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chrise

2nd February 2017, 22:03
I'm annoyed each week with Jeremy Paxman on University Challenge saying something like "With an average age of 22, let's meet the team...."
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jazzgirl

2nd February 2017, 22:11
Rusty
"Three men in a boat" is delightful. We read it at school and I have re-read it several times. I live not too far from where the story is set .
Off to the land of nod now.... Zzzz
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chrise

2nd February 2017, 22:14
I love "Three men in a boat", but I think "Three men on the Bummel" is less well known. There is a great description of different types of cyclists - it still rings true today!
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elle

2nd February 2017, 22:15
That probably comes under the "dangling participle" umbrella, Chris!
One of my particular fetishes is split infinitives - and ending sentences with prepositions!
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elle

2nd February 2017, 22:20
Hi, Rusty!
Yes, I have read "Three Men in a Boat".
A great tale!
It is very humorous and I think you would enjoy it!
The book is by Jerome K. Jerome and is based on the author , Jerome himself, and two friends.
There is also a dog called Montmorency.
They take a fortnight's boating holiday up the Thames.
There was also a film - very popular, as I recall, and also very funny!
Yes, try the book - I can recommend it!
The Eggheads tonight were asked what is 20: 20 vision?
a) the distance from the eye chart
b) the number of letters read
c) the height of the letters
Despite having heard this phrase many times , I realised I didn't know the answer!
And surprisingly, too, the Eggheads needed to discuss it!
But they did come up with the right answer, which turned out to be the distance from the eye chart!
I learn something new every day!
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chrise

2nd February 2017, 22:24
It's more the subject of the sentence shifting, elle - "let's" means "let us" in the second part, but the "average age of 22" refers to the team.

Split infinitives is a bit of a red herring, though - grammarians dislike them because they can't be done in Latin; but how is that relevant to English?
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malone

2nd February 2017, 22:33
Elle, your 'fetishes' are fine - so long as you know they are... not necessarily correct. (I've consulted three grammar books before typing this!)

Rusty, I should have said that your grammar, or use of English, for the 're-reading again' didn't bother me - I just don't like ambiguity, I wondered how many times you'd read the book.
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malone

2nd February 2017, 22:35
Chrise, I meant to say that I agree with you on Jeremy Paxman - I wince most weeks.
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chrise

2nd February 2017, 22:36
On ending a sentence with a preposition, I'm reminded of Churchill's comment: "This is the kind of nonsense up with which I will not put!"
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elle

2nd February 2017, 22:40
Yes, I always think of Churchill whenever that comes up!
And regarding split infinitives, I think there are two schools of thought....
I guess a lot depend son how rigidly one was taught "grammar" at school and what sticks in one's mind!
I always think of Morse......
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