Re: Non native English speaker is checking whether a phrasing should be filed a minor bug report.
On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 02:41:05PM -0500, Doug wrote:
> On 11/30/2010 07:22 AM, Regid Ichira wrote:
> > Consider the following:
> >
> >$ man bootlogd | grep -A4 DESCRIPTION
> >DESCRIPTION
> > Bootlogd runs in the background and copies all strings sent to the
> > /dev/console device to a logfile. If the logfile is not accessible,
> > the messages will be kept in memory until it is.
> >
> >I think there is a problem with the 2nd sentence. Doesn't it lacks an
> >objective? Until when will the messages be kept in memory?
> >
> > I am asking because I am not a native English speaker. In the past I was
> >advised to carefully check before making comments about other people's
> >phrasing. I think that phrasing should be filed a bug against. The package
> >is sysvinit-utils.
> >
> >
> This is a little clumsy, but it is technically correct. The word "it"
> refers back to the singular "logfile." A more easily read sentence
> might be, "The messages are kept in logfile
No. They're kept in memory.
> can be read
No. They can be written to the logfile.
> when
> it becomes accessible."
Not necessarily. It may be accessible already and wouldn't have to
"become" accessible. The original is more accurate.
> There, the plural "messages" takes the
> plural verb "are," and the word "logfile" and the word "it" are in close
> proximity, and clearly take a verb form which is not seen to be plural.
Is it really difficult to associate "it" with "logfile"? "Logfile" is
the only singular noun in the sentence. What else could it refer to?
> Generally in English, a verb form wants to agree with a noun it is in
> close proximity to, and therefore, it behooves the writer to make that
> happen.
It wants to agree with a subject. Both occurrences of "is" come directly
after the subject. Not close enough? ;)
> Do not file a bug.
Good advice.
Cheers,
David
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