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Posted by ricardoe (U6707395) on Saturday, 25th November 2006
Could the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú please note that when used as a verb, as in the plot synopsis for Friday 25th, the word practise has an S, not a C
Hmm, so it looks like the complaints of four weeks ago didn't have much effect then...
, in reply to message 1.
Posted by Keri Davies (U2219620) on Wednesday, 29th November 2006
Tut, how did I let that slip through?
Corrected now.
, in reply to message 3.
Posted by ExTAlistener (U3058291) on Wednesday, 29th November 2006
So it definitely isn't that one spelling is for the "trying again and again until perfect" meaning, and the other for "undertaking ones chosen profession or calling" meaning....???
(how did I get hold of that idea...?)
I can never work out when practi e is a noun and when its a verb.
And what about "compliment" and "complement"...?
I can never work out when practi e is a noun and when its a verb. Ìý
As a rule of thumb, Barn Owl, if you could put 'a' or 'the' in front of the word in the same sentence and it still makes sense, then it's a noun.
If you could put 'I' or 'he/she/it' or 'you', 'we' or 'they' in front of it, then it's being used as a verb.
Try it with this: Usha Gupta practises law in a legal practice in Borchester. The practice of calling residents by first name and surname together is something which Joe Grundy and other Ambridge residents practise from time to time.
Hope that helps a bit. Practice makes perfect.
, in reply to message 7.
Posted by ayrshire-cowman (U2259898) on Sunday, 3rd December 2006
If you imagine substituting the doubtful word with either advice or advise , you will be able to choose the correct one more easily.
Excellent advice, a-c!
Thanks! I'll try that!
so is "first" a noun or an adjective?
("He was the first - who ever burst.....etc.")
Rick - in my example, 'first' is being used as an adjective to qualify/describe the noun, 'name'.
There are other uses which would clearly make it a noun - eg. she got a first at Cambridge (but it represents the noun phrase 'first class honours degree'); or 'that was a first for him!' (meaning first time he had done something).
In your example 'he was the first' I think it is also a noun, but I'm less sure. If you said 'he was the king' then there would be no dispute that 'king' is a noun, so I'm moving towards the conclusion that 'first' is a noun in your eg.!
I haven't had time to look up your complimentary/complementary question, but when I was in school I was told that complEmentary was to do with completing something, whilst complImentary was about being nice. No doubt someone in possession of a Usage Book will be along to take that to pieces!
with a c - noun
with a s - verb
both are in alphabetical order. Well it works for me!
, in reply to message 12.
Posted by ExTAlistener (U3058291) on Tuesday, 5th December 2006
Thanks Lili...
In the sentence "He was the first..." the word first is an adjective modifying an understood noun. In other words we are really saying "he was the first *person*..." – but the word person is understood, not stated. I think that's right, anyway!
Bolero's definitions of complementary and complimentary are spot on.
, in reply to message 15.
Posted by ExTAlistener (U3058291) on Wednesday, 6th December 2006
Thanks, OTR. So ordinal numbers are always adjectives? I wonder about cardinal numbers then, how are they classed, then? I know that in some languages which have retained gender, that the numbers change as the numbers get bigger. I suppose "a hundred" must be a noun.... or is it?
, in reply to message 16.
Posted by lili bolero (U2233428) on Wednesday, 6th December 2006
Sorry to wander off the point, Rick, but your question about the cardinal numbers has reminded me of something from a book I read many years ago.
One character gets ticked off for saying, "Honestly, you two are a one!" The person telling them off says, "Don't be silly - you can't say that. It's like saying, 'you three are a pair!'."
Sorry - can't answer your question. You can say, 'Your card is a two' (Meaning eg a 2 of Hearts/Clubs/Diamonds/Spades). So does that make 2 an adjective (qualifying the suit which the card belongs to)?
, in reply to message 17.
Posted by ExTAlistener (U3058291) on Thursday, 7th December 2006
< You can say, 'Your card is a two' >
unless this a horrrible mis-usage that would make certain people cringe....!
Btw heard someone from Yorkshire use that lovely phrase "a very lot" yesterday...
notice notice there is no such word as notise.
heard someone from Yorkshire use that lovely phrase "a very lot" yesterday...Ìý
Is that like "how very dare you?"
, in reply to message 20.
Posted by ExTAlistener (U3058291) on Sunday, 10th December 2006
Hardly - that's a verb...
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