Stahlke, Herbert F.W. wrote:
>I think, though, that contractions have a special status. We also say, "There's five kids in the hall." We would never say, "There is five kids in the hall." "There's" and "where's" have become formulaic.
>
>Herb
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar on behalf of Nancy Tuten
>Sent: Wed 6/20/2007 7:19 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: pair
>
>True-we certainly do say them. I meant that we wouldn't say them if we were
>thinking consciously about what we were saying and were trying to be
>"correct" (oh, no-I said the "c" word!).
>
>
>
>I would say "Where're my scissors?" If we said "Where's my scissors?"
>wouldn't we consider the expression colloquial, casual, informal (OK,
>"incorrect"), similar to saying "Where is my dogs?" Heck, I know plenty of
>people who say "My dogs is in the yard," so "Where's my scissors" (or
>"Where's my dogs?") is a natural progression.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Nancy L. Tuten, PhD
>
>Professor of English
>
>Director of the Writing-across-the-Curriculum Program
>
>Columbia College
>
>Columbia, South Carolina
>
>[log in to unmask]
>
>803-786-3706
>
> _____
>
>
>
>--- On Wed 06/20, Paul E. Doniger < [log in to unmask] > wrote:
>
>From: Paul E. Doniger [mailto: [log in to unmask]]
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 15:55:29 -0700
>Subject: Re: pair
>
>It seems odd, perhaps, that we might not say "Where is the scissors," but we
>often do say "Where's the scissors." And I know I've said, "Where's my
>pants" (but NOT, "Where is my pants?").
>
>Why is that?
>
>Paul D.
>
>P. S. I wouldn't assume that we "never" say these things.
>
>
>
>
>
>----- Original Message ----
>From: Nancy Tuten
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2007 6:02:31 PM
>Subject: Re: pair
>
>But we would never say Where is the scissors? Maybe we would say Where is
>my pair of scissors? More likely, I would say Where are my scissors? In
>fact, I say those very words quite often in our house.
>
>Nancy L. Tuten, PhD
>
>Professor of English
>
>Director of the Writing-across-the-Curriculum Program
>
>Columbia College
>
>Columbia, South Carolina
>
>[log in to unmask]
>
>803-786-3706
>
>
>
> _____
>
>
>
>From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Martha Kolln
>Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2007 4:58 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: pair
>
>
>
>Yes, I would--sometimes. Maybe not always. I think I use both "it" and
>"they" for scissors. I think I would say that "My scissors needs to be
>sharpened." I think "scissors" is on the fence--whereas those other objects
>are nearly always plural.
>
>
>
>
>
>Martha
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>In a message dated 6/20/07 2:39:10 PM, [log in to unmask] writes:
>
>Hi Peter,
>I'd say that a pair of scissors is an "it," whereas a pair of twins is a
>"they." Strangely, a pair of pants is also a "they," as are most of those
>other bifurcated objects. When I lose my glasses, I never say, "I wonder
>where it is,"--always "they."
>
>Martha
>
>
>
>Martha,
>
>If you lost your scissors would you wonder where "it" is?
>
>
>
>Peter Adams
>
>
>
>**************************************
>See what's free at http://www.aol.com. To join or leave this LISTSERV list,
>please visit the list's web interface at:
>http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the
>list"
>
>Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
>
>To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface
>at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave
>the list"
>
>Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ To join or leave this LISTSERV
>list, please visit the list's web interface at:
>http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the
>list"
>
>Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
>
>
>
>
>To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface
>at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave
>the list"
>
>Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
> _____
>
>No banners. No pop-ups. No kidding.
>Make My Way your home on the Web - http://www.myway.com To join or leave
>this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
>http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the
>list"
>
>Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
>
>To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
> http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
>and select "Join or leave the list"
>
>Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
>To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
> http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
>and select "Join or leave the list"
>
>Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
>
Herb,
I wonder, too, about "He don't." I haven't heard a speaker say, "He do not."
Marshall
To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
and select "Join or leave the list"
Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
|
