Life In 19x19

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.

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

"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."

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

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

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

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...

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

Thanks for the enlightenment

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.

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'.

Joaz Banbeck wrote:Done.

Thank you.