[etni] Fw: re: A Question of English

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Barnett" <barnett@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: A Question of English


The error appears to be the tautology of linking 'mandatory' and 'required.'
You can say that drug testing should be mandatory or that it should not be
required (i.e. non-mandatory). The same with TV news staffers. If it is
mandatory it is obvious, by definition, that it is required. You don't say
the water is wet, because all water is wet.

Joe Barnett,
English Department,
Michlalah-Jerusalem


Henry wrote:
> I regularly receive literature from an interesting English language
> outfit.
> Today they quoted the following problem. However, I was
> unable to see the implied error. Can anyone else see it?
>
> The morning news show on WBAL-TV in Baltimore has a
> "Water Cooler Question of the Day". Michael Turniansky tells
> me a recent question was
> "Should mandatory drug testing for steroids be required for high school
> athletes?"
>
> His immediate response was that mandatory drug testing
> should certainly be required. Of drug testing that isn't mandatory,
> he says that he hasn't yet formed an opinion. He suggests that
> mandatory English courses should be required for television news staffers.


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