Do you buy British?

[Lamparilla]

Quote from Pub:
They happily supported an institution that sold our workers jobs abroad
Unquote.
Meaning?
They happily sold our workers' jobs abroad - in other words let foreigners get them
or:
They happily sold our workers jobs abroad - in other words jobs that were abroad.
So I had to read it twice to try to find out what was meant. It shows that punctuation is helpful.
I admit I'm taking the urine out of him - but a little effort on his part would help!

I applaud your efforts in promoting the use of 'correct' English when it affects meaning. I used inverted commas in 'correct' because the use of this term is now frowned upon - it's now 'standard' and 'non-standard'.

Here's a little teaser for you (or anyone else who is interested):

Here are two statements:

1. "You must be able to speak Spanish".
2. "You must be able to speak Spanish".

Explain how the two can have different meanings depending on whether the modal verb is used in a deontic sense or an epistemic sense.

[Derek H]

I applaud your efforts in promoting the use of 'correct' English when it affects meaning. I used inverted commas in 'correct' because the use of this term is now frowned upon - it's now 'standard' and 'non-standard'.

Here's a little teaser for you (or anyone else who is interested):

Here are two statements:

1. "You must be able to speak Spanish".
2. "You must be able to speak Spanish".

Explain how the two can have different meanings depending on whether the modal verb is used in a deontic sense or an epistemic sense.

You (with the stress on this word) must be able to speak Spanish, 'cos your mother came from there.
You must (with the stress on this word) be able speak Spanish if you want to get the job, 'cos that's the language we use.

[sandGroundZero]

…I had to read it twice to try to find out what was meant. It shows that punctuation is helpful.

Derek H post #10

Some posters' expressiveness will be handicapped by muddled thinking. Belabouring punctuation deficiencies, especially in view of this poster's umbrage at your efforts, is rather pointless; is it not?

[Lamparilla]

You (with the stress on this word) must be able to speak Spanish, 'cos your mother came from there.
You must (with the stress on this word) be able speak Spanish if you want to get the job, 'cos that's the language we use.

Yes, but which is which? This was an A Level English language question to determine the candidates' knowledge of 'deontic' and 'epistemic' when applied to modal verbs.

[Derek H]

Some posters' expressiveness will be handicapped by muddled thinking. Belabouring punctuation deficiencies, especially in view of this poster's umbrage at your efforts, is rather pointless; is it not?

I tend to agree, he takes umbrage. Just a shame that he won't do anything about it. I really think he has the ability to do so.

[sandGroundZero]

…I used inverted commas in 'correct' because the use of this term is now frowned upon - it's now 'standard' and 'non-standard'.

Lamparilla post #17

Do you, Lamparilla frown on standard versus non-standard?
You'll be perennially disappointed urging online forums' usages be set in aspic!

.

[Derek H]

Yes, but which is which? This was an A Level English language question to determine the candidates' knowledge of 'deontic' and 'epistemic' when applied to modal verbs.

What has this to do with punctuation? You must be able to speak Spanish? You must be able to speak Spanish, having lived there for three years? I haven't spoken English on a day-to-day basis for something like 60 years, and I'm far too old to start reading up on A-level English language just for the sake of this site. But punctuation is essential if we are to understand what we read. it's as simple as that.
Such as this. Woman without her man is nothing. A mixed class was asked to punctuate. The boys wrote: Woman, without her man, is nothing. The girls wrote: Woman: without her, man is nothing.

[Lamparilla]

Do you, Lamparilla frown on standard versus non-standard?
You'll be perennially disappointed urging online forums' usages be set in aspic!

.

I don't frown on anything, and I can read my username without it being highlighted in bold!

I was just trying to start a friendly conversation with Derek, but it appears from his irate response that his fascination with language doesn't extend beyond punctuation.

[Derek H]

I don't frown on anything, and I can read my username without it being highlighted in bold!

I was just trying to start a friendly conversation with Derek, but it appears from his irate response that his fascination with language doesn't extend beyond punctuation.

I'm not irate. I didn't do A - level English language, I was on the science side at KGV. My stressing punctuation on this site is because it makes it easier to understand what the poster intends us to understand. That doesn't mean that I am a linguist. By no means.

[Alikado]

That is The Brexiteer lie, that we will ditch trading with EU and we will be able to trade all over the world with all these fantastic Trade Deals we are negotiating!

Have you been on the sauce already at this time of the morning?

[sandGroundZero]

…and I can read my username without it being highlighted in bold!

Sorry. [The QUOTE tool highlights usernames by default. I was just being conventional. ]