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Castells
Inscrit le: 07 Feb 2007
Messages: 260
Lieu: País Valencià
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 écrit le Tuesday 01 May 07, 15:07 |
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| Zwielicht a écrit: | | This thread is getting worse by the hour |
Yes, let's see how it will finish, if it'll finish...
The subject uncountable/countable is clear for everyone.
Or it should be... |
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Brian
Inscrit le: 01 Dec 2006
Messages: 24
Lieu: Beziers
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| écrit le Thursday 03 May 07, 23:37 |
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The subject uncountable/countable is clear for everyone.
Or it should be...
But it doesn't matter!
You seem to think that you can construct an artificial language by applying rules, whereas English exists in a sometimes illogical fashion, and the way to learn it is to copy the habits of native speakers.
Grammar 'rules' are descriptive, not proscriptive. |
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Zwielicht
Inscrit le: 30 Jan 2007
Messages: 1227
Lieu: la rencontre des eaux
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| écrit le Friday 04 May 07, 15:59 |
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| Brian a écrit: | | the way to learn it is to copy the habits of native speakers. |
That's exactly what I do.
| Brian a écrit: | | Grammar 'rules' are descriptive, not proscriptive. |
Perhaps you meant prescriptive, but I'm not expecting you to admit it. |
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José
Animateur
Inscrit le: 16 Oct 2006
Messages: 10945
Lieu: Lyon
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| écrit le Friday 04 May 07, 17:39 |
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| Ce fil prend un tour déplaisant. Le but est de débattre et d'argumenter à partir de points de vue personnels et raisonnés. Toute remarque déplacée à l'encontre d'un intervenant est à proscrire. Merci de revenir au sujet! |
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Brian
Inscrit le: 01 Dec 2006
Messages: 24
Lieu: Beziers
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| écrit le Friday 11 May 07, 0:01 |
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| Brian a écrit: | | Grammar 'rules' are descriptive, not proscriptive. |
Perhaps you meant prescriptive, but I'm not expecting you to admit it.[/quote]
In fact both are possible in different senses: http://www.allwords.com/word-proscriptive.html |
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Castells
Inscrit le: 07 Feb 2007
Messages: 260
Lieu: País Valencià
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| écrit le Friday 11 May 07, 2:15 |
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| Brian a écrit: | | In fact both are possible in different senses |
Of course, but in the context of your message, as opposed to "descriptive", only one of them makes sense*: prescriptive.
* Should you have any allergic reaction, please change "makes sense" by "makes a sense". Thank you. |
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Jeremy86
Inscrit le: 04 Jan 2007
Messages: 9
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| écrit le Wednesday 13 Jun 07, 0:50 |
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| Zwielicht a écrit: | | Romanovich a écrit: | I don't agree with Castell's phrases
| Citation: | | You can eat a cheese = manger un fromage and you can eat cheese = manger du fromage |
To me, the first one is not acceptable. you'll say a piece/slice of cheese or the entire cheese but never 'alone'. |
Whether you agree or not, please consider all possibilities. I once ate a cheese that was very good is acceptable. |
You are turning it differently ! "I ate a cheese that was very good" is much more acceptable than "I ate a cheese" because of the relative clause. Just like you cannot say "I drunk a wine" but you can say "I drunk an excellent wine". |
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Zwielicht
Inscrit le: 30 Jan 2007
Messages: 1227
Lieu: la rencontre des eaux
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| écrit le Friday 07 Dec 07, 21:44 |
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Yes, but there is no need for a relative clause, all you need is an adjective:
I drank a good wine. |
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