jar quotes:
Did you say "...yes I have a problem with it, and hold those beliefs against them because they are against the law. "?
What beliefs are against the law?
You, my dear aquatically procliviated rodent, then say:
This is a quote, from my quote, that you quoted me on back in message 142, that I keep telling you to read.
"riVeRraT" writes:
When they act out those beliefs, yes I have a problem with it,
So obviously, I am talking about acting out those beliefs....[deleted flip to jar]....
Let's take a look at this...the sentence in question is:
When they act out those beliefs, yes I have a problem with it, and hold those beliefs against them because they are against the law.
The issue is one of English usage. The problematical word is "they" in the phrase "they are against the law". To what does the word "they" refer to. In our esteemed riVeRraT's view, this is obviously meant to refer to those
actions acted out. And very understandably so! However, it has been my experience that the preponderant portion of English users would - in this particular construct riVeRraT has chosen - apply the word "they" to the words "beliefs" from the phrase "hold those beliefs against them", as that is the
closest part of speech applicable - note there are no commas to divide that clause from the other part. However, you could keep within the rules of English (that awful language) and concur with riVeRrat's intent, by skipping backwards, over the "and" and the two commas and attaching the reference to his intended target.
Here is an easy way how riVeRrat's sentence should have appeared in the first place:
When they act out those beliefs, yes I have a problem with it, and hold those actions against them because they are against the law.
riVeRrat continues later on with:
Keep in mind that I don't hate you, just do not agree with your intentional taking out of context of what I write.
For this I must disagree and lay the blame on you, riVeRrat, for originally making a poor sentence construction that will, in overwhelming preponderance, cause the average reader to misunderstand you. Hey, no biggie. It's just that stupid language, English, which nobody on this planet can use without making mistakes.
Cheers, and welcome back. Welcome back all of us.
And, of course, thank you Percy for undauntedly working late hours to get this wonderful place back on line.
Edited by xongsmith, : No reason given.
- xongsmith, 5.7d