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Azz Posted 11 years ago
Grammar
Call a NOUN a NOUN
Can one say (or rather write, since I have included quotation marks)
a. He tends to call 'tentative question' every assertion he makes and which ends up being proven wrong.
b. He tends to call every assertion he makes and which ends up being proven wrong 'tentative question'.
?
My feeling is that they both work.
So 'to call A NOUN A NOUN' could go both ways?
Many thanks.
a. He tends to call 'tentative question' every assertion he makes and which ends up being proven wrong.
b. He tends to call every assertion he makes and which ends up being proven wrong 'tentative question'.
?
My feeling is that they both work.
So 'to call A NOUN A NOUN' could go both ways?
Many thanks.
Top answer
Only (b) works. The example is not very good, as the person would be unlikely to claim than an assertion was a tentative question .
- Only (b) works.
- The example is not very good, as the person would be unlikely to claim than an assertion was a tentative question .
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4 Answers
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Only (b) works.
The example is not very good, as the person would be unlikely to claim than an assertion was a tentative question.
The example is not very good, as the person would be unlikely to claim than an assertion was a tentative question.
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It's not a matter of honesty. The person might get away with claiming that an assertion was a tentative suggestion, but he would be laughed out of court if he claimed it was a question.
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You are quite right as regards cases where there is some kind of material proof that the person did make the assertion. I know a few people that simply deny having made the assertions they made. I think in some cases, they simply forget having made those assertions. In other cases, they just don't want to own up to the fact that they made a mistake.
My memory says I did it. My pride says
My memory says I did it. My pride says
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