From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Mathieu Lirzin Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: Re: To non-native English writers: expunging the solecism "This allows to do something." Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2016 00:14:58 +0100 Message-ID: <87twm12qvh.fsf@gnu.org> References: <20160124210602.GA7711@acm.fritz.box> NNTP-Posting-Host: plane.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain X-Trace: ger.gmane.org 1453763734 3632 80.91.229.3 (25 Jan 2016 23:15:34 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2016 23:15:34 +0000 (UTC) Cc: Alan Mackenzie , emacs-devel@gnu.org To: Richard Stallman Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Tue Jan 26 00:15:29 2016 Return-path: Envelope-to: ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([208.118.235.17]) by plane.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1aNqM3-0005pd-9U for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Tue, 26 Jan 2016 00:15:27 +0100 Original-Received: from localhost ([::1]:41254 helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1aNqM2-0006Qx-MS for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Mon, 25 Jan 2016 18:15:26 -0500 Original-Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:4830:134:3::10]:43413) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1aNqLq-0006Qs-7C for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Mon, 25 Jan 2016 18:15:15 -0500 Original-Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1aNqLm-0008PZ-S4 for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Mon, 25 Jan 2016 18:15:14 -0500 Original-Received: from fencepost.gnu.org ([2001:4830:134:3::e]:46824) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1aNqLm-0008PL-Ot; Mon, 25 Jan 2016 18:15:10 -0500 Original-Received: from mek33-4-82-236-46-88.fbx.proxad.net ([82.236.46.88]:50166 helo=godel) by fencepost.gnu.org with esmtpsa (TLS1.2:RSA_AES_128_CBC_SHA1:128) (Exim 4.82) (envelope-from ) id 1aNqLf-0004Ny-CH; Mon, 25 Jan 2016 18:15:03 -0500 In-Reply-To: (Richard Stallman's message of "Mon, 25 Jan 2016 10:35:49 -0500") User-Agent: Gnus/5.13 (Gnus v5.13) Emacs/24.5 (gnu/linux) X-detected-operating-system: by eggs.gnu.org: GNU/Linux 2.2.x-3.x [generic] X-Received-From: 2001:4830:134:3::e X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.14 Precedence: list List-Id: "Emacs development discussions." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Original-Sender: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:198822 Archived-At: Richard Stallman writes: > are correct English, but they share the problem of failing > to clarify who or what will do it. > > > The same considerations also apply to "permit", "enable", and "prevent" > > That's right. The point that we want to state who or what will be > permitted, enabled or prevented applies to them too. > > Please everyone, fix these constructions to state the subject > and follow correct English. As a non-native english speaker, I feel bad when I read such injunctions from you or Alan. When stating such thing, it would be nice to acknowledge that it can be difficult to write correct english especially when it isn't your primary language. Otherwise you feed a power relationship between contributors, which is already strong enough. What about creating some documentation about common english mistakes to avoid, instead of urging people to not make them? How would you feel if the same injuctions were made about correctly using Git or anything you are not comfortable at? -- Mathieu Lirzin