On Mon, May 24, 2004 at 08:51:35AM EDT, Adeodato Simó wrote: > * Derek Martin [Mon, 24 May 2004 21:40:58 +0900]: > > However, it is acceptable to leave out the repeated verb, and to leave > > out the phrase "in order." There isn't really anything wrong with it > > as is, other than maybe the missing comma (to separate the subordinate > > clause from the independant clause). > > "The reader this message encounters not failing to understand is cursed." > > That's valid English, too. But I imagine users prefer (at least I do) > not having to read twice to understand a manual syntax. And, goes > without saying, many users are not native English speakers. > > Even "Specify as much of the address as you need to, to remove > ambiguity" sounds cumbersome, IMHO as a non-native English speaker. Easy solution: "Specify as much of the address as you need to in order to remove ambiguity." That way, both Americans and Spaniards can coexist in peace, so that we may all dwell happily together on our beautiful planet :-) - Dave BTW - As a modern English speaker, the comma makes it sound cumbersome even to native speakers. (The reason is simple: the rule requiring it is the same rule that requires it when you say "I went to the store, to get some bread." No American pauses there for any measurable interval, either. This is just an old grammatical rule left over from the Protozoic (spelling?) Era, when everybody had to stop after every two words, to breath, presumably to avoid upsetting local dinosaurs with our endless rants about how a Nintendo might be constructed.) -- Uncle Cosmo, why do they call this a word processor? It's simple, Skyler. You've seen what food processors do to food, right? Please visit this link: http://rotter.net/israel
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