Wrong pronoun. Both have promised "his" son.
--- On Fri, 7/20/12, Martha Galphin <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
From: Martha Galphin <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Grammar question
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Friday, July 20, 2012, 12:53 PM
Found
in a book on screenwriting:
“In that film, Arnold Schwarzenegger
and Sinbad [sic] battle to achieve the same goal--the acquisition of the last popular
action figure for sale that Christmas season. Both of them have promised their
son, and they must not fail.”
My question concerns
the clause “both of them have promised their son . . . .” Other than a rewriting
of this sentence, is there any way to clarify the meaning? Now it reads as
though Schwarzenegger and Sinbad have a son in common which is not the case.
(Each has only one son; so, sons wouldn’t work.) If rewriting is the
answer, what would you suggest?
Thank you,
Martha
Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2012 14:34:53 -0400
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: politics on ATEG; instance of semantic broadening
To: [log in to unmask]
The ATEG list is dedicated to discussion of teaching grammar and other language-related issues. Its members represent a range of political viewpoints, and even serious political discussion would take us far afield, resolving nothing, and engender rancor. There are many outlets for political screeds; ATEG is not one of them. Those who abuse this list should lose their privilege to participate in it.
To change the topic back to language: it was jarring to hear a Denver newspaper reporter, interviewed on NPR this morning, describe the Colorado mass murderer as "the gentleman who did this." For the reporter and likely for some Americans as well, the word "gentleman" has broadened from its original meaning to denote simply a male person, with apparently neutral connotation.
Dick
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