[lit-ideas] Re: Grammar question
- From: Robert Paul <rpaul@xxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2011 16:41:46 -0700
Paul Stone wrote
. Just a small note on this, as I think Mike inadvertently (or probably
purposefully, knowing him a little bit) displayed in his little ditty,
the rule I use is if I am saying "some time", then I split it, but if
there's an 's' on the end, it's sometimes. I don't think I've EVER
written or said "sometime" without and 's' on it. It would be like
writing "somebeer" or "somegeese". But sometimes, you need to put that
's' on two collective words that already imply multiplicity/plurality
just to create a word that is necessary. Replace "sometime" at the
beginning of that last sentence, and it just sounds wrong!
True, it does. But if you say, 'We should have lunch sometimes,' it
sounds (and is) wrong. In your penultimate sentence, 'sometimes' =
'occasionally.' Sometimes, I wish I'd studied mathematics. I did spend
some time on it in high school; sometimes I think I might still take it
up---sometime.
Sometimes I live in the country/sometimes I live in the town/sometimes I
take a great notion...
Robert Paul
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