Re: CHAT: New Member With Questions

Tristan Alexander McLeay wrote:
> The fact remains, though, that I, as a Native Australian English speaker do
> not say 'From where do you come?', except to illustrate that point.
> Therefore, the preposition correctly placed at the end of the sentence
The basic sentence is "You come from where", then the "where" is moved
to the front of the sentence.  In most languages, you would have to move
the whole prepositional phrase "from where" to the beginning (e.g., in
Spanish ¿De dónde eres? NOT *¿Dónde eres de?), but everyday English
allows only the object of the preposition to be moved.

> Actually, they never did that to me. In schools in at least Victoria, the
> teaching of grammar isn't very common. Punctuation etc. yes, but not
> grammar. Instead, they teach us useless things like rhyming slang (dog's
> eye=meat pie), which no-one ever uses, except when being taught about it.
Really?  Interestin!

>
> >[Snipping stuff about the two preposition 'classes']
>
> This'd be like 'to give up'?
> I am giving writing up.
> I gave up writing.
> I am a giver-uperrer.
Indeed.  And interestingly, pronouns are more restricted.  Like, "I gave
it up", but not *"I gave up it"

--
Cenedl heb iaith, cenedl heb galon
A nation without a language is a nation without a heart - Welsh proverb
ICQ: 18656696
AIM Screen-Name: NikTaylor42

Reply