Prepositions

wjserson · Post by **wjserson** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 4:37 pm

Nice to see there are other, less uptight individuals on the site, Duncan.

Duncan Powrie · Post by **Duncan Powrie** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 5:07 pm

Hey, let's not get too pally, pal (that is, Mr Wjserson), or it might seem like we're ganging up on "people"

I mean, peace, man!

< That's meant to be a guy chilling out. Stephen often makes interesting points, you know!

lolwhites · Post by **lolwhites** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 7:38 pm

On the subject of prepositions, I once had the following conversation with an advanced student:

Student: Do you say "in the station" or "at the station?"
Me: Both
Student: But which is correct?
Me: Both
Student: But which is better?
Me: Neither
Student: So how do I know which one to say?
Me: Aaaaaaaargh!
(Sound of glass breaking followed by a thud as teacher hurls himself from third floor window...or should that be through third floor window?)

Stephen Jones · Post by **Stephen Jones** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 9:11 pm

Dear Wjserson,
I was merely commenting that the phrases "to be good friends with" appeared to me to the kind of thing I would hear a kid say. No value judgement intended.

Still, you seem to get a kick out of making personal comments that have nothing to do with the matter in hand. I suppose if you can't get a life it fills the time.

Norm Ryder · Post by **Norm Ryder** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 9:42 pm

Doesn't sound as though Duncan's good friend WOWED
Stephen. With acknowledgments to lorikeet!

Norm.

wjserson · Post by **wjserson** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 11:01 pm

lolwhites · Post by **lolwhites** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 12:14 am

"I'm good friends with" is something I've heard plenty of adults say. Maybe I should keep better company...

Stephen Jones · Post by **Stephen Jones** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 5:52 am

Dear lolwhites,
Why on earth would you want to give up the trendy youthful crowd you hang out with for the old fogeys that make up my acquaintances?

It does look as if my comment on the playground context of "friends with" needs to be dropped in the litter basket together with Larry's use of his wife as the ultimate authority on breakfast syntax.

So real cool man, you're so BAD. I'm real friends with you.

Duncan Powrie · Post by **Duncan Powrie** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 5:57 am

Lolwhites, I guess if you hurl yourself FROM the window it was open, if THROUGH it was closed. I suggest that if you don't want to get cut by the glass you remember to open the window first. Anyway, I'm sure the students will be more talking about your death (or survival), and perhaps crying at your wake, than focusing on prepositions in their "reports" (unless they realized teaching prepositions was what drove you to jump in the first place).

Duncan Powrie · Post by **Duncan Powrie** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 6:01 am

Hey Stephen, you must be online now too! You made me laugh then! A few more like that, please (but not so many as me, I don't always get the balance right). We love you anyway, warts, hunchback (from dragging around all your grammar books) an' all!

William · Post by **William** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

wjserson wrote:"I'm good friends with..." is quite common, SJ, even though it may "seem childish" or not meet the grammatical requirements you need to be satisfied with it. Your alternative : "I'm a good friend of..." claims you are certain that person X thinks of you as a good friend. There's a semantic difference to the two sentences. An "adult" (with a slightly higher grammaitcal standard) would probably say "He/she is a good friend of mine" rather than be so egotistical as to claim the opposite.

I tend to write: "I am a good friend of ..." since I learned English from textbooks rather than conservation. "I'm good friends with ..." seems not grammatical or formal to me in writing.

lolwhites · Post by **lolwhites** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:50 am

Duncan - can't you throw yourself through an open window?

This is a question about language, not a request

Duncan Powrie · Post by **Duncan Powrie** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 1:15 pm

You mean you wanted me to give you a serious analysis?! Well...oh alright then <<sigh>>...(much later) <<clump clump CLUMP!>> I'm back! I had a word with Mr Grammar and he said yes, you can throw yourself through a window regardless of whether it's open or closed (i.e. you'd probably specify which it was), but that he has to stress this is only a recommendation about language and hopes nobody would be stupid enough to do either and leave the rest of us to pick up the bodily/glass/grammatical pieces...

Stephen Jones · Post by **Stephen Jones** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 6:57 pm

"I'm good friends with" is perfectly grammatical. Nobody is disputing that.

wjserson and lolwhites have attested to it being common in nomral adult usage, so, unless further evidence comes up, we have to accept that as well.

LarryLatham · Post by **LarryLatham** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 9:23 pm

There's not an emoticon for "head shaking". But you can imagine it.

Larry Latham

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Prepositions

prepositions?