[mea] Re: Are you ok with this sentence?
- From: Doug Whiteway <doug.whiteway@xxxxxxx>
- To: MEA Freelist <mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:10:38 -0600
I feel like chicken tonight, like chicken tonight.
On 1/13/12 10:32 AM, "Ben Davies" <bdavies@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> It scares me to think a writer is defending poor grammar on the basis of
> ³understandability². Seems like a contradicting stance. Just because the
> writer understands it doesn¹t mean everyone else will. What about people who
> are ESL? I feel like a rant?
>
>
>
> From: mea-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:mea-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
> cheri.frazer@xxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: January-13-12 9:46 AM
> To: mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [mea] Re: Are you ok with this sentence?
>
> Yes, I do like that.
>
> So I take it there's nobody on the list who is ok with that construction? One
> of the folks in the "grammatical shortcut" discussion yesterday was a writer,
> and started going off about how editors miss the point that text is just meant
> to be understandable, and there's no good reason to be such sticklers for
> what's <insert scoff and air quotes> "correct". Oh, the horror.
>
> The Events folks have invited Jila Ghomeshi to present to us sometime in the
> spring and were asking what topics we're interested in. I was suggesting
> prescriptivism as a topic; what would everyone else like to hear about from
> Jila?
>
>
>
> From: Byron Rempel-Burkholder <brempelburkholder@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: <mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: 2012-01-12 10:09 PM
> Subject: [mea] Re: Are you ok with this sentence?
> Sent by: mea-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
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> Or: take out the ³which²:
>
> ³Burke tore a vertebral artery, located?²
>
> From: mea-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:mea-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> <mailto:mea-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> ] On Behalf Of Ben Davies
> Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2012 4:58 PM
> To: mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [mea] Re: Are you ok with this sentence?
>
> I thought the exact same thing.
>
> I think using ³a² leaves the door open for interpretation. When I say I tore a
> ligament in my ankle, it does not mean it¹s 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 ³Burke tore the vertebral artery, which is located?² then
> it would obviously be incorrect.. J
>
>
>
> From: mea-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:mea-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> [mailto:mea-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] <mailto:[mailto:mea-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]>
> On Behalf Of cheri.frazer@xxxxxxxxxx <mailto:cheri.frazer@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: January-12-12 4:51 PM
> To: mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto: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 <mailto:bdavies@xxxxxxxxx> >
> To: "mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> " <mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> <mailto:mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> >
> Date: 2012-01-12 04:36 PM
> Subject: [mea] Re: Are you ok with this sentence?
> Sent by: mea-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:mea-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>
>
>
>
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>
> 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 <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 <mailto:bdavies@xxxxxxxxx> >
> To: "mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> " <mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> <mailto:mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> >
> Date: 2012-01-12 04:25 PM
> Subject: [mea] Re: Are you ok with this sentence?
> Sent by: mea-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:mea-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>
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> 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 <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
>
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> 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
> <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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> only should be used or disseminated for the purpose of conducting business
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> Thank you for your cooperation."
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> This email has been scanned by the IMRIS Email Security System.
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> This email has been scanned by the IMRIS Email Security System
> "PLEASE NOTE: The preceding information may be confidential or privileged. It
> only should be used or disseminated for the purpose of conducting business
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