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#180673 - 12/04/08 07:25 AM at my sister's, of my sister's.
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 06/23/06
Posts: 3387
Loc: Netherlands, the Hague
I will be at my sister's.
She's a friend of my sister's.
In the first sentence this seems clearly to mean: "At my sister's " house or place.
The second form always struck me as odd. "a friend of my sister's" ... what?
Maybe I am making mistakes here, but I just would like to know the details about this. (thanks)
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#180674 - 12/04/08 08:16 AM
Pooh-Bah
Registered: 08/13/05
Posts: 2270
Loc: R'lyehTop
#180676 - 12/04/08 08:35 AM 
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 06/24/02
Posts: 6596
Loc: Vermont
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#180679 - 12/04/08 10:10 AM
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 06/23/06
Posts: 3387
Loc: Netherlands, the HagueThen it wás my old school English that put it in my head like that. It is simply oldfashioned, allright. A friend of my sister, just like that from now on.
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#180685 - 12/04/08 03:53 PM
addict
Registered: 10/24/05
Posts: 557
Loc: Dallas, TX
It works well for "friend" (possibly due to the assumption the friend relationship is reciprocal?). but "A picture of my sister" might depict my sister and belong to me or anyone, while "a picture of my sister's" would show anything and belong to her.
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#180686 - 12/04/08 05:48 PM
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 06/23/06
Posts: 3387
Loc: Netherlands, the Hague
A picture of my sister's. The s looks like a leftover from his.
"My sister his picture". But then my sister is a her. Then I do understand you can't write or say " my sister'r picture".
You could say though: "my brother's picture = " my brother his picture", hey ho ! Sinking deeper and deeper in the mud.
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#180688 - 12/04/08 08:11 PM
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 12/01/00
Posts: 12381
A picture of my sister's. The s looks like a leftover from his.
"My sister his picture". But then my sister is a her. Then I do understand you can't write or say " my sister'r picture".
You could say though: "my brother's picture = " my brother his picture"
This is a commonly held misunderstanding of the origin of the 's possesive marker in English. It really comes from one of the most common OE inflexional endings for the genitive singular.
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#180694 - 12/04/08 10:55 PM
old hand
Registered: 02/20/08
Posts: 1067
Loc: Tasmania
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#180723 - 12/06/08 06:28 PM
old hand
Registered: 06/23/08
Posts: 830
Loc: Land of Flat River
St. Bernard's". St. Bernard is dead, cannot be a possessive.
Yet even at the Vatican it is St. Peter's Basilica, in London it is St. Paul's. Someone mentioned the 'genitive' case above: which
as I understand it, indicates 'possession', yet a dead saint cannot possess a Church, etc.etc.etc. I like Pook's comment: don't expect consistence in the English language.
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#180724 - 12/06/08 10:03 PM
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 12/01/00
Posts: 12381
As to questions about a friend of my sister's, ask yourself this: Would you say a friend of me or a friend of mine.
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#180739 - 12/08/08 01:29 PM
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 06/23/06
Posts: 3387
Loc: Netherlands, the Hague
How can language be logic as we aren't either. (not wanting to offend the totally logic person, whoever he/she might be, on this board )
I still have a totally unreliable computer situation. So I salute you all. Till the next five mites may turn up.
Edited by BranShea (12/08/08 01:30 PM)
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#180742 - 12/08/08 07:48 PM
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 12/01/00
Posts: 12381
"There is a red Ford pickup truck in the parking lot blocking access to the loading area. Will the truck's owner please report to customer service."
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#180743 - 12/08/08 08:12 PM
old hand
Registered: 02/28/08
Posts: 724
Loc: western NY
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#180747 - 12/09/08 06:22 AM
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 12/01/00
Posts: 12381
Uh-huh. What's the word for someone who exhibits willful misunderstanding?
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#180748 - 12/09/08 07:42 AM
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 06/24/02
Posts: 6596
Loc: Vermont
Uh-huh. What's the word for someone who exhibits willful misunderstanding?
Faldage?
/snicker
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#180760 - 12/09/08 12:12 PM
old hand
Registered: 06/23/08
Posts: 830
Loc: Land of Flat River
And: would it be "my friend and me went to the store".
Me went to the store????
We have definitely been thru this before.
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#180761 - 12/09/08 12:12 PM
old hand
Registered: 06/23/08
Posts: 830
Loc: Land of Flat River
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#180770 - 12/09/08 01:09 PM
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 06/23/06
Posts: 3387
Loc: Netherlands, the Hague
But it ìs a somewhat addictive business.
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#180773 - 12/09/08 02:27 PM
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 06/24/02
Posts: 6596
Loc: Vermont
heh
I've been here 5 and a half years, so... it adds up.
:¬ )
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#180779 - 12/09/08 07:16 PM
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 12/01/00
Posts: 12381
Uh-huh. What's the word for someone who exhibits willful misunderstanding?
Faldage?
/snicker
Uh-huh.
So lessee, how could I have worded it so y'all couldn't possibly distort the meaning. The original was:Quote:"There is a red Ford pickup truck in the parking lot blocking access to the loading area."
How about :
"There is a red Ford pickup truck blocking access to the loading area in the parking lot."
No, that makes it sound like the loading area is in the parking lot.
How about:
"In the parking lot there is a red Ford pickup truck blocking access to the loading area."
Well, that's a little awkward, isn't it.
How about:
"There is a red Ford pickup truck in the parking lot blocking access to the loading area."
Yeah, that's it. Wait a minute, that's the original. Hmm.
And who's blaming anyone, or thing?
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#180785 - 12/09/08 08:09 PM
old hand
Registered: 02/28/08
Posts: 724
Loc: western NY
Works for me...
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#180787 - 12/09/08 09:10 PM
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 12/01/00
Posts: 12381
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#180794 - 12/09/08 10:21 PM
old hand
Registered: 02/28/08
Posts: 724
Loc: western NY
There.
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#180796 - 12/09/08 10:29 PM
enthusiast
Registered: 11/24/07
Posts: 361
Loc: कहीं &...
"There is a red Ford pickup truck in the parking lot blocking access to the loading area. Will the truck's owner please report to customer service."
This reminded me of a recent post at LanguageLog
Believed to be an F-18
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#180800 - 12/10/08 06:28 AM
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 12/01/00
Posts: 12381
Another case where it seems to me to be a lot of effort involved in misunderstanding it.
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#180808 - 12/10/08 11:28 AM
old hand
Registered: 06/23/08
Posts: 830
Loc: Land of Flat River
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#180809 - 12/10/08 11:30 AM
old hand
Registered: 06/23/08
Posts: 830
Loc: Land of Flat River
I go to this sight before opening any of my daily emails. I see what you mean by addictive. By the way, I hear there is a
Computerusers Anonymous, similar to AA.
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#180818 - 12/10/08 03:04 PM
enthusiast
Registered: 11/24/07
Posts: 361
Loc: कहीं &...
Another case where it seems to me to be a lot of effort involved in misunderstanding it.
When I read that piece I thought the misunderstanding was deliberate and for humorous effect rather than nitpicking.
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#180819 - 12/10/08 04:21 PM
old hand
Registered: 06/23/08
Posts: 830
Loc: Land of Flat River
piece you referred to re; the Fl8. And now they have found another victim. But referring the reporting by the media. I have found that they hardly ever use correct grammar. But it is mostly hype anyway, just to sell their story for more advertising money, witnessed by some phrase like "first exclusively reported here on this station". So I am not surprised by anything the media say.
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#181525 - 01/07/09 07:53 AM
enthusiast
Registered: 10/30/06
Posts: 293
Loc: Orlando
Another case where it seems to me to be a lot of effort involved in misunderstanding it.
Working closely with US Air Force pilots, they often "become one with the aircraft" and feel the ship is just an extension of their human body!!_________________________
"I am certain there is too much certainty in the world" -Michael Crichton
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#181533 - 01/07/09 12:24 PM
old hand
Registered: 06/23/08
Posts: 830
Loc: Land of Flat River
I believe it, emotional attachment.
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