Re: Favorite tutoring session

[Michael Alle Mccord <writing@unix1.sncc.lsu.edu>]

On Tue, 6 Feb 1996, Deany M. Cheramie wrote:

> On Tue, 6 Feb 1996 Paula wrote:
> >
> >One of my tutors volunteered this today: he said his favorite 
> >session was 
> >one where a best man-to-be brought in the toast to the bride and 
> >groom.  
> >Ask your tutors.  What's your favorite?
> 
> Paula,
> 
> Sorry for the one-upmanship, but I got ya beat. At USL, while 
> working the Grammar Hotline, I helped someone who was writing 
> a combination "Dear John"  and  "thanks for the marriage proposal 
> but No Thanks" letter. She was writing her boyfriend who was 
> stationed in Germany at the time. I don't know why she was so 
> concerned with a split infinitive; considering the content of the 
> letter, I don't think the boyfriend would have cared.
> 
> deany
> 
> 
> DEANY M. CHERAMIE   
> engl-dmc@nich-nsunet.nich.edu
> 504-448-4207 
> Dept. of English 
> Nicholls State University
> PO Box 2023            
> Thibodaux, LA 70310   
> 
> TODAY'S QUOTE: "I like to say that even if there's no Mr. Right, 
> there's always Mr. Trainable."  -Kathryn Falk
> 
Deany,

I would have counseled the dumper to use the split infinitive to simply 
justify the form with the content! According to a message posted here 
about 20 messages ago, split infinitves are a native English structure 
anyway. . . .

Brook Haley
LSU Writing Center