Jose Carillo's English Forum

English Grammar and Usage Problems => Use and Misuse => Topic started by: maxsims on May 20, 2009, 11:45:59 AM

Title: English - how do I love thee?
Post by: maxsims on May 20, 2009, 11:45:59 AM

On the cover of "English Plain and Simple", Julia Kirby's commendation ends with the sentence, If you love the English language as I do, Carillo's is just the type of book you'll love having at hand.

Is not Julia telling us that she loves the English language in a particular but unspecified manner?   If she is telling us that she merely loves the language, is not as I do parenthetic (a non-restrictive clause) and therefore should have commas fore and aft?

Title: Re: English - how do I love thee?
Post by: Joe Carillo on May 21, 2009, 07:05:09 AM

I think she meant the conditional phrase "if you love the English language as I do" to be taken as a whole, in which case the phrase "as I do" within it is a restrictive, nonparenthetic phrase. Of course, if she intended "as I do" to be nonrestrictive, it should have commas fore and aft as you suggest, but the meaning would be different. The comparative aspect would disappear from the phrase and it would sound as if Julia was saying that if you love the English language, you'd love having at hand the type of book that Carillo has written. It's clear, though, that she thinks it's enough for people to just love English to the degree that she does to appreciate Carillo's book. And I must admit that I'm rather comfortable with that idea as it is.   

Title: Re: English - how do I love thee?
Post by: maxsims on May 22, 2009, 12:53:27 PM

It's clear, though, that she thinks it's enough for people to just love English to the degree that she does to appreciate Carillo's book. And I must admit that I'm rather comfortable with that idea as it is.

It may be clear to you, Joe, and you may be comfortable with it, but you are hardly a disinterested reader.   In any case, the rest of us have no idea to what degree Julia loves English.   If it's only a little.....?   That's why most readers (I believe) would think that Julia has slipped up!

Title: Re: English - how do I love thee?
Post by: Joe Carillo on May 23, 2009, 01:24:51 PM

A favorable review of one's book is a gift, so I accepted Julia's critique in the spirit of that good, old adage that "one shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth." And I must add that I still think that the gift horse was absolutely healthy and remains so today--for which I remain truly grateful to the giver.