Comments on: 13-year-olds smarter than Times editors http://bellagerens.com/2009/03/02/13-year-olds-smarter-than-times-editors/ inde vides agilem bella gerentem Mon, 23 Apr 2012 03:13:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: bellagerens http://bellagerens.com/2009/03/02/13-year-olds-smarter-than-times-editors/comment-page-1/#comment-188 bellagerens Wed, 11 Mar 2009 21:30:09 +0000 http://bellagerens.wordpress.com/?p=135#comment-188 No worries. Believe it or not, I'm told at work to stop my students from using 'archaic' expressions like the subjunctive - in English, that is. I'm told to encourage them to use it in Latin. Which is perfect, because although the English subjunctive is rather cumbersome, the Latin subjunctive is one of the loveliest and most elegant pieces of syntax I've ever encountered. No worries. Believe it or not, I’m told at work to stop my students from using ‘archaic’ expressions like the subjunctive – in English, that is. I’m told to encourage them to use it in Latin. Which is perfect, because although the English subjunctive is rather cumbersome, the Latin subjunctive is one of the loveliest and most elegant pieces of syntax I’ve ever encountered.

]]> By: heuristic (UK) http://bellagerens.com/2009/03/02/13-year-olds-smarter-than-times-editors/comment-page-1/#comment-187 heuristic (UK) Wed, 11 Mar 2009 21:23:00 +0000 http://bellagerens.wordpress.com/?p=135#comment-187 You're right, I put my foot in my mouth there. :\ After posting that I did some research and had my fears confirmed: "If only she were here, then she would speak up. She is not here, however, so the subjunctive expresses that fact appropriately. Again, If only she was has drifted into modern usage and should be avoided." http://www.ceafinney.com/subjunctive/guide.html You’re right, I put my foot in my mouth there. :\

After posting that I did some research and had my fears confirmed:

“If only she were here, then she would speak up.
She is not here, however, so the subjunctive expresses that fact appropriately. Again, If only she was has drifted into modern usage and should be avoided.”

http://www.ceafinney.com/subjunctive/guide.html

]]> By: bellagerens http://bellagerens.com/2009/03/02/13-year-olds-smarter-than-times-editors/comment-page-1/#comment-186 bellagerens Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:36:51 +0000 http://bellagerens.wordpress.com/?p=135#comment-186 What I said <i>is</i> the subjunctive mood. What I said is the subjunctive mood.

]]> By: heuristic (UK) http://bellagerens.com/2009/03/02/13-year-olds-smarter-than-times-editors/comment-page-1/#comment-185 heuristic (UK) Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:23:41 +0000 http://bellagerens.wordpress.com/?p=135#comment-185 "'You'd think, if someone were going to be.." Whoa!! Shouldn't that be "if someone WAS going to be.."? English has a subjunctive conjugation too, you know. Tsk, the state of education today. ;) “‘You’d think, if someone were going to be..”

Whoa!! Shouldn’t that be “if someone WAS going to be..”?

English has a subjunctive conjugation too, you know.

Tsk, the state of education today. ;)

]]> By: bellagerens http://bellagerens.com/2009/03/02/13-year-olds-smarter-than-times-editors/comment-page-1/#comment-184 bellagerens Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:51:38 +0000 http://bellagerens.wordpress.com/?p=135#comment-184 Yeah... What Dennis said. Yeah… What Dennis said.

]]> By: Dennis http://bellagerens.com/2009/03/02/13-year-olds-smarter-than-times-editors/comment-page-1/#comment-183 Dennis Tue, 03 Mar 2009 11:59:43 +0000 http://bellagerens.wordpress.com/?p=135#comment-183 Clare -- it was taken down and then put back. <a href="http://prodicus.blogspot.com/2009/02/philip-pullman-article.html" rel="nofollow">Prodicus</a>, among others, has preserved it. Clare — it was taken down and then put back.

Prodicus, among others, has preserved it.

]]> By: clare philips http://bellagerens.com/2009/03/02/13-year-olds-smarter-than-times-editors/comment-page-1/#comment-182 clare philips Tue, 03 Mar 2009 09:41:04 +0000 http://bellagerens.wordpress.com/?p=135#comment-182 Google Times and Pullman and you get http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article5660293.ece Google Times and Pullman and you get http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article5660293.ece

]]> By: wh00ps http://bellagerens.com/2009/03/02/13-year-olds-smarter-than-times-editors/comment-page-1/#comment-181 wh00ps Tue, 03 Mar 2009 09:09:00 +0000 http://bellagerens.wordpress.com/?p=135#comment-181 do i take it the article appeared in the print version (and you have it) or am i misunderstanding you? either way, it's a sad reflection on free speech in this so-called country. do i take it the article appeared in the print version (and you have it) or am i misunderstanding you? either way, it’s a sad reflection on free speech in this so-called country.

]]> By: RenegadeParent http://bellagerens.com/2009/03/02/13-year-olds-smarter-than-times-editors/comment-page-1/#comment-180 RenegadeParent Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:35:34 +0000 http://bellagerens.wordpress.com/?p=135#comment-180 Excellent - I wonder how often what PP wrote will be used in state schools?! Let's hope their understanding isn't beaten out of them by the time they reach adulthood. Excellent – I wonder how often what PP wrote will be used in state schools?!

Let’s hope their understanding isn’t beaten out of them by the time they reach adulthood.

]]>