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Rachel
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2005 9:10 pm
Post subject: Which sentence is correct, please? |
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"I know the meaning and spelling of words", or "I know the meanings and
spelling of words", or "I know the meanings and spellings of words"?
Thanks.
Rachel. |
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Guest
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| Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2005 9:40 pm
Post subject: Re: Which sentence is correct, please? |
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Rachel wrote:
| Quote: | "I know the meaning and spelling of words", or "I know the meanings and
spelling of words", or "I know the meanings and spellings of words"?
Thanks.
Rachel.
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Word, Boo! |
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Don Phillipson
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2005 9:41 pm
Post subject: Re: Which sentence is correct, please? |
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"Rachel" <lumiere-@UNFntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:vzFQe.3614$t4.2007@newsfe1-gui.ntli.net...
| Quote: | "I know the meaning and spelling of words", or "I know the meanings and
spelling of words", or "I know the meanings and spellings of words"?
|
All are grammatically correct. There are
perceptible semantic differences. Your second
formulation is probably the most common, i.e. fits
all occasions when semantic differences are not
intended and some when they might be.
Case 1 presents the predicate [meaning & spelling] as
if it were a quasi-disciplinary topic; the others do not.
Case 2 differentiates (multiple) meanings from the (single
right) spelling of any (single) word.
Case 3 avoids this differentiation.
--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada) |
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Troy Steadman
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2005 9:41 pm
Post subject: Re: Which sentence is correct, please? |
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Rachel wrote:
| Quote: | "I know the meaning and spelling of words", or "I know the meanings and
spelling of words", or "I know the meanings and spellings of words"?
Thanks.
Rachel.
|
None are incorrect but none are very wonderful either:
"I can spell and I understand the meanings." |
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Jim Lawton
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 12:10 am
Post subject: Re: Which sentence is correct, please? |
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On 29 Aug 2005 08:41:28 -0700, "Troy Steadman" <troysteadman@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
| Quote: | Rachel wrote:
"I know the meaning and spelling of words", or "I know the meanings and
spelling of words", or "I know the meanings and spellings of words"?
Thanks.
Rachel.
None are incorrect but none are very wonderful either:
"I can spell and I understand the meanings."
|
Sounds like something a witch would say.
I'll try,
"I know the meaning of words, and how to spell them."
--
Jim
"a single species has come to dominate ...
reproducing at bacterial levels, almost as an
infectious plague envelops its host"
http://tinyurl.com/c88xs |
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Troy Steadman
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 12:33 am
Post subject: Re: Which sentence is correct, please? |
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Jim Lawton wrote:
| Quote: | On 29 Aug 2005 08:41:28 -0700, "Troy Steadman" <troysteadman@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
Rachel wrote:
"I know the meaning and spelling of words", or "I know the meanings and
spelling of words", or "I know the meanings and spellings of words"?
Thanks.
Rachel.
None are incorrect but none are very wonderful either:
"I can spell and I understand the meanings."
Sounds like something a witch would say.
I'll try,
"I know the meaning of words, and how to spell them."
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Yup that's better. |
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Troy Steadman
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 12:37 am
Post subject: Re: Which sentence is correct, please? |
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Troy Steadman wrote:
| Quote: | Jim Lawton wrote:
On 29 Aug 2005 08:41:28 -0700, "Troy Steadman" <troysteadman@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
Rachel wrote:
"I know the meaning and spelling of words", or "I know the meanings and
spelling of words", or "I know the meanings and spellings of words"?
Thanks.
Rachel.
None are incorrect but none are very wonderful either:
"I can spell and I understand the meanings."
Sounds like something a witch would say.
I'll try,
"I know the meaning of words, and how to spell them."
Yup that's better.
|
[One over-analysis later]:
"No it isn't! That implies you know how to spell the meanings rather
than the words!" |
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Rachel
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 1:30 am
Post subject: Re: Which sentence is correct, please? |
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Thanks everyone  |
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Jim Lawton
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 3:05 am
Post subject: Re: Which sentence is correct, please? |
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On 29 Aug 2005 11:37:36 -0700, "Troy Steadman" <troysteadman@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
| Quote: | Troy Steadman wrote:
Jim Lawton wrote:
On 29 Aug 2005 08:41:28 -0700, "Troy Steadman" <troysteadman@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
Rachel wrote:
"I know the meaning and spelling of words", or "I know the meanings and
spelling of words", or "I know the meanings and spellings of words"?
Thanks.
Rachel.
None are incorrect but none are very wonderful either:
"I can spell and I understand the meanings."
Sounds like something a witch would say.
I'll try,
"I know the meaning of words, and how to spell them."
Yup that's better.
[One over-analysis later]:
"No it isn't! That implies you know how to spell the meanings rather
than the words!"
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Further over-analysis makes me argue :-
meaning - singular
words/them - plural
Ties the sense together sufficiently well for most people. I mean no one spells
meanings anyway. (Except witches).
--
Jim
"a single species has come to dominate ...
reproducing at bacterial levels, almost as an
infectious plague envelops its host"
http://tinyurl.com/c88xs |
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