Comments on: A post for the three of you who might remotely care about grammar and aardvarks http://www.happyscrappy.com/wp/2008/06/10/a-post-for-the-three-of-you-who-might-remotely-care-about-grammar-and-aardvarks/ is run by Jason Feifer, a writer and editor in Manhattan. Fri, 25 Dec 2009 05:27:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: TheRedDuke http://www.happyscrappy.com/wp/2008/06/10/a-post-for-the-three-of-you-who-might-remotely-care-about-grammar-and-aardvarks/comment-page-1/#comment-3831 TheRedDuke Tue, 15 Jul 2008 21:59:19 +0000 http://www.happyscrappy.com/wp/2008/06/10/a-post-for-the-three-of-you-who-might-remotely-care-about-grammar-and-aardvarks/#comment-3831 Agree in the macro. Using the given example, in the micro, I view "whether" to mean either Friday or Saturday. Arrival is on either one day or the other. "If" seems to mean arrival on Friday is possible, arrival on Saturday is possible, Sunday is an option, and *never* is a good guess, as well as some day next month. I don't see, in this case, "Friday or Saturday" being one option, but rather two out of an unlimited number of options. Agree in the macro.
Using the given example, in the micro, I view “whether” to mean either Friday or Saturday. Arrival is on either one day or the other.
“If” seems to mean arrival on Friday is possible, arrival on Saturday is possible, Sunday is an option, and *never* is a good guess, as well as some day next month. I don’t see, in this case, “Friday or Saturday” being one option, but rather two out of an unlimited number of options.

]]> By: admin http://www.happyscrappy.com/wp/2008/06/10/a-post-for-the-three-of-you-who-might-remotely-care-about-grammar-and-aardvarks/comment-page-1/#comment-3611 admin Thu, 12 Jun 2008 01:38:46 +0000 http://www.happyscrappy.com/wp/2008/06/10/a-post-for-the-three-of-you-who-might-remotely-care-about-grammar-and-aardvarks/#comment-3611 It's good to know I'm so damn smart. Thanks! It’s good to know I’m so damn smart. Thanks!

]]> By: Dan http://www.happyscrappy.com/wp/2008/06/10/a-post-for-the-three-of-you-who-might-remotely-care-about-grammar-and-aardvarks/comment-page-1/#comment-3605 Dan Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:31:42 +0000 http://www.happyscrappy.com/wp/2008/06/10/a-post-for-the-three-of-you-who-might-remotely-care-about-grammar-and-aardvarks/#comment-3605 You're exactly right. I read GG's podcast transcriptions all the time via RSS, and I remember this well. She even plainly indicated that although one of the examples had two main conditions (the day of the arrival and the possibility of the arrival), the other had just one. It's unfathomable to me how a grammar expert could fail to see the difference. Not only is it pretty obvious, but Grammar Girl explained exactly what it was for those for whom it might not be obvious (i.e., her target audience). "Squiggly didn’t know whether Aardvark would arrive on Friday or Saturday": two conditions, that of the arrival itself and that of the DAY of the arrival. "Squiggly didn’t know if Aardvark would arrive on Friday or Saturday": one condition, that of the day of the arrival. When spoken out loud, though, the prevalent condition would be obvious, as the inflection would determine it: "Squiggly didn’t know whether Aardvark would ARRIVE on Friday or Saturday" is just one condition, owing to the inflection. But in written text, this is not possible to determine. You’re exactly right. I read GG’s podcast transcriptions all the time via RSS, and I remember this well. She even plainly indicated that although one of the examples had two main conditions (the day of the arrival and the possibility of the arrival), the other had just one.

It’s unfathomable to me how a grammar expert could fail to see the difference. Not only is it pretty obvious, but Grammar Girl explained exactly what it was for those for whom it might not be obvious (i.e., her target audience).

“Squiggly didn’t know whether Aardvark would arrive on Friday or Saturday”: two conditions, that of the arrival itself and that of the DAY of the arrival.

“Squiggly didn’t know if Aardvark would arrive on Friday or Saturday”: one condition, that of the day of the arrival.

When spoken out loud, though, the prevalent condition would be obvious, as the inflection would determine it: “Squiggly didn’t know whether Aardvark would ARRIVE on Friday or Saturday” is just one condition, owing to the inflection. But in written text, this is not possible to determine.

]]> By: YLlama http://www.happyscrappy.com/wp/2008/06/10/a-post-for-the-three-of-you-who-might-remotely-care-about-grammar-and-aardvarks/comment-page-1/#comment-3600 YLlama Wed, 11 Jun 2008 02:13:41 +0000 http://www.happyscrappy.com/wp/2008/06/10/a-post-for-the-three-of-you-who-might-remotely-care-about-grammar-and-aardvarks/#comment-3600 I don't know if you're right or wrong. But I'm pretty sure I know whether you're right or wrong. I don’t know if you’re right or wrong. But I’m pretty sure I know whether you’re right or wrong.

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