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newteacher
Joined: 31 May 2007
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 Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 6:40 am Post subject: Grammar question |
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Had a question come up in class today and I wasn't exactly sure how to answer it.
Da Vinci was one of the most intelligent persons to have ever lived.
Or.
Da Vinci was one of the most intelligent people to have ever lived.
I know I've read the word persons in that context, but I wasn't exactly sure how to explain to my students the difference. The one grammar book I have doesn't mention it, but I checked on dictionary.com and there was a reference to a line from the bible that uses the word persons in a similar context. Technically it seems like both sentences are correct, but in the context above it for some reason seems like persons fits a little better. Can one of the many grammar nuts out there help me out with this please. |
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samd
Joined: 03 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 6:45 am Post subject: |
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| You want the Job Discussion Forum. This is the Bitch and Moan about Korea and Koreans Forum. |
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Chris Kwon
Joined: 23 Jan 2008
Location: North Korea
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| Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 6:47 am Post subject: |
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| I feel more comfortable using the second one personally. I'm interesting in seeing one of the grammar guru's opinion on this as well. |
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newteacher
Joined: 31 May 2007
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| Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 6:48 am Post subject: |
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| I reposted in the jobs discussion forum. Thanks. |
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daemyann
Joined: 09 Nov 2007
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| Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 9:25 am Post subject: Re: Grammar question |
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| newteacher wrote: |
Had a question come up in class today and I wasn't exactly sure how to answer it.
Da Vinci was one of the most intelligent persons to have ever lived.
Or.
Da Vinci was one of the most intelligent people to have ever lived.
I know I've read the word persons in that context, but I wasn't exactly sure how to explain to my students the difference. The one grammar book I have doesn't mention it, but I checked on dictionary.com and there was a reference to a line from the bible that uses the word persons in a similar context. Technically it seems like both sentences are correct, but in the context above it for some reason seems like persons fits a little better. Can one of the many grammar nuts out there help me out with this please. |
IMO, it should be "people" because the group "most intelligent _____" is an indefinite numerable group, absent of a required emphasis on the individuality of it's members.
It's confusing because of the word "one", which sounds as if it adds an emphasis of individuality within the group, is in fact only describing Divinci.
Then again, I may have thrown together that explanation out of a ridiculous bias for "people" over "persons"... |
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