Author Topic: Words and Grammar and Stuff  (Read 126182 times)

saltine

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Re: Words and Grammar and Stuff
« Reply #370 on: August 25, 2009, 02:51:00 PM »
Constipated is a predicate adjective.  Objects need action verbs; "is" is a "state of being" verb.
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alexarch

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Re: Words and Grammar and Stuff
« Reply #371 on: August 25, 2009, 04:01:07 PM »
Lead balloon or led balloon?

A balloon that is made of a heavy metal, and therefore defeats its own purpose? Or a balloon that is so stupid that it needs someone to guide it around?

I'm pretty sure it's the first one, but Led Zepplin screwed it up for all of us.

Junior

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Re: Words and Grammar and Stuff
« Reply #372 on: August 25, 2009, 04:08:53 PM »
It's the first. As in a lead balloon wouldn't float. Though Mythbusters made one that did.
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alexarch

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Re: Words and Grammar and Stuff
« Reply #373 on: August 26, 2009, 02:54:52 PM »
Run-on sentence?

Reluctantly leaving the warmth of Barbara and the now familiar little kitchen, he knew the issues that waited down town, and he was already mentally prioritizing the lists of things to do. 

St. Martin the Bald

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Re: Words and Grammar and Stuff
« Reply #374 on: August 26, 2009, 02:57:50 PM »
Run-on sentence?

Reluctantly leaving the warmth of Barbara and the now familiar little kitchen, he knew the issues that waited down town, and he was already mentally prioritizing the lists of things to do. 

Maybe split into two sentences?

Reluctantly leaving the warmth of Barbara and the now familiar little kitchen, he knew the issues that waited downtown. He was already mentally prioritizing the lists of things to do.
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pixote

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Re: Words and Grammar and Stuff
« Reply #375 on: August 26, 2009, 03:00:29 PM »
Run-on sentence?

Reluctantly leaving the warmth of Barbara and the now familiar little kitchen, he knew the issues that waited down town, and he was already mentally prioritizing the lists of things to do. 

The sentence doesn't work, but I think the problem is more that the first clause anticipates an action verb or something.  "knew" just kills things.

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alexarch

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Re: Words and Grammar and Stuff
« Reply #376 on: August 26, 2009, 03:04:53 PM »
Run-on sentence?

Reluctantly leaving the warmth of Barbara and the now familiar little kitchen, he knew the issues that waited down town, and he was already mentally prioritizing the lists of things to do. 

Maybe split into two sentences?

Reluctantly leaving the warmth of Barbara and the now familiar little kitchen, he knew the issues that waited downtown. He was already mentally prioritizing the lists of things to do.
Agreed. That's what I would do, but I'm trying to remind myself of the rules. I'm hoping Saltine will speak up.

"Reluctantly leaving the warmth of Barbara and the now familiar kitchen" is a (verbal?) phrase. "He knew the issues..." and "he was already pioritizing..." are two sentences that can be joined with the conjunction without becoming a run-on. I just don't know if the three together form a run-on. I forget the rules.

pixote

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Re: Words and Grammar and Stuff
« Reply #377 on: August 26, 2009, 03:05:29 PM »
Also, downtown is one word, wtf.

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oneaprilday

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Re: Words and Grammar and Stuff
« Reply #378 on: August 26, 2009, 03:06:11 PM »
Run-on sentence?

Reluctantly leaving the warmth of Barbara and the now familiar little kitchen, he knew the issues that waited down town, and he was already mentally prioritizing the lists of things to do.  

As pix points out, it's an odd sentence, but it's not a run-on because the main clauses are properly joined. Adding a verbal to a compound sentence is perfectly fine.
« Last Edit: August 26, 2009, 03:09:50 PM by oneaprilday »

pixote

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Re: Words and Grammar and Stuff
« Reply #379 on: August 26, 2009, 03:06:49 PM »
Mentally prioritizing... as opposed to...?

I will destroy this sentence!  mwahahahaha!

pixote
« Last Edit: August 26, 2009, 03:13:30 PM by pixote »
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