"If you're selling a go equipment..."

moonrabbit · Post by **moonrabbit** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 11:03 am

I know grammar mavens are irritating to many, but every time I scroll down the forum index, this jumps out at me. I know, it's so nitpicky, and so not urgent. But for me it's like someone's dragging their fingernails down a chalkboard. Could someone please (pretty please) fix it someday?

Thanks.

lefuet · Post by **lefuet** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 12:32 pm

I know, I make many mistakes myself but "The bestest of books" always makes me flinch.

daal · Post by **daal** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 12:51 pm

"The bestest of books" is a playful thread title, whereas "a go equipment" appears on the forum board index in a description of a L19 sub-forum. If I had noticed it, I would have thought "sheesh." :mrgreen:

judicata · Post by **judicata** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 1:01 pm

I think it's cool we have the "you're" right.

jts · Post by **jts** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 3:42 pm

lefuet wrote:I know, I make many mistakes myself but "The bestest of books" always makes me flinch.

Tryphon · Post by **Tryphon** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 3:56 pm

What is the mistake ? (I'm not an english speaker)

jts · Post by **jts** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 4:05 pm

Tryphon wrote:What is the mistake ? (I'm not an english speaker)

I can't remember the formal name for the rule, but certain nouns need a unit if you're claiming there's just one of them.

I'm drinking water.
I'm drinking a glass of water.
~~I'm drinking a water.~~

They're selling equipment.
They're selling a piece of equipment.
~~They're selling an equipment.~~

He's heating oatmeal.
He's heating a bowl of oatmeal.
~~He's heating an oatmeal.~~

French has the same rule, I believe...

Tryphon · Post by **Tryphon** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 4:09 pm

Yes, but not for "équipement", that should be therefore better translated by "matériel".

Thanks for the enlightenment

Post by **Joaz Banbeck** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 5:13 pm

moonrabbit wrote:I know grammar mavens are irritating to many, but every time I scroll down the forum index, this jumps out at me. I know, it's so nitpicky, and so not urgent. But for me it's like someone's dragging their fingernails down a chalkboard. Could someone please (pretty please) fix it someday?

Thanks.

Done.

hyperpape · Post by **hyperpape** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 7:37 pm

I've never known the name for the grammatical rule, but philosophers sometimes talk about it as the distinction between "mass nouns" and "count nouns."

The matter is also a little harder to see because people so often say things like "I'll have a water." I have no clue whether to say that's a harmless ungrammatical sentence that's elliptical for "I'll have a [cup/glass/bottle] of water" or whether there's now a new uh..."word-thingy" for 'water'.

moonrabbit · Post by **moonrabbit** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 9:38 pm

Joaz Banbeck wrote:Done.

Thank you. :bow:

Life In 19x19

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