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       ah, remembering ... 'The Importance of Being Ernest'  ;-)

          and believe it or not, it's on-line -
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/844/844-h/844-h.htm
            of course, I didn't see the 1895 play, but thoroughly enjoyed
the 1952 movie.



From: Felmon Davis <davisf@union.edu>
Date: Fri, Jul 31, 2015 at 8:36 PM
Subject: Re: [libreoffice-users] Question about LO Writer and "complex
documents"
To: users@global.libreoffice.org


On Fri, 31 Jul 2015, Gary Collins wrote:

I think that register is an important consideration. Colloquial language
tends to be in a state of flux and dictionaries will always lag behind.
Formal language tends to be far more conservative, and that, I think, is
where "proper" is likely to be a more important consideration.

Is either "more correct" than the other? Not really. It depends on the
nature and purpose of the communication. But "improper" use of words and
grammar will, of course, give the impression that the communicator has been
"poorly educated." (Again, that could be considered a "loaded concept".)
Where "making a good impression" is important, dictionaries are very useful
tools indeed.

/Gary




I fully concur. for instance misspelled words don't always impair
understanding but they can give a bad impression.

I only wanted to say dictionaries are not 'authorities' except as snapshots
of actual usage.

thanks.

f.



       From: Felmon Davis <davisf@union.edu>
To: users@global.libreoffice.org
Sent: Thursday, 30 July 2015, 21:48
Subject: Re: [libreoffice-users] Question about LO Writer and "complex
documents"

On Wed, 29 Jul 2015, anne-ology wrote:

      grammar skillfully employed procures meaningful communication,
          [see below for comments to your comments]


yes, 'skillful' is not the same as 'proper'.

or let's put it this way, 'proper' is ambiguous. it could mean
'according to some accepted standard' or it could be 'adept'.

an act of communication can be 'improper' but apt or 'proper' but
inept.

some think 'the King and me' is 'improper' and should be 'the King and
I'. aside from reasons of gentility they are equally fit to purpose.

[pardon the deletions]

      Without good communication skills, then how can anyone be a part of

any community  ???


I doubt 'good communication skills' require 'proper' grammar.

      [well, how would you punctuate this sentence? -
          Woman without her man is helpless
        (yes, it's an old time example used by probably every English
instructor since ... )

      It could be 'Woman, without her man, is helpless.' or 'Woman:
without her, man is helpless.']


the spoken sentences would be unambiguous.

here are some other punctuations:

Woman! without her man is helpless.
Woman - without her, man is helpless.

some grammar 'authority' will favor one, some another. it is pointless
to dispute such religious questions.

speaking of which: to me it's anathema how Brits sprinkle commas all
over their sentences; after all they aren't Germans!

f.



-- 
Felmon Davis

Do not fold, spindle or mutilate.

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