XP: Written Word/English Language&Reading Material

"Bernhard's prizes have become one of the fundamental facts of his biography, as crude and unadulterated as the years of his birth and death (1931-89), or the number of novels he wrote..."

from the preface to "My Prizes".

I read this today and immediately thought of this thread.
 
Everyone can use a little “grammar” update now and then, so here’s yours for today... enjoy!

Is it "complete", "finished", or "completely finished"?

No English dictionary has been able to adequately explain the difference between these two words - "Complete" or "Finished".

In a recent linguistic competition held in London and attended by, supposedly, the best in the world, Samdar Balgobin, a Guyanese man, was the clear winner with a standing ovation which lasted over 5 minutes.



The final question was: 'How do you explain the difference between COMPLETE and FINISHED in a way that is easy to understand? Some people say there is no difference between COMPLETE and FINISHED.'

Here is his astute answer:



"When you marry the right woman, you are COMPLETE. When you marry the wrong woman, you are FINISHED. And when the right one catches you with the wrong one, you are COMPLETELY FINISHED!"



He won a trip around the world and a case of 25 year old Scotch!
Click to expand...

. . . . Pete
 
lordy.

first of all, dictionaries don't "explain differences". (just like thesauruses don't give definitions. (remember that one?)) dictionaries give definitions and often pronunciations. some also give etymologies, and furthermore, some also give examples of usage. but they don't "explain differences".

if you get out an english dictionary you will find that "complete" and "finish" are, for certain usages, used as a definition for the other. this in not a problem.

and then of course there are usages for which they are not interchangeable. finish can be used either as a verb or a noun. complete can be used either as a verb or an adjective. definitions will vary. your dictionary will help you with this.
 
I've seen "enquiry" used a few times so got curious...

Difference between inquiry and enquiry.

One reference says:

In the USA inquiry has replaced enquiry for all purposes. In U.K. a useful distinction has developed. Inquiry means making an investigation, enquiry is just asking a question.
Click to expand...

Another reference says:

The five enquiry types:

Observation over time.
Pattern seeking.
Identifying, classifying and grouping.
Comparative and fair testing.
Research using secondary sources.
Click to expand...

. . . . Pete
 
The distinction has never been very functional even in British English, witness Hume's An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, where the enquiry is clearly an investigation. And Jeff is right. For US purposes, there's no reason to care. Unless you think the e spelling is somehow classier, in which case just use that and pretend you are the dowager countess in Downton Abbey.
 
Homographs plus a few heteronyms...

· The bandage was *wound* around the *wound*.
· The farm was used to *produce produce*.
· The dump was so full that it had to *refuse* more *refuse*.
· We must *polish* the *Polish* furniture.
· He could *lead* if he would get the *lead* out.
· The soldier decided to *desert* his dessert in the *desert*.
· Since there is no time like the *present*, he thought it was time to
*present* the *present*.
· A *bass* was painted on the head of the *bass* drum.
· When shot at, the *dove dove * into the bushes.
· I did not *object* to the *object*.
· The insurance was *invalid* for the *invalid*.
· There was a *row* among the oarsmen about how to *row*.
· They were too *close* to the door to *close* it.
· The buck *does* funny things when the *does* are present.
 
originally posted by Peter Creasey:

Homographs plus a few heteronyms...

· The bandage was *wound* around the *wound*.
· The farm was used to *produce produce*.
· The dump was so full that it had to *refuse* more *refuse*.
· We must *polish* the *Polish* furniture.
· He could *lead* if he would get the *lead* out.
· The soldier decided to *desert* his dessert in the *desert*.
· Since there is no time like the *present*, he thought it was time to
*present* the *present*.
· A *bass* was painted on the head of the *bass* drum.
· When shot at, the *dove dove * into the bushes.
· I did not *object* to the *object*.
· The insurance was *invalid* for the *invalid*.
· There was a *row* among the oarsmen about how to *row*.
· They were too *close* to the door to *close* it.
· The buck *does* funny things when the *does* are present.
Click to expand...

These are the kind of things that drive non-native speakers nuts. In a similar vein:
The color of the caller's collar was white.
 
originally posted by Christian Miller (CMM):
originally posted by Peter Creasey:

Homographs plus a few heteronyms...

· The bandage was *wound* around the *wound*.
· The farm was used to *produce produce*.
· The dump was so full that it had to *refuse* more *refuse*.
· We must *polish* the *Polish* furniture.
· He could *lead* if he would get the *lead* out.
· The soldier decided to *desert* his dessert in the *desert*.
· Since there is no time like the *present*, he thought it was time to
*present* the *present*.
· A *bass* was painted on the head of the *bass* drum.
· When shot at, the *dove dove * into the bushes.
· I did not *object* to the *object*.
· The insurance was *invalid* for the *invalid*.
· There was a *row* among the oarsmen about how to *row*.
· They were too *close* to the door to *close* it.
· The buck *does* funny things when the *does* are present.
Click to expand...

These are the kind of things that drive non-native speakers nuts. In a similar vein:
The color of the caller's collar was white.
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly. It is no wonder furriners think that English is so difficult.
 
originally posted by mark e:
originally posted by Christian Miller (CMM):
originally posted by Peter Creasey:

Homographs plus a few heteronyms...

· The bandage was *wound* around the *wound*.
· The farm was used to *produce produce*.
· The dump was so full that it had to *refuse* more *refuse*.
· We must *polish* the *Polish* furniture.
· He could *lead* if he would get the *lead* out.
· The soldier decided to *desert* his dessert in the *desert*.
· Since there is no time like the *present*, he thought it was time to
*present* the *present*.
· A *bass* was painted on the head of the *bass* drum.
· When shot at, the *dove dove * into the bushes.
· I did not *object* to the *object*.
· The insurance was *invalid* for the *invalid*.
· There was a *row* among the oarsmen about how to *row*.
· They were too *close* to the door to *close* it.
· The buck *does* funny things when the *does* are present.
Click to expand...

These are the kind of things that drive non-native speakers nuts. In a similar vein:
The color of the caller's collar was white.
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly. It is no wonder furriners think that English is so difficult.
Click to expand...

It’s been pointed out by others that only in English-speaking countries is spelling considered a competitive activity.

Mark Lipton
 
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
Really people: Il y avait un sot avec un sceau dans un seau sur un cheval. Le cheval a tombe avec le sot, le sceau, et le seau. There are others.
Click to expand...

Indeed; a french equivalent to the color of the caller's collar might be "un bon jambon en vin blanc". The difference between -am, -on, -en and -an are very clear to a native speaker in most of France, but subtle and tricky for many English speakers. Including this one.
 
originally posted by Christian Miller (CMM):
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
Really people: Il y avait un sot avec un sceau dans un seau sur un cheval. Le cheval a tombe avec le sot, le sceau, et le seau. There are others.
Click to expand...

Indeed; a french equivalent to the color of the caller's collar might be "un bon jambon en vin blanc". The difference between -am, -on, -en and -an are very clear to a native speaker in most of France, but subtle and tricky for many English speakers. Including this one.
Click to expand...

If you can remember un bon vin blanc, you'll get all those different sounds. Some of them have two spellings--en et un--may the sentence gets you all the sounds. I learned that one in high school.
 
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