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RE: Apple permits "then" to be used as a coord. conjunction in instructions?Bonnie,
Subject:RE: Apple permits "then" to be used as a coord. conjunction in instructions?Bonnie, From:"Kathleen" <keamac -at- cox -dot- net> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Mon, 11 Jul 2005 23:45:55 -0700
Bonnie,
I'll be the first to bow to your superior grammatical expertise, because
grammar isn't my strong point. But I thought I saw a note recently that
"they" can be used in the singular and plural--was that historically
speaking or a recent development?
OTOH: I don't agree with using "they" as singular; the sentences don't
make sense.
Kathleen
-----Original Message-----
From: Bonnie Granat
Sent: Monday, July 11, 2005 10:02 PM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: RE: Apple permits "then" to be used as a coord. conjunction in
instructions?
> I am all for accepting oddities of language, but I wanted to
first
> understand whether it was an oddity or an error.
It is an error, just as the singular "they" is an error. Well, actually,
because people do it intentionally, it's not an error but an abominable
sin. ; )
On another mailing list there was a question posted recently about a
*simple* English sentence in which the poster could not determine
whether the last word in the sentence should be singular or plural:
> > In joint ceremonies with the Mickey Mouse College, 36
> graduates walked
> > across the vast stage at Carnegie Hall to receive their degree.
> >
What could be the cause of this confusion? My guess was:
This is precisely why those of us who argue against acceptance of the
singular "they" or "their" is a slippery slope leading to .... I have no
doubt the poster's hesitancy is caused by her having seen and perhaps
been told that the singular "they" or "their" is fine. It isn't. Grrrr.
While people may swallow the "and" in "Click Save, and then click OK,"
when they say it, one should never use sloppy speaking as a guide for
how to write in English.
Bonnie Granat | www.GranatEdit.com
bgranat -at- granatedit -dot- com
Cambridge, Massachusetts, US
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