Re: ``I see from whom it comes''

From: Brian M. Scott (b.scott_at_csuohio.edu)
Date: 09/11/04 

Date: Sat, 11 Sep 2004 14:34:21 -0400

On Sat, 11 Sep 2004 13:58:44 GMT, Ron Hardin
<rhhardin@mindspring.com> wrote in
<news:41430491.AFE@mindspring.com> in sci.lang:

> Peter T. Daniels wrote:

>>> Dan Rather is quoted

>>> "Until someone shows me definitive proof that they are not, I don't
>>> see any reason to carry on a conversation with the professional rumor
>>> mill," Rather said. "My colleagues and I at '60 Minutes' made great
>>> efforts to authenticate these documents and to corroborate the story
>>> as best we could. ... I think the public is smart enough to see from
>>> whom some of this criticism is coming and draw judgments about what
>>> the motivations are."

>>> Is there anybody that that sounds grammatical to? It's not even formal
>>> register any longer.

>>> It's forced by fronting the ``from.''

>>> On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

>> At long last, Mr. Hardin, have you no ear??

>> Mr. Rather is of the antiquated opinion (he's nearly 70) that one
>> doesn't end a sentence with a preposition (normal people would say "to
>> see who some of this criticism is coming from," but he's Authoritative
>> and so has to use Authoritative Grammar), so he produces a perfectly
>> grammatical, by-the-rules sentence, in formal register.

>> Or do you think he should have said "to see from who some of this
>> criticism is coming"?

> What Rather lacks is the ear that says that it sounds so awful that
> perhaps the preposition has to go at the end after all.

In which case it would be 'to see whom some of this
criticism is coming from', and you'd still be bitching.

[...]

Relevant Pages

  • Re: ``I see from whom it comes
    ... Ron Hardin wrote: ... see who some of this criticism is coming from," but he's Authoritative ... and so has to use Authoritative Grammar), ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: ``I see from whom it comes
    ... > At long last, Mr. Hardin, have you no ear?? ... > see who some of this criticism is coming from," but he's Authoritative ... > and so has to use Authoritative Grammar), ... It doesn't even sound formal register, ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: ``I see from whom it comes
    ... On Sat, 11 Sep 2004 12:59:23 GMT, Ron Hardin ... > see any reason to carry on a conversation with the professional rumor ... You mean 'from whom some of this criticism is coming'? ...
    (sci.lang)
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