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Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
Delete
Hello,
Is it correct to say "to delete someone from the list of friends"? The context would be social networking. Thank yoy for help.
Is it correct to say "to delete someone from the list of friends"? The context would be social networking. Thank yoy for help.
Top answer
Hi This is definitely OK if the list is on a computer and you hit the "delete" button in order to remove the person from the list And, from there, you could use it correctly, as a metaphor, even without a computer In UK English, there is a similar metaphor: "I've taken him off my Christmas card list". You don't have to have a Christmas card list to say this - it just means you no longer like the person Dave
- Hi This is definitely OK if the list is on a computer and you hit the "delete" button in order to remove the person from the list And, from there, you could use it correctly, as a metaphor, even without a computer In UK English, there is a similar metaphor: "I've taken him off my Christmas card list".
- You don't have to have a Christmas card list to say this - it just means you no longer like the person Dave
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5 Answers
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Hi
This is definitely OK if the list is on a computer and you hit the "delete" button in order to remove the person from the list
And, from there, you could use it correctly, as a metaphor, even without a computer
In UK English, there is a similar metaphor: "I've taken him off my Christmas card list". You don't have to have a Christmas card list to say this - it just me
This is definitely OK if the list is on a computer and you hit the "delete" button in order to remove the person from the list
And, from there, you could use it correctly, as a metaphor, even without a computer
In UK English, there is a similar metaphor: "I've taken him off my Christmas card list". You don't have to have a Christmas card list to say this - it just me
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Yes.
Actually the context is very interesting. Yesterday my students were writing on paper together. One student said: "delete this sentence."
I thought why is this unusual. We associate 'delete" with the computer. It is technically correct, but I would choose to use "rub out" if they are using pencil or just "remove" it.
"Remove" starts to sound a bit strange too.
Actually the context is very interesting. Yesterday my students were writing on paper together. One student said: "delete this sentence."
I thought why is this unusual. We associate 'delete" with the computer. It is technically correct, but I would choose to use "rub out" if they are using pencil or just "remove" it.
"Remove" starts to sound a bit strange too.
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John, "delete" has been used to mean "remove this text" for a very long time -- far before the age of computers. If you find a chart showing proofreading marks, "delete" will probalby be right at the top.
http://www.amazon.com/Teacher-Created-Resources-Proofreading-Marks/dp
http://www.amazon.com/Teacher-Created-Resources-Proofreading-Marks/dp
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HI
Possibly it's also interesting because proofreaders, a few years back, would write d against an unwanted word. This is short for the Greek d?a????ete which means delete or cross out. However, in English proofreading, d meant "remove"
Dave
Possibly it's also interesting because proofreaders, a few years back, would write d against an unwanted word. This is short for the Greek d?a????ete which means delete or cross out. However, in English proofreading, d meant "remove"
Dave
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