[mea] Re: Are you ok with this sentence?

  • From: Ben Davies <bdavies@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: "mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:57:36 +0000

I thought the exact same thing.

I think using "a" leaves the door open for interpretation. When I say I tore a 
ligament in my ankle, it does not mean it's the only ligament in my ankle. It 
just means I tore one. I could have 100, but that is not the point of the 
statement.

If the sentence said "Burke tore the vertebral artery, which is located..." 
then it would obviously be incorrect.. :)



From: mea-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:mea-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of 
cheri.frazer@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: January-12-12 4:51 PM
To: mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [mea] Re: Are you ok with this sentence?

Grammatically correct, yes. But there are many vertebral arteries, so I have a 
problem with the accuracy of saying A vertebral artery which IS located...

But could just be me being tired and listening to a crazy-making discussion 
about "grammatical shortcuts." I need a drink.


From:

Ben Davies <bdavies@xxxxxxxxx>

To:

"mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Date:

2012-01-12 04:36 PM

Subject:

[mea] Re: Are you ok with this sentence?

Sent by:

mea-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx


________________________________



How is it misleading?

Burke tore a vertebral artery, which is located in the neck and supplies blood 
to the brainstem...

Is that grammatically incorrect? To me it is perfectly clear.


From: mea-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:mea-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
[mailto:mea-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of 
cheri.frazer@xxxxxxxxxx<mailto:cheri.frazer@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: January-12-12 4:31 PM
To: mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [mea] Re: Are you ok with this sentence?

I agree with your first point but disagree with sentence #2, which is 
misleading. You could say that the one she tore is located... and supplies... 
but you couldn't say she tore "a vertebral artery" followed by "which is 
located...".

Yes? No?

From:

Ben Davies <bdavies@xxxxxxxxx>

To:

"mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Date:

2012-01-12 04:25 PM

Subject:

[mea] Re: Are you ok with this sentence?

Sent by:

mea-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx




________________________________




For the context of the story, it is irrelevant that the body has more than one 
vertebral artery..

Burke tore a vertebral artery, which is located ... and supplies ...


Ben



From: mea-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:mea-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
[mailto:mea-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Peters Susan
Sent: January-12-12 4:23 PM
To: mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [mea] Re: Are you ok with this sentence?

Burke tore one of his vertebral arteries, which are located...

SP


________________________________


To: mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [mea] Are you ok with this sentence?
From: cheri.frazer@xxxxxxxxxx<mailto:cheri.frazer@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:32:53 -0600

"Burke tore a vertebral artery, which are located in the neck and supply blood 
to the brainstem - the back part of the brain which controls consciousness."

(From 
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/skiing/story/2012/01/12/sp-burke-skiing-injury.html)

Would you consider that construction perfectly ok, a colloquialism / 
grammatical shortcut, or would you consider it wrong no matter what?

Just curious.
-C.


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