- the word order is correct.
- the adverb should follow the verb.
- I shouldn't worry about it; it's just a matter of personal style.
08 January, 2007
A question about word order
This morning while reading the preface of a book about English language usage, I came across the following sentence: THE COMPLETE PLAIN WORDS has a plain enough purpose: to make the task of writing easier for those who wish to write better than they now do.
I questioned the word order at the end of the sentence, and I was wondering if anyone else questioned it. So, do you think,
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6 comments:
I can't find any reference to indicate that either "now do" or "do now" is preferable.
At any rate, worrying about other people's writing just leads to heartache.
Oh, I wasn't worrying particularly, just wondering. The order "now do" clangs on my ears, and I was wondering if anyone else felt the same way.
It may be less clangy to a British English ear, but you'd have to ask one to be sure.
The first part of this sentence bugs more me.
Well Dan,I am the first to admit that I'm not perfect. Fortunately for my clients I scrub my documents thoroughly so there are no "clangers".
Nice paintings btw - especially the still lifes.
Thanks! I'm mainly about the paintings, though sometimes I wonder if they're just a pretext for nerdy word stuff.
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