Vocaboly.com

[Maria Conlon]

Here's an example where I'd change the sentence construction (1st
sentence) and use "were" instead of "was" (2nd sentence.

Both are from The New York Times, believe it or not.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/19/politics/19leak.html?hp&ex=1129694400&en=adcf3adabff56617&ei=5094&partner=homepage
or
http://tinyurl.com/dagga

Note that the NYT requires online registration, but there's no charge.

The excerpt is about half-way through the story. /Begin excerpt/===Such
a report could not only show where evidence failed to result in criminal
charges, but also make recommendations for changes in law, disciplinary
actions or criticize the conduct of public officials whose actions did
not rise to the level of criminal behavior.

Given the political ramifications attached to Mr. Fitzgerald's
decisions, officials at the White House have begun discussing what would
happen if Mr. Rove was indicted.=== /End excerpt/

I wonder if later editions will be changed. (The story was written Oct
18th, but the online "newspaper" is dated Oct. 19th -- which hasn't
quite arrived yet in New York. (However, the early editions may be on
the streets.)

Maria Conlon

[Robert Lieblich]

Maria Conlon wrote:

[ ... ]

[Robert Lieblich]

Maria Conlon wrote:

[Tony Cooper]

On Wed, 19 Oct 2005 19:30:56 -0400, Robert Lieblich
<robert.lieblich@verizon.net> wrote:

[Joe Fineman]

"Maria Conlon" <maria.c-b@sbcglobal.net> writes:

[Skitt]

Joe Fineman wrote:

[Andrew Usher]

Robert Lieblich wrote:

[Maria Conlon]

Joe Fineman wrote:

[Maria Conlon]

Robert Lieblich wrote:

[Maria Conlon]

Tony Cooper wrote:

[Charles Riggs]

On Wed, 19 Oct 2005 19:33:50 -0400, Robert Lieblich
<robert.lieblich@verizon.net> wrote:

[R J Valentine]

On Wed, 19 Oct 2005 18:00:58 -0700 Skitt <skitt99@comcast.net> wrote:

} Joe Fineman wrote:
}> "Maria Conlon" writes:
}
}>> Here's an example where I'd change the sentence construction (1st
}>> sentence) and use "were" instead of "was" (2nd sentence.
}>
}>> The excerpt is about half-way through the story. /Begin
}>> excerpt/===Such a report could not only show where evidence failed
}>> to result in criminal charges, but also make recommendations for
}>> changes in law, disciplinary actions or criticize the conduct of
}>> public officials whose actions did not rise to the level of criminal
}>> behavior.
}>>
}>> Given the political ramifications attached to Mr. Fitzgerald's
}>> decisions, officials at the White House have begun discussing what
}>> would happen if Mr. Rove was indicted.=== /End excerpt/
}>
}> Not only would I change "was" to "were", but I would legitimize the
}> bastard enumeration in the first paragraph. It should be "make
}> recommendations for changes in law or disciplinary actions, or
}> criticize...".
}
} Good work. Bob L. excused the "was" on the grounds that the indictment is
} possible in the future. That, however, does not refute the indictmant's
} being counterfactual right now, so the subjunctive is in order.
}
} My two cents ...

Wrong, red-pencil breath. Andrew Usher <k_over_hbarc@yahoo.com> was
correct (= SparkE "agreeable with" to suggest "is" to indicate a future
possibility that they are beginning to discuss the future repercussions
of. He went astray in his suggestion of an attempt at pluperfect
subjunctive (cf. "scrod") for his reconstruction of an unlikely "had've"
form, which is actually "'d've" from "would have", which is still often
incorrect where a subjunctive (= LingWienE "no such thing") is called for.

--
R. J. Valentine <mailto:rj@theWorld.com>

[Armond Perretta]

Maria Conlon wrote:

[Maria Conlon]

Maria Conlon wrote:

[John O'Flaherty]

Skitt wrote: