| Author |
Message |
Michael Nitabach
Guest
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 2:41 am
Post subject: Re: " How to form ice from water? " |
|
|
"Bill Bonde ('by a commodius vicus of recirculation')"
<John.Methuen@magersfontein.co.uk> wrote in
news:436CF18E.2A5106FB@magersfontein.co.uk:
| Quote: |
Charles Riggs wrote:
On 4 Nov 2005 23:55:22 -0800, "Narasimham" <mathma18@hotmail.com
wrote:
In a science newsgroup I asked a simple question, similar to
the one in the above-mentioned subject line, instead of " How
do we form ice from water? "
The difference appears quite trivial to me, but has there
been a serious grammar/language lapse? Is it adequately
understandable and does it convey a sense of a query to those
who read this single interrogative sentence?
The question mark doesn't belong there for it is a statement, not
a question. I'd expect some instructions to follow it.
How to form ice from water: Chill robustly.
How do conceive of chilling something "robustly"? |
--
Mike Nitabach |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Don Phillipson
Guest
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 3:00 am
Post subject: Re: " How to form ice from water? " |
|
|
"Bill Bonde ('by a commodius vicus of recirculation')"
<John.Methuen@magersfontein.co.uk> wrote in message
news:436CF458.E91FC141@magersfontein.co.uk...
| Quote: | . . . EFL speakers usually say . . .
"EFL" usually means English as a Foreign Language.
|
I have so far encountered only
TESL = Teaching English as a Second Language, and
thence ESL and EFL as corrrespondingly Second or First.
I have heard of TEFL but this may not be used in Canada.
--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Mark Brader
Guest
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 6:59 am
Post subject: Re: " How to form ice from water? " |
|
|
Don Phillipson:
| Quote: | The OP question breaks no rule of grammar ...
|
It does if it's meant to be a complete sentence.
--
Mark Brader | "One of these days I'll have to use that ... without the
Toronto | awkward brackets, so that you can quote it that way, too."
msb@vex.net | -- Steve Summit |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Charles Riggs
Guest
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 7:52 am
Post subject: Re: " How to form ice from water? " |
|
|
On Sat, 05 Nov 2005 13:26:17 GMT, Jim Lawton
<usenet1@jimlawton.TAKEOUTinfo> wrote:
| Quote: | On Sat, 05 Nov 2005 08:31:48 +0000, Charles Riggs <chriggs@éircom.net> wrote:
On 4 Nov 2005 23:55:22 -0800, "Narasimham" <mathma18@hotmail.com
wrote:
In a science newsgroup I asked a simple question, similar to the one
in the above-mentioned subject line, instead of " How do we form ice
from water? "
The difference appears quite trivial to me, but has there been a
serious grammar/language lapse? Is it adequately understandable and
does it convey a sense of a query to those who read this single
interrogative sentence?
The question mark doesn't belong there for it is a statement, not a
question. I'd expect some instructions to follow it.
Interestingly (maybe), I think this is one of those cases where the addition of
a question mark turns the phrase from a statement to a question. Certainly it's
quite common in speech - " It was easy enough for the dog to get down the hole,
but how to get him out again? That's the question."
|
Many statements can be turned into questions by simply raising your
tone when speaking or by placing a question mark after them when
writing, but I contend that the one being discussed is not one of
them. No way.
--
Charles Riggs |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Charles Riggs
Guest
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 7:52 am
Post subject: Re: " How to form ice from water? " |
|
|
On Sat, 05 Nov 2005 11:52:58 GMT, "Adrian Bailey" <dadge@hotmail.com>
wrote:
| Quote: | "Narasimham" <mathma18@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1131177322.941327.54090@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
In a science newsgroup I asked a simple question, similar to the one
in the above-mentioned subject line, instead of " How do we form ice
from water? "
The difference appears quite trivial to me, but has there been a
serious grammar/language lapse?
No. This style of question is common enough.
|
The style is, certainly, but it doesn't fit every statement, turning
them into questions by a mere change of punctuation. It doesn't work
at all for the statement at hand.
"Forming ice from water?", though, works.
--
Charles Riggs |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Narasimham
Guest
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 8:06 am
Post subject: Re: " How to form ice from water? " |
|
|
Narasimham wrote:
| Quote: | In a science newsgroup I asked a simple question, similar to the one
in the above-mentioned subject line, instead of " How do we form ice
from water? "
The difference appears quite trivial to me, but has there been a
serious grammar/language lapse? Is it adequately understandable and
does it convey a sense of a query to those who read this single
interrogative sentence?
Should the subject of the sentence (we, you, anyone) be mentioned
unequivocally to judge it as having been properly constructed along
with a predicate of the sentence following it to elicit a response?
Thanks in advance for any comments.
Regards,
Narasimham
|
I thought that " How to form ice from water " is of course a
subjectless predicate, however " How to form ice from water ?" is a
proper interrogative sentence.The topic came up in
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.math/browse_frm/thread/9f4dda7889c63370/546fc5366ae057f9#546fc5366ae057f9
....and many thanks for the above replies, you all saved me a
re-admission to a high school for grammar now !  ) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Jim Lawton
Guest
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 2:36 pm
Post subject: Re: " How to form ice from water? " |
|
|
On Sun, 06 Nov 2005 00:52:11 +0000, Charles Riggs <chriggs@éircom.net> wrote:
| Quote: | On Sat, 05 Nov 2005 13:26:17 GMT, Jim Lawton
usenet1@jimlawton.TAKEOUTinfo> wrote:
On Sat, 05 Nov 2005 08:31:48 +0000, Charles Riggs <chriggs@éircom.net> wrote:
On 4 Nov 2005 23:55:22 -0800, "Narasimham" <mathma18@hotmail.com
wrote:
In a science newsgroup I asked a simple question, similar to the one
in the above-mentioned subject line, instead of " How do we form ice
from water? "
The difference appears quite trivial to me, but has there been a
serious grammar/language lapse? Is it adequately understandable and
does it convey a sense of a query to those who read this single
interrogative sentence?
The question mark doesn't belong there for it is a statement, not a
question. I'd expect some instructions to follow it.
Interestingly (maybe), I think this is one of those cases where the addition of
a question mark turns the phrase from a statement to a question. Certainly it's
quite common in speech - " It was easy enough for the dog to get down the hole,
but how to get him out again? That's the question."
Many statements can be turned into questions by simply raising your
tone when speaking or by placing a question mark after them when
writing, but I contend that the one being discussed is not one of
them. No way.
|
How to get you to understand?
--
Jim
the polymoth |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
R J Valentine
Guest
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 4:05 pm
Post subject: Re: " How to form ice from water? " |
|
|
On Sun, 06 Nov 2005 08:45:57 -0500 Jeffrey Turner <jturner@localnet.com> wrote:
} Weatherlawyer wrote:
}
}> Bill Bonde ('by a commodius vicus of recirculation') wrote:
}>
}>>How to form ice from water: Chill robustly.
}>>
}>
}> May one add cold to the equation?
}
} You don't add cold, you remove heat.
May one remove vacuum to the equation?
--
R. J. Valentine <mailto:rj@theWorld.com> |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Charles Riggs
Guest
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 5:11 pm
Post subject: Re: " How to form ice from water? " |
|
|
On Sun, 06 Nov 2005 07:36:16 GMT, Jim Lawton
<usenet1@jimlawton.TAKEOUTinfo> wrote:
| Quote: | On Sun, 06 Nov 2005 00:52:11 +0000, Charles Riggs <chriggs@éircom.net> wrote:
On Sat, 05 Nov 2005 13:26:17 GMT, Jim Lawton
usenet1@jimlawton.TAKEOUTinfo> wrote:
On Sat, 05 Nov 2005 08:31:48 +0000, Charles Riggs <chriggs@éircom.net> wrote:
On 4 Nov 2005 23:55:22 -0800, "Narasimham" <mathma18@hotmail.com
wrote:
In a science newsgroup I asked a simple question, similar to the one
in the above-mentioned subject line, instead of " How do we form ice
from water? "
The difference appears quite trivial to me, but has there been a
serious grammar/language lapse? Is it adequately understandable and
does it convey a sense of a query to those who read this single
interrogative sentence?
The question mark doesn't belong there for it is a statement, not a
question. I'd expect some instructions to follow it.
Interestingly (maybe), I think this is one of those cases where the addition of
a question mark turns the phrase from a statement to a question. Certainly it's
quite common in speech - " It was easy enough for the dog to get down the hole,
but how to get him out again? That's the question."
Many statements can be turned into questions by simply raising your
tone when speaking or by placing a question mark after them when
writing, but I contend that the one being discussed is not one of
them. No way.
How to get you to understand?
|
By speaking properly?
--
Charles Riggs |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Weatherlawyer
Guest
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 7:08 pm
Post subject: Re: " How to form ice from water? " |
|
|
Bill Bonde ('by a commodius vicus of recirculation') wrote:
| Quote: |
How to form ice from water: Chill robustly.
May one add cold to the equation? |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Jeffrey Turner
Guest
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 8:45 pm
Post subject: Re: " How to form ice from water? " |
|
|
Weatherlawyer wrote:
| Quote: | Bill Bonde ('by a commodius vicus of recirculation') wrote:
How to form ice from water: Chill robustly.
May one add cold to the equation?
|
You don't add cold, you remove heat.
--Jeff
--
When people are fanatically dedicated
to political or religious faiths or any
other kind of dogmas or goals, it's
always because these dogmas or goals
are in doubt. -Robert T. Pirsig |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Charles Riggs
Guest
|
| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2005 8:07 am
Post subject: Re: " How to form ice from water? " |
|
|
On Sun, 06 Nov 2005 08:45:57 -0500, Jeffrey Turner
<jturner@localnet.com> wrote:
| Quote: | Weatherlawyer wrote:
Bill Bonde ('by a commodius vicus of recirculation') wrote:
How to form ice from water: Chill robustly.
May one add cold to the equation?
You don't add cold, you remove heat.
|
Yeah, yeah, but that's like saying holes don't exist, only electrons.
Conventions, no more.
--
Charles Riggs |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Weatherlawyer
Guest
|
| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2005 9:24 pm
Post subject: Re: " How to form ice from water? " |
|
|
Charles Riggs wrote:
| Quote: | On Sun, 06 Nov 2005 08:45:57 -0500, Jeffrey Turner
jturner@localnet.com> wrote:
Weatherlawyer wrote:
Bill Bonde ('by a commodius vicus of recirculation') wrote:
How to form ice from water: Chill robustly.
May one add cold to the equation?
You don't add cold, you remove heat.
Yeah, yeah, but that's like saying holes don't exist, only electrons.
Conventions, no more.
So cold is a negative? Or does it become positive on the other side of |
the equation?
If something is "twice as cold" does it contain more or less heat?
Can you have a square of ice cubed? Or two squares of ice cubes? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| |
FAQ
Memberlist
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in