A little help

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Elisabetta - 02 Jun 2004 08:53 GMT

Hello all

As you were so helpful a few months ago, I wonder if you could help again.

Following is an exchange between two people:

> > >> they [the Greeks] built colonies, in the best meaning of the word,
> > >> although not peacefully.
> > >
> > > Remarkable, this one.
> >
> > remarkable and true.
>
> True my a.s. "Although not peacefully" for me means always
> "war".

A third person chipped in that the last sentence (""although not peacefully"
for me... ") was completely wrong in English: the construct was wrong and
there should be an "it" after "for me".

I replied that although it could have been put better so it'd roll off the
tongue more easily, there shouldn't be an "it" anywhere as the subject of
the sentence is the phrase "although not peacefully" itself.

For that I was accused of being off my head on Guinness, which I wouldn't
mind but I don't even like Guinness!

Anyway, as none of us is an English native speaker, could someone here
settle the dispute and confirm that the sentence is grammatically correct,
although stilted, or that it is completely wrong?

Thank you.

E

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david56 - 02 Jun 2004 10:33 GMT

Elisabetta typed thus:

> Hello all
>
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
> settle the dispute and confirm that the sentence is grammatically correct,
> although stilted, or that it is completely wrong?

The only thing actually wrong with your final sentence is the word
order:

"Although not peacefully" for me always means "war".

although it would be more idiomatic to say:

"Although not peacefully" always means "war" to me.

Signature

David
=====

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John Briggs - 02 Jun 2004 13:32 GMT

> Elisabetta typed thus:
>
[quoted text clipped - 38 lines]
>
> "Although not peacefully" always means "war" to me.

And "a.s" in the first sentence should be "arse" (although how you punctuate
it is anyone's guess). Unless you are speaking American, of course. The
Americans don't know their arse from a donkey :-)

Signature

John Briggs

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Elisabetta - 02 Jun 2004 19:56 GMT

> > "Although not peacefully" for me always means "war".
> >
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> it is anyone's guess). Unless you are speaking American, of course. The
> Americans don't know their arse from a donkey :-)

Thank you David and John :)

I think the person who said a.s lives in Germany, but not sure. However, one
of the 4 lives in US. Myself and the other one are in UK. I was going to
comment on that too but thought it might be better not to add to the fuel!

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Discussion Groups / British English / June 2004

A little help