Teacher Discussion Forums

Deeper into what, exactly?

If you've not been there, you wouldn't know.

Well, I really got this one started, didn’t I? Pleased with yourself? I think what got my goat was being called a prescriptivist. Maybe you shouldn't spout typically prescriptivist jargon, without qualifying you meaning: Perhaps, probably, they are interchanged by people who live in areas where the...

1. If you sold them on eBay, you'd make twice as much.

it can have present reference, but not future (e.g. next week)?

?? For me it can have future reference. It's a Timeless or All Time utterance (then, now and in the future).

lolwhites wrote:

Are you any different?

Yes.

In your dreams.

Classic Lolwhites avoidance technique.

No, just pointing out what you do. If anyone's avoiding anything here, it's you.

Bring it on.

But contradict him at your peril.

Are you any different?

Classic Metal response; picks the one bit of the post he has an easy response to and ignores the rest.

Classic Lolwhites avoidance technique.

This is exactly the kind of contemptuous behaviour which people here are complaining about. Thou art to look upon thyself as thou art. Can you do it? How much of his guidance is actually unsound? I didn't say it was unsound, only shallow. Swan is fine for new teachers and those wanting surface trea...

fluffyhamster wrote:I thought many teachers used Swan as a guide (to familiarize themselves with, or be reminded of important general points) rather than as an exacting authority to be unswervingly quoted and followed.

As they say "You know what thought did".

fluffyhamster wrote:This rather proves that you have no sense of humour then, Metal.

I have a sense of boredom. Off to watch the abalones mate, mate.

Yes yes yes, Metal, every poster other than you is a hypocrite Hm. Don't see where I said that. '90% of not very many regular posters' equals all the people who've been put off of posting anything by your behaviour. Fluff, if there was nothing on TV tonight, I'd gladly keep you compamny and give yo...

Swan's for wussies and amateurs. He's the descriptivists' closet-prescriptivist. Interesting point of view. Could you expand on it with examples? Examples? Thousands. How many times I've heard would-be descriptivist teachers say "your use of X grammar item is inappropriate" (love the euphemism), "S...

fluffyhamster wrote:Maybe you can suggest a handy one-volume portable reference that would be better for teachers than Swan, then.

A volume that would be better for teachers than for Swan?

One would hope a good teacher would not need a portable reference.

lolwhites wrote: The only thing that's changed since then is that pretty much every poster has got into a flame war with Metal at some point, which, apparently is everyone else's fault because we can't see how hypocritical we are.

Love that "pretty much". What's 90% of not very many regular posters?

Could you be accused of wasting space, here, Fluffed? Naa! I think not. We all know it's just Fluffed on a run.

Had a fight with your lover this week, have you? Mum won't let you go to that linguistics conference next week? Poor Fluff, all fluffed up and nowhere to go.

But it would be nice if I somehow did all your research for you, I'm sure. I think not. Sorry, but I really don't see how anyone can talk when you refuse to ever admit that you too have feelings that shape the discussion in question itself. Really? My amazing memory also enabled me to recall this: ...

I've said before how your not seeming to be able to take a joke once started the bad blood between us two at least (you began popping up on my threads to add absolutely nothing other than insults, to which I responded in like manner). There it is, that Fluffy "He started it, sir" whinge. Metal's ta...