Language Overflow

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userr2684291

00:56

@M.A.R. I think that benefit to can be construed in two opposite ways: as benefit of, and as benefit toward. I wonder how widespread the former interpretation is.

2 hours later…

CowperKettle

02:37

@V.V. Thank you!

Happy translation!

I mean, good luck translating!

3 hours later…

CowperKettle

05:19

"How to punish a kid in 2017"

3 hours later…

CowperKettle

08:00

> 3. Both truth and beauty on my love depends;
depends is a plural verb. Both truth and beauty derive their being from the youth who is the archetype and ideal form of them both.

I don't get this.

How can depends be a plural verb?

Q: "both truth and beauty on my love depends" - why not "depend"? Is "depends" a plural verb (a Shakespearean website says so)

Shakespeare's Sonnet no. 101: O truant Muse what shall be thy amends For thy neglect of truth in beauty dyed? Both truth and beauty on my love depends; So dost thou too, and therein dignified. The linked website explains line 3 thus: depends is a plural verb. Both truth and bea...

3 hours later…

Qwerp-Derp

10:41

How should I flag a question if it is't a question?

userr2684291

@Qwerp-Derp You mean the one about could and would?

Qwerp-Derp

Yup

userr2684291

@Qwerp-Derp I think it's not clear what they're asking, so that should be the reason.

I actually think they don't know how to use the site at all, and they're trying to be helpful, answering the question from the title in the question.

So very low quality reason could also be used.

userr2684291

11:10

I flagged it as very low quality because I assume you used the first reason. So now the race is on.

Feeds

11:25

Q: Overzealous deletion of comments

In a recent question about the word elicit in a Forbes article, I supplied the meaning of the word (not its usual one) in a comment, and then remarked to the OP that consulting a single dictionary, especially a "learner's dictionary", wouldn't do for the kinds of texts he was reading, that checki...

discussion comments

1 hour later…

CowperKettle

12:38

The singular on "amends" depends. Where's the predicate for dignified? I think S. wrote this on the john. — Tᴚoɯɐuo 2 hours ago

I don't get this

2 hours later…

Anonymous

14:23

@CowperKettle books.google.co.jp/…

Anonymous

It's not a mistake

userr2684291

14:43

@userr2684291 then keep your right and be happy with it. But unfortunately I won't take your suggestion. I feel responsable for making my question clear so that others will have a clear mind on what help I need, but I don't fell responsible for making my post extremely lengthy to comfort all people, especially those who will actively doubt others' learning attitude in the absence of negative evidence. — Censi LI 9 mins ago

I must admit that that reaction elicited an outburst of laughter forthcoming from my person.

M.A.R.

What reaction? Writing a lengthy comment to say they're not gonna write a lengthy question?

@Feeds it would've been unfortunate if this was PEDant

userr2684291

@M.A.R. Just the whole thing, but not that.

@M.A.R. Haha, yeah.

@M.A.R. I mean, I like interacting with the gentleman, but I don't think they really understand the purpose of comments. I think moderators should check every comment thread they've participated in so far, because it most likely went off-topic at some point. I'm not innocent either, but unlike Mr. Dant, I generally try to stick to the point, although sometimes I just get pulled into an off-topic discussion, y'know.

M.A.R.

15:08

If only people used chat more often

userr2684291

15:23

@M.A.R. Is textspeak generally allowed?

What if I accidentally slip a u, 2, @, b, or a couple of emojis?

Someone please ban me before it's too late.

M.A.R.

@userr2684291 if you don't want to sound like "kids these days", don't use it on the main site

Chat's well, chat. So you should be able to use it

But it would be extremely annoying

userr2684291

@M.A.R. I know, right?

M.A.R.

Considering we usually just ridicule it here

userr2684291

That'd be the main reason why I'd use it.

M.A.R.

I can just kick you when you start using it

userr2684291

15:31

I don't know what's wrong with me, but it's so god damn funny.

@M.A.R. Kick... does that prevent me from entering the room again?

M.A.R.

For a whole 60000000000 nanoseconds, yes

userr2684291

@M.A.R. I see. I promise I'll never do it. 😇

M.A.R.

High-level txtspk like "dunno" is fine tho

Mostly because I've used it a lot myself

userr2684291

@M.A.R. That's textspeak?

M.A.R.

Dunno

But I didn't want to take any risks of being inconsistent

userr2684291

15:37

For u, Wiktionary says "abbreviation, slang, text messaging, Internet".

Dunno is an eye dialect spelling.

> This is one of the only verb forms in English that regularly does not require a pronoun. When the pronoun is not given, it is assumed to be I; all other pronouns must be given. It is never mandatory to drop I, although it is most common to do so when dunno is the only word in the sentence.

I think another form would be the emphatic Is not!.

Anonymous

@userr2684291 I don't know is often so reduced that people simply hum its melody without opening their mouths.

userr2684291

I imagine a person with the right end of their upper lip raised a bit, though, for some reason.

Q: Definite article and "of" clauses

Please consider the following sentence One of the consequences of deforestation is loss of biodiversity. I wonder why "consequences of deforestation" is preceded by "the" but "loss of biodiversity" is not? here is another example: Deforestation is the clearing of trees without the int...

definite-article

Clearing is a gerund-participle, treated as a singular, countable noun. Intent is also singular and countable. The preposition taken by the nouns is not a factor in the use of the articles. — P. E. Dant 17 hours ago

But is it really not? Can you imagine a sentence with one of not followed by the definite article preceding a plural noun?

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