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Re: NEWS.22: `allows' without an object
From: |
Robert J. Chassell |
Subject: |
Re: NEWS.22: `allows' without an object |
Date: |
Tue, 29 May 2007 10:33:03 +0000 (UTC) |
As Alan Mackenzie <address@hidden> says, "allow" needs a direct object,
> This version of `movemail' allows you to read mail from a wide range of
> ^^^
I think "allows reading mail" is also okay, and doesn't require "you".
`Reading' serves (or maybe the object is the whole phrase, `reading
mail' -- I don't know.)
Stefan Monnier <address@hidden> wrote
... in most contexts, "blabla to read mail" and "blabla reading
mail" translate into the exact same thing in French, so I tend to
not know when to use which.
I did not know. That explains a great deal.
As Alan Mackenzie says, this instance needs `the person or thing being
empowered'. On its own, in English, the phrase `to read' fails.
The English is confusing. It may be that you can only comfortably
learn this kind of construction when very young.
You could write, `enables reading mail', too; that makes more sense.
Before Eli Zaretskii made this observation, I had not noticed the
distinction between gaining permission and gaining an ability, but it
is there and important. After all, we are not talking about humans
getting permission from the `movemail' code, as `allow' suggests, but
gaining from it the power to act.
--
Robert J. Chassell GnuPG Key ID: 004B4AC8
address@hidden address@hidden
http://www.rattlesnake.com http://www.teak.cc