On Wed, 2003-10-15 at 02:20, Manoj Srivastava wrote:
> I think you need a better grammar book.
I think you need a grammar book published after 1908[1] The English
spoken in 1908 is not the English spoken today. And getting weird of
weird rules is certainly a nice improvement --- English has FAR too
many.
I suggest trying [2]. Hey, that page even says that the traditional
rules say to use "will" in the second person, unless you intend it to be
a command --- and I have no idea why it would be. [3] also notes that
the distinction is obsolete, especially in en_US. [4] and [5] give
similar comments about non-usage in en_US, and alternate meanings in
en_US.
Considering the number of clearer, alternate ways to express the same
thing, I don't see the sense in sticking with using "shall" in that
sentence.
FOOTNOTES
1. As opposed to the one cited in
http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2003/debian-vote-200310/msg00030.html
2. The American Heritage® Book of English Usage
http://www.bartleby.com/64/C001/056.html
3. Guide to Grammar and Style
http://newark.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/s.html
4. http://ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/auxiliary.htm
5. http://www.grammarmudge.cityslide.com/page/page/226236.htm#8280
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