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James Shewey

1:18 AM

@ScottS - You are right - I must have missed the first one in the first triad. I might play around with this a bit more, when I have some time.

curiousdannii

1:35 AM

@Susan I also didn't like that edit. It also looses the stem information (which wasn't very clear in your original either though - the full word would be clearer than one letter I think)

@JackDouglas I'm not really too bothered by it, I'm happy to let the community decide through its votes and reviews

@JamesShewey I'd agree, he should've answered rather than edited

15 hours later…

Susan

4:59 PM

Thanks Scott, and @Susan I won't pretend I was being ironic, I just can't spell :) — Jack Douglas 10 hours ago

@JackDouglas (? doubly ironically) I actually didn't even realize it was incorrect spelling; I assumed that was proper Brit-spell. The comment was drawing on how British English tends to strike Americans, a phenomenon perhaps not so different from how labeling things "academic" strikes you.

Jack Douglas

@Susan Good to know I can get away with bad spelling on the internet :)

2 hours later…

Davïd

6:34 PM

@curiousdannii @JackDouglas @Joseph I would much rather a comment had been left inviting OP to add a reference. The benefit would be twofold: (1) a new user learns how to pose on-topic questions; (2) OP's intent is then clear without second guessing (at best) from well intentioned veterans.

@JamesShewey One can divide the ten plagues of Exodus into three "triads" + a climactic plague. I personally don't find that a compelling analysis, for reasons partially implied in this answer. You'll see I've added back a revised version of Susan's data, because I find it more helpful for thinking about the lexical semantics issue which, I take it, is the central concern.

Jack Douglas

6:52 PM

A: Clarification on use of edits

In general, if you can accurately guess what the OP meant by a question and if you can clarify with an edit, that edit will almost certainly be approved. (Later on, you'll be able to make that edit directly.) But that can be trickier than might at first be clear. The question you are asking about...

I think Jon agrees with you (though perhaps his reasons aren't identical)

I do think an edit is a much better way of teaching a new user than a comment though.

@JonEricson what would you say? In this case the edit was too much guesswork, but generally speaking which is best for educating users, an edit or a comment?

Susan

@Davïd Thanks for your help with that -- much better.

Jon Ericson

7:07 PM

@JackDouglas That particular case is a bit of a stretch. But I tend to feel edits are more educational. Many people come with the expectation that this site will be a place to talk about the Bible and stuff. Editing to a sharper question helps them see it's not really a discussion, but a place to solve real problems. It's a form of showing and not telling. (Or even better: both! ;-)

Jack Douglas

thanks, that's very useful to know

Susan

"....a place to talk about the Bible and stuff" -- there's some explanatory power in that description of new user expectations.

Paul Vargas

7:29 PM

@Susan Is this question grammatically correct: Why Abraham bound his son Isaac?

Susan

@PaulVargas Why did Abraham bind his son Isaac?

We add the "do/did" to make it a question ("did" for past tense), and then the verb form is that of the infinitive minus the word "to".

Paul Vargas

@Susan I posted this.

Susan

@PaulVargas I'm not totally sure what you mean. Because he was alive at that point and he intended to slaughter him? Are you asking if that was a standard way to go about the task?

Paul Vargas

@Susan The second.

Susan

@PaulVargas May be worth added a sentence to explain. It's interesting -- the verb is an unusual one, not standard sacrifice language AFAIK.

Paul Vargas

7:38 PM

@Susan Feel free to edit the question. :D

@Susan Oh! Thanks!

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