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A question of grammar...

Mind that apostrophe.
Gengulphus
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Re: A question of grammar...

#345282

Postby Gengulphus » October 5th, 2020, 10:05 am

GrahamPlatt wrote:
quelquod wrote:And one from my schooldays:

Tom, where Jack had had had had had had had; had had had had the teacher’s approval.

Tom, where Jack had had “had”, had had “had had”; “had had” had had the teacher’s approval.

It could equally well be:

Tom, where Jack had had “had had”, had had “had”; “had had” had had the teacher’s approval.

Gengulphus

XFool
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Re: A question of grammar...

#345285

Postby XFool » October 5th, 2020, 10:10 am

quelquod wrote:And one from my schooldays:

Tom, where Jack had had had had had had had; had had had had the teacher’s approval.

Oh Gawd! I remember that one from primary school. :P

Gengulphus
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Re: A question of grammar...

#345303

Postby Gengulphus » October 5th, 2020, 11:28 am

Gengulphus wrote:
GrahamPlatt wrote:
quelquod wrote:And one from my schooldays:

Tom, where Jack had had had had had had had; had had had had the teacher’s approval.

Tom, where Jack had had “had”, had had “had had”; “had had” had had the teacher’s approval.

It could equally well be:

Tom, where Jack had had “had had”, had had “had”; “had had” had had the teacher’s approval.

And it's occurred to me that that ambiguity spawns:

Tom, where Jack had had “had had 'had', had had 'had had'; 'had had' had had”, had had “had had 'had had', had had 'had'; 'had had' had had”; “had had 'had', had had 'had had'; 'had had' had had” had had the teacher’s approval.

That sentence does suggest that the teacher wasn't being fair to Tom, of course, as both of them should have had the teacher's approval...

Also, one might produce unboundedly long sequences of the word 'had' by repeating that spawning process, if one can find ways to indicate the multiple levels of quoting needed.

Gengulphus


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