docbook: [OT] ISO's vs ISOs
Subject:
Re: [OT] ISO's vs ISOs
From:
Peter Jay Salzman ####@####.####
Date:
22 Jul 2002 08:30:47 -0000
Message-Id: <20020722083044.GD31794@dirac.org>
begin Bob Stayton ####@####.####
> On Mon, Jul 22, 2002 at 01:00:02AM -0700, Peter Jay Salzman wrote:
>
> You might check out this page which discusses this very
> subject, and includes "P's and Q's" as an example
> (and URLs as another):
>
> http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/plurals.htm
hi bob,
GREAT link, thank you! in fact, i bookmarked the site. :)
let me make 2 last observations:
* proper english, in the case of plural acronyms, really is ambiguous.
you can't even rely on the case of the letters to help denote plural
because some acronyms (like medical acronyms for chemical names) come
in both uppercase and lowercase.
* we all use improper english to begin with. the site you gave gives
the proper way of using quotes at the end of a sentence:
She said "I know what it's like to be dead."
but honestly, do you know anyone who writes this way? i just took a
survey of a few novels i've read. they use the common (but
technically incorrect) version:
She said "I know what it's like to be dead".
i would _never_ use the correct version, myself. it makes no sense.
it's ugly. and frankly, i really think it would confuse MOST people
who are simply unaware that the punctuation goes inside the quotes.
> > btw, being obsessive about *anything* can't be good... :)
>
> Anyone who gets obsessive about English will go mad
> in the end. 8^)
heh. i've been speaking english since 2 years old, and it STILL
confounds me. :)
btw, again, thanks for that link. it's an excellent site. my only wish
is that it was a bit more lynx friendly. :(
> Bob Stayton 400 Encinal Street
> Publications Architect Santa Cruz, CA 95060
> Technical Publications voice: (831) 427-7796
> Caldera International, Inc. fax: (831) 429-1887
ahhh. so it's your business to know stuff like this. maybe you DO put
the punctuation inside the quotes then! ;-)
thanks!
pete
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