There's a missing predicate in the following sentence from "Dangerous Psychopath Captured" at the start of Chpt. 10: "The flour, butter, ginger and sugar psychopath, whose penchant for literally pulling his victims apart, is currently in a secure wing of St. Cerebellum's, where he will doubtless remain for the rest of his life."

Read it with "taste" instead of "penchant" if you don't see the problem.

JW

Oh dear, we've acquired another one.

And aren't we all just so glad? Perhaps we should write a stern letter to Mr Fforde, upbraiding his slovenly grammar. Fie upon him and his lack of predication, and huzzah to Jared for bringing this ever so important point to our attention.

It needs an "is" between "penchant" and "for" to give a verb to the first subordinate clause.
Thank goodness someone cares.

I had no intention of positing this to a forum, but I saw no link to the author or publisher.

Jared: Do you enjoy reading the books for the stories and the silliness at all?

Yes, I am a fan and have all his books. It's just that I usually don't see such mistakes. If a sentence doesn't parse it bothers me -- most of the time it's a misreading on my part.

Don't blame yourself- it could be those outdated imaginotransference machines. However, my new history textbooks contain perfect grammar and are the driest, dullest books I have ever attempted to read. I'll stick with the delightful Mr Fforde, predicate errors an' all...

Besides, given that it's presented as a news media piece is it not actually more right that the predicate is missing.

The bulk of articles I read in the daily paper follow a terribly conversational mode of language, "penchant for" is much more likely to appear in the Herald than "penchant is for".

Heck, TV newspeople pronounce the t at the end of "trait" even though they shouldn't.

Is "trait" pronounced identically to "tray"? How most confusing.
Can't think of pronouncing "trait-d'union" as "trade union".

By the way, this reminds me of someone from Bath (UK), who claimed that people from the south (or from the north, whatever part of Britain Bath is not in) didn't believe the name of the place was spelled without an "r".
It took me quite some while to figure out where the "r" would have to be inserted, but even then I feel both pronunciations to be different.

Sorry for drifting off-topic,

Delacuesta.



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Fowler says that the final 't' in 'trait' is "sounded in America but usually silent in England".
The MacQuarie Dictionary gives both options as correct if you're in Australia. I've always sounded it, especially if the next word starts with a vowel (such as in my first sentence above).

At college (high school, secondary school <- that'll cover any issues with cross global cultures, won't it?) the silent t was hammered into us.

And the shame that was cast towards the student who when reading Shakepeare pronounced "lieutenant" as an american would....



Post Edited (10-11-05 23:30)

So, how do y'all say lieutenant? I didn't realize there was a difference.
I also didn't catch the missing is near penchant (even when substituting taste). I'm a heathen. It sounds better to me without it.

With global movies and shows, I wonder how long before more pronounciation becomes paired down to just one acceptable way and the others become archaic? I think some accents in the US are being smoothed over already.
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Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night. --- Edgar Allan Poe

Australians are required by law to say "leff" not "lew" but I often lewdly say "lew' in lieu of "leff" which lets loose a lulu of a hullabaloo whenever I do.
New Zealanders don't have this problem because the highest rank anybody there has ever risen to is corporal (and I think he passed away some years ago).

I kept staring at the word and could not come up with an alternative pronounciation. Of course, now that I see your explanation I recall hearing it often...but I still can't make it out from the spelling. Much like when folks add an R to bath...but I digress.

Robert, your post almost made cornflakes come out my nose from laughing. Good thing I wasn't eating any at the time.

Oh dear, for all those years Shakespearean actors were merely referencing a lieutenant...they were not talking about the house tenants on the left? My, my.



Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night. --- Edgar Allan Poe

I agree
There's nothing like getting one's R's into the bath.