ATTN: Copyeditors and Grammar Fiends

Er, kinder/k3vin, "comprised of" has been used since the 18th century according to Merriam-Webster. Now a question of preference rather than right and wrong.

I'm not sure I'd go that far. Because a small but vocal group still persists in deeming the usage incorrect, it's impossible to use in a publication without creating the impression for some people that you "don't know the difference."

Is 'comprises of' also correct? Bc I've seen that a lot too.

That's worse, isn't it?

definitely, and possibly why I hate 'comprised of'

'comprises of' is yet another example of people using too many prepositions. Pet hate.

Can someone offer an example of "comprises of" usage? I've never seen it before and can't imagine anything wronger.

Any estate agents site in the UK... "this property comprises of one bathroom, two bedrooms," etc

Google search this: "comprises of" site:http://www.rightmove.co.uk

:(

Er, kinder/k3vin, "comprised of" has been used since the 18th century according to Merriam-Webster. Now a question of preference rather than right and wrong.

http://missioncreep.com/tilt/comprise.html

― Science, you guys. Science. (DL), Friday, September 9, 2011 10:19 AM (13 hours ago)

this basically says it's been used incorrectly since the 18th century, lol

"compose" is an elegant and underused word and there's no reason to misuse "comprise" in its place

Elegant is an elegant word

You should never post on this thread.

Compose is composed but comprised has been compromised

Don't you think you're being a bit negative there WmC?

About you posting on this thread? Definitely.

Er, kinder/k3vin, "comprised of" has been used since the 18th century according to Merriam-Webster. Now a question of preference rather than right and wrong.

http://missioncreep.com/tilt/comprise.html

― Science, you guys. Science. (DL), Friday, September 9, 2011 10:19 AM (13 hours ago)

this basically says it's been used incorrectly since the 18th century, lol

Permalink
― comes correct with his gameboy (k3vin k.), Saturday, 10 September 2011 03:22 (52 minutes ago)

you belong in the 18th century

xp
I'll try make a point to limit my wacky one-liners to threads which don't comprise of sourpusses. EOC

this thread sucks

why do you say that, bamcquern

My pet drafting hate: "this" without a noun afterwards, e.g.

The discovery of these paradoxes has also stimulated a great development of the mathematical theory of logic. While this has led to the discovery of results of high mathematical and philosophical interest, it has not, in my opinion, led to any satisfactory resolution of the difficulties of finding a logical foundation for the subject.

Does "this" refer to the discovery, the development or the theory? Aargh.

development

yeah I know but it's not sufficiently flagged up for the reader, it's the writer's job to make that kind of thing easy

agreed

currently proofing my girlfriend's thesis. We're subsequently not on speaking terms

Being driven by editing annual report, much of it written by a CEO who puts spaces after opening brackets and before closing brackets, and before all punctuation. Sample sentences look like this.

And so we at the Doodah Council of SA ( DCSA ) love writing bullshit !

Being driven MAD I meant

"this" without a noun afterwards

it's not sufficiently flagged up for the reader, it's the writer's job to make that kind of thing easy

This is a problem with all anaphoric/cataphoric referencing, though, surely? (If you see what I did there.) It *is* up to the writer to write clearly, and if they can't use basic words with clarity then it's their fault and nothing inherent to the word.

I agree (although I don't know what "anaphoric/cataphoric referencing" means). When I wrote "my pet drafting hate: 'this' without a noun", I meant "people who use..." Looks like my own drafting could be tightened up.

Nah, I think we still disagree, actually. My point is that 'this without a noun' is fine if used clearly. Anaphoric/cataphoric referencing is, without going into endophora and deixis in general, stuff that requires contect - anaphora points backwards (so 'blah blah blah <-- THIS'), cataphora points forwards (as in 'THIS will be pointing forwards: the cataphoric reference').

Stuff that requires CONTEXT. My typing is bad today.

Rule of thumb is that "this" most likely refers backwards to the last noun used OR (by usage) the dominant noun in the last clause containing nouns. The (poor) writer may know what this dominant noun is, but doesn't spot that an unhipped reader won't.

I think it's got way worse -- as have related probs like dangling modifiers -- since word processing enabled instant redrafting and word-order shift on an industrial scale.

it's = the general situation in this regard, dear unhipped reader

why does "It held little interest to me" sound so wrong when "It was of little interest to me" is fine? just the Preposition Factor? I should change it to "for me," right?

for me, i think?

R.E.M. Breaks Up: Michael Stipe, Bandmates Release Ends Run

Can someone diagram this bullshit for me? Is "release" a noun or a verb in this headline?

it's a noun, there should be an apostrophe after "bandmates"?

yep

One last little dig at Mike Mills before they went.

At first I thought it meant they were releasing one final album called "Ends Run".

Ends Run In My Family

seems needless to enforce correct apostrophe laws when you're playing word-jenga for max compression: "this michael stipe and bandmates release ends the run"

ie "michael stipe and bandmates" is being deployed as an adjective there

without the apostrophe its too easy to read "release" as a verb, though, especially since its used so frequently in a musical context

Some bands I'd like to namecheck/
and one of them is Michael Stipe, Bandmates

Ends Run In My Family

― Pleasant Plains, Wednesday, September 21, 2011 2:31 PM (41 minutes ago)

I lol'd btw

it's not jenga if the structure isn't dicey

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/293991_781121081135_120400092_39501134_353160453_n.jpg

sticklers for the oxford comma but not for capitalization huh

^^one to talk

sarcastrophe

this exists. it's currently our IT department's thing