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Manfred comments on Stupid Questions June 2015 - Less Wrong Discussion

5 Post author: Gondolinian 31 May 2015 02:14AM

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Comment author: Bound_up 02 June 2015 07:07:03PM *  0 points [-]

If I may the cake dare to take, I'm trying to determine if I've grammatically correctly adjusted the following phrases for the "no prepositions at end of sentences" rule.

The classic: I will not put up with becomes Up with which I will not put

Or with a verb added: I hate to put up with

becomes

Up with which I hate to put

And then my own: To have to

becomes (???)

to which I have(?)

as in: I hate to have to

becomes

I hate to which I have (?)

Which when combined: I hate to have to put up with

becomes

Up with which I hate to which I have put (?)

This last phrase is what I think I have right, but am having trouble determining so for sure.

Comment author: Manfred 02 June 2015 08:43:34PM 2 points [-]

If you say "This is some stuff I hate to put up with," and someone complains about your sentence ending in a preposition, I think the correct rephrasing is "This is some stuff I hate to put up with, you asshole." But here are some more serious answers:

"Stuff I hate to put up with" does not end with a preposition - "put up with" is functioning as a compound verb here. It's like saying "Popsicles I hate to lick." Anyone who hassles anyone about this should refer to paragraph one.

"I don't want to exercise, but I have to" becomes (if one wants to follow this arbitrary rule, which, to reiterate, one needn't) "I don't want to exercise, but I have to exercise," or alternately, "Though I have to, I don't want to exercise."

Comment author: Bound_up 02 June 2015 09:05:32PM 0 points [-]

It is specifically to demonstrate the absurdity of the rule that I wish to phrase more nearly (and technically correctly) like my last example there, serving to obscure rather than clarify communication.

Comment author: Lumifer 02 June 2015 08:55:04PM 0 points [-]

I think the correct rephrasing is "This is some stuff I hate to put up with, you asshole."

And you can refer him to the authority of the Language Log post. I should note that involves zombies, X nazis, and "Latin-obsessed 17th century introverts" X-D