 2004 15:08:27 -0400
John Wilcox wrote:
> Bonnie Granat asked:
>
>> You are giving two instructions, so you must have a conjunction.
>> Would you say, "Trim the tree, later open your presents."?
>
> Only if it were common usage among my audience.
>
> Consider this entry from the Cambridge Dictionary:
>
> then (NEXT)
> adverb
> next or after that:
> Let me finish this job, then we'll go.
> Give her the letter to read, then she'll understand.
>
> (Source:
>http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=82339&dict=CALD )
>
That seems so very odd.
Is there a difference in UK and US usage? I find the above wrong for
the reasons I gave before. Adverbs are not used that way.
We don't say, "I will finish this job, easily do it before lunch." No,
we would not use a second verb without a conjunction.
I cannot comprehend how Cambridge can say this. While we *would* say,
"Eat breakfast, then mow the lawn, then take your brother for a walk,
then clean your room, then have a beer with Grandpa, and then take a
nap," we'd always have that "and" there to finish off the series.
The only reason the construction works is because it IS a series.
So, I remain mystified. (Well, Cambridge may well be just wrong. It's
not impossible, although it's more likely that *I* am wrong, but I
haven't yet seen an explanation of why I am wrong, if I am wrong.)
Bonnie Granat
www.GranatEdit.com
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Mobile: 617-319-7461
Office: 617-354-7084
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