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Re: NEWS.22: `allows' without an object
From: |
David Kastrup |
Subject: |
Re: NEWS.22: `allows' without an object |
Date: |
Tue, 29 May 2007 13:13:14 +0200 |
User-agent: |
Gnus/5.11 (Gnus v5.11) Emacs/23.0.51 (gnu/linux) |
"Robert J. Chassell" <address@hidden> writes:
> 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.)
>
> 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.
Actually, I find that "enables" is suffering from a similar degree of
awkwardness. I'd probably use "facilitates reading mail ..." instead:
this is an enabled-object-free verb, though a bit more pompous. More
closely related to "allows" would be "permits reading"; this is
simpler than "facilitates", though, like "allows", slightly wrong as
this is not a question of permission.
> 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.
I should read postings to their end before replying. Saves time.
--
David Kastrup