Edmond--
 
You might be hearing a missing direct object for "drip":
 
Wemberly worried that she might drip cabernet on her new dress.
 
Does that work better to your ear?
 
Seth
 
Dr. Seth Katz 
Assistant Professor
Department of English
Bradley University
 

________________________________

From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar on behalf of Edmond Wright
Sent: Fri 3/12/2010 10:44 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: a query



Dear All,

On a different aspect of Natalie's original sentence (' Wemberly worried
that she might drip on her new dress').

Am I alone in finding the use of 'drip' with a person as subject odd?  It
would seem more natural to my English ear to say

Wemberly worried that she might allow a drip to fall on her new dress.
>
One could, of course, say

Wemberly worried that she might splash/splatter/stain/blotch her new dress.

Edmond


Dr. Edmond Wright
3 Boathouse Court
Trafalgar Road
Cambridge
CB4 1DU
England

Email: [log in to unmask]
Website: http://people.pwf.cam.ac.uk/elw33/
Phone [00 44] (0)1223 350256


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