From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Alan Mackenzie Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: Re: NEWS.22: `allows' without an object Date: 29 May 2007 10:20:30 +0200 Message-ID: <20070529094436.GA1712@muc.de> References: NNTP-Posting-Host: lo.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Trace: sea.gmane.org 1180426859 18785 80.91.229.12 (29 May 2007 08:20:59 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@sea.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 29 May 2007 08:20:59 +0000 (UTC) Cc: emacs-devel@gnu.org To: "Robert J. Chassell" Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Tue May 29 10:20:58 2007 Return-path: Envelope-to: ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([199.232.76.165]) by lo.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.50) id 1Hswwr-0007FS-Fc for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Tue, 29 May 2007 10:20:58 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1Hswwn-0001GT-5d for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Tue, 29 May 2007 04:20:53 -0400 Original-Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1Hswwh-0001Ei-VF for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Tue, 29 May 2007 04:20:48 -0400 Original-Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1Hswwg-0001AE-4c for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Tue, 29 May 2007 04:20:47 -0400 Original-Received: from [199.232.76.173] (helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1Hswwg-00019s-01 for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Tue, 29 May 2007 04:20:46 -0400 Original-Received: from colin.muc.de ([193.149.48.1] helo=mail.muc.de) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS-1.0:DHE_RSA_AES_256_CBC_SHA1:32) (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1Hswwe-0003wX-Ep for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Tue, 29 May 2007 04:20:45 -0400 Original-Received: (qmail 67638 invoked by uid 3782); 29 May 2007 08:20:30 -0000 Original-Received: from acm.muc.de (p54A3E313.dip.t-dialin.net [84.163.227.19]) by colin2.muc.de (tmda-ofmipd) with ESMTP; Tue, 29 May 2007 10:20:29 +0200 Original-Received: (qmail 2828 invoked by uid 1000); 29 May 2007 09:44:36 -0000 Original-Date: Tue, 29 May 2007 10:44:36 +0100 Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.9i X-Delivery-Agent: TMDA/1.1.5 (Fettercairn) X-Primary-Address: acm@muc.de X-detected-kernel: FreeBSD 4.6-4.9 X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: "Emacs development discussions." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:71928 Archived-At: Hi, Robert! On Mon, May 28, 2007 at 05:17:10PM -0400, Robert J. Chassell wrote: > In English, as heard by a native, > *** New user option `help-at-pt-display-when-idle' allows to > in emacs/etc/NEWS.22 sounds wrong. It would sound better if it were > *** New user option `help-at-pt-display-when-idle' allows you to > ^^^ This is a very common solecism in all technical English written by "foreigners"; though I thoroughly respect, even admire, their mastery of such a bastard capricious language as English. I think it would be useful to emphasise the principle: "allow" needs a DIRECT OBJECT. This d.o. can either be: (i) the person or thing being empowered: "auto-revert allows YOU to 'tail' a file"; "auto-revert allows EMACS to tail a file"; (ii) The object of the allowed action: "auto-revert allows A FILE to be tailed". (this is really the same as (i), but with a passive verb); (iii) the process being allowed - this is often a gerund[*], but need not be: "auto-revert allows THE TAILING of a file"; "The law courts allow THE FILING of a tale"; [*] "gerund", a grammatical term, means the noun form of a verb: "the allowing". It has the same form as the present participle, but is distinct from it. Other languages just use an infinitive here - e.g. in German, "das Erlauben". The same (or very similar) constructs are used by many other English words: "enable", "permit", "encourage", "force", "help", "suggest", .... Also to be noted: negative words like this ("prevent", "discourage", ...) tend to use "from" rather than "to": "Write protection prevents you FROM altering a file." "Write protection prevents a file FROM being altered." "Write protection prevents the alteration of a file." Like all grammatical rules in English, this one has exceptions. We English speakers have got to keep presumptious foreigners in their place somehow. ;-) -- Alan Mackenzie (Ittersbach, Germany).