Something pretty random but I just wanted to see if anyone else has ever noticed this.
I've run across something over and over in National Parks and Forests throughout the state that drives me a little nuts.
The next time you take a piss in a vault toilet in the S.G's you'll probably see this sign.
PLEASE...
DO NOT put trash
in toilets,
it is extremely
difficult to remove.
THANK YOU
That comma after toilets always got to me. I KNEW it was wrong but figured there was no WAY an organization would create hundreds if not thousands of signs that used improper grammar.
Finally had to look it up. They went with a "comma splice" to join two independent clauses. An incorrect use. They should have gone with a period, semi colon or dash. They blew it.
It's like if someone were to run off 1,000 road signs for the Dept. of Transportation and spelled it SPOT but it was decided to put them up anyway. Or better yet, signs at trailheads that read TRIAL.
Gotta' drop them a note on this one. I'm curious as hell.
(But if I'm wrong it would be appreciated if someone would stop me before I made an ass of myself).
Bad Grammar In The Forest
The sentence doesn't bother me. I read it with an implied conjunction: "Do not put trash in toilets, [because] it is extremely difficult to remove."
Not the way I would have composed the sentence. But then nobody asked me.
Also, the question of the comma is a punctuational issue, not a grammatical one.
Not the way I would have composed the sentence. But then nobody asked me.
Also, the question of the comma is a punctuational issue, not a grammatical one.
I read it with the implied conjunction as well Sean although I might have gone with, "...as it is extremely difficult to remove." Probably would have added, "Close the lid" too.Sean wrote: ↑The sentence doesn't bother me. I read it with an implied conjunction: "Do not put trash in toilets, [because] it is extremely difficult to remove."
Not the way I would have composed the sentence. But then nobody asked me.
Also, the question of the comma is a punctuational issue, not a grammatical one.
And unless I'm mistaken, which has happened once or ten thousand times, isn't grammar the overall structure of a language which includes punctuation?
Either way, I'm not putting trash in the toilet. I heard it's difficult to remove.
For what it's worth, I have a background in this subject matter. But I encourage you to look up these words in a good dictionary.
Grammar is the study of words and how to form them into sentences. Punctuation is the use of marks to separate and clarify words. I suppose both could be considered part of linguistics, though I'm from the school that considers punctuation to be 90% worthless.
Grammar is the study of words and how to form them into sentences. Punctuation is the use of marks to separate and clarify words. I suppose both could be considered part of linguistics, though I'm from the school that considers punctuation to be 90% worthless.
Wow!!!! Now that's cool.
Maybe I'll finally find a satisfying answer to my question: What is "run" in the sentence "See Spot run". Obviously it's imperative voice with an implicit "You" as the subject, the verb is "see," and the object is "Spot." It's a classic subject-verb-object structure. But what is "run?" Is it a gerund?
HJ
I just dropped them a note and left a message. If they get back to me I'll share their thoughts.
I'm not really a "word guy" but after checking out their forum it seems a lot of people are. They really get in to it.
It's an infinitive serving as a noun. In special cases you drop the "to" because it would sound funny (See Spot to run!). It's sort of like a gerund, which is the -ing verb form acting as a noun.