From: Yuri Khan <yuri.v.khan@gmail.com>
To: Rostislav Svoboda <rostislav.svoboda@gmail.com>
Cc: Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de>, "rms@gnu.org" <rms@gnu.org>,
"emacs-devel@gnu.org Development" <emacs-devel@gnu.org>
Subject: Re: To non-native English writers: expunging the solecism "This allows to do something."
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2016 11:27:30 +0600 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <CAP_d_8Xs5deiSEDMUM1jXrfeCRbGroCPWs=QNkRYWon8CdLgog@mail.gmail.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <CAEtmmewoWjvgzVv46LctumF1+6izUNkj9VW0L6yKnaUkTw_f=w@mail.gmail.com>
On Mon, Jan 25, 2016 at 10:55 PM, Rostislav Svoboda
<rostislav.svoboda@gmail.com> wrote:
> For Slavic language natives like me and Marcin, constructions like
> "This allows to do something" work perfectly well.
> Sorry guys :)
> We simply don't find it to be that important to specify who or what
> will do things. You know... lazy evaluation at it's best :)
Yes, and it may be a reason we can agree that something should be done
and never get around to actually doing it, because everybody assumes
someone else will.
English has grammar that enforces[1] specification of the doer — let’s
not throw away its benefits.
[1]: would enforce, given a good linter
> That's an uphill struggle, Alan :) Besides, believe me there's nothing
> to fear about :) Free your mind! :)
I, for one, welcome our grammar nazi overlords. Alan, please continue
to educate us about proper use of English when occasion arises.
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2016-01-26 5:27 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 26+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2016-01-24 21:06 To non-native English writers: expunging the solecism "This allows to do something." Alan Mackenzie
2016-01-24 22:20 ` Marcin Borkowski
2016-01-24 22:54 ` Stephen Berman
2016-01-25 12:51 ` Alan Mackenzie
2016-01-25 14:03 ` Phillip Lord
2016-01-25 14:25 ` Stephen Berman
2016-01-25 15:35 ` Richard Stallman
2016-01-25 20:10 ` Stephen Berman
2016-01-25 2:41 ` Drew Adams
2016-01-25 15:13 ` Rostislav Svoboda
2016-01-25 15:16 ` Rostislav Svoboda
2016-01-25 16:18 ` Alan Mackenzie
2016-01-25 19:47 ` Michael Albinus
2016-01-25 16:41 ` Paul Eggert
2016-01-26 9:37 ` Richard Stallman
2016-01-25 15:35 ` Richard Stallman
2016-01-25 16:55 ` Rostislav Svoboda
2016-01-26 5:27 ` Yuri Khan [this message]
2016-01-26 9:37 ` Richard Stallman
2016-01-26 10:55 ` Rostislav Svoboda
2016-01-27 0:46 ` Richard Stallman
2016-01-25 23:14 ` Mathieu Lirzin
2016-01-26 3:07 ` Xue Fuqiao
2016-01-27 0:48 ` Richard Stallman
2016-01-27 11:06 ` Alan Mackenzie
2016-01-27 16:31 ` Mathieu Lirzin
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