Deby Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 Could someone please advise me whether the following sentence is grammatically correct English.We currently have but one of the weeks available that you have requested : the 11 - 18th June. Thanks for this. Deby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 Of the weeks you have requested we have only the 11th to 18th June available.Is that any better? I'm not sure...Certainly leave out 'currently' because it is redundant, and 'only one' would be clearer than 'but one' which is more correct but would confuse some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deby Posted December 15, 2004 Author Share Posted December 15, 2004 Thanks Dick,The 'but one' bit was the bit I was stumbling over, to me it sounded odd.Thanks,Deby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baston Posted December 16, 2004 Share Posted December 16, 2004 [quote]Could someone please advise me whether the following sentence is grammatically correct English. We currently have but one of the weeks available that you have requested : the 11 - 18th June. ...[/quote]Nothing wrong with the original post... currently included or not sounds fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted December 16, 2004 Share Posted December 16, 2004 Nope, I'm with Dick on this one."Currently" is extraneous. Chuck it."Only one" is clear. "But one" is a bit poetic. Or pompous. Or maybe both. Ditch it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceni Posted December 16, 2004 Share Posted December 16, 2004 "But one" probably more old fashioned than poetic - unless one considers poetry old fashioned.John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pucette<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Pucette<FONT><P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">"Qui ne connaît pas la campagne lhiver, ne connaît pas la campagne et ne connaît pas Posted December 16, 2004 Share Posted December 16, 2004 I would sayOnly one of the weeks requested is available: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patf Posted December 16, 2004 Share Posted December 16, 2004 Or you could sidestep the whole issue by sending a chart/ calendar showing which weeks are available and which not. Pat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted December 16, 2004 Share Posted December 16, 2004 [quote]"But one" probably more old fashioned than poetic - unless one considers poetry old fashioned. John[/quote]But the best IS old-fashioned!Poetry has been going downhill since Milton wrote Paradise Lost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted December 16, 2004 Share Posted December 16, 2004 And prose - remember the Areopogitica?Don't you think that Joyce had something going in the language department? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deby Posted December 16, 2004 Author Share Posted December 16, 2004 Thanks for all your comments on this.Hubby and I had a rather heated debate out this whole sentence. I was convinced the 'but one' sounded rather awkward and therefore wrong! So it was me who had to concede. However, yes I felt the phrase a bit too poetic and rather pompouse. Just goes to show you how language is living and constantly changing to adapt to today's modern society.I will concede graciously though as it is a shame for a language to lose some of its poeticity (is this a real word?). Having lived abroad for several years now (Germany, Holland and now France) my English is a real melting pot of environments. Heaven knows what I really sound like to English people back in England. The other night I asked the question of how many minutes have passed when just simply asking the time?Come to think of it what on earth do I sound like when I speak French!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pucette<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Pucette<FONT><P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">"Qui ne connaît pas la campagne lhiver, ne connaît pas la campagne et ne connaît pas Posted December 16, 2004 Share Posted December 16, 2004 I'm all for wallowing in the beauty and richness of the English language for pleasure but think that clarity should be the primary aim in business, administration and mundane matters. For example, I would rather hear a reading from the old King James (?) version of the bible than a modern one... unless I was trying to get the content across to someone who would struggle to grasp the meaning of the former. (I'm not at all religious but it's the only example that I can think of off the top of my head.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceni Posted December 17, 2004 Share Posted December 17, 2004 The reason that the King James Bible is so evocative and wonderful is that it is written in a language now no longer used but a language that many of us are used to because we have all had the pleasure of Shakespeare at some time or other.Modern language now has words and ways of speech that were not available to the writers then, no 'ing' types of language (such as singing or dancing). There is a scholar who is rewriting the old testament with all the words in it - when you read a bit of that it is amazing how repetitive the bible was - but as in many cases it was taken to countries as a verbal book, how better to make it easy to learn and easy to understand when spoken to you.As we go into the world of 'texting' and our language changes at an ever faster rate than ever, perhaps it is nice to be able to go back to something that actually sounds nice. I for one can remember the first time I heard the Psalm 'The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want' in the new version, I felt that the total meaning and grace of the Psalm had been destroyed.On another tack, having recently been horrified by the insulting Bisto add, can someone tell me what a 'gomper' is. As it is obviously insulting it was OK to use as it was only applied to the chaps wifes mother! As for 'minging' I presume that is something to do with Flash Gordon or have I totaly lost it??????Feeling a decade older every day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted December 17, 2004 Share Posted December 17, 2004 The beauty and splendour of King James is the use of iambic pentameter, which just resonates so well with the English ear, as also in Shakespeare, Donne and Milton. It is a language symphony where meaning and music are combined. Later writers have been able to do it, if you look at the rhythms of TS Eliot they are 'modern' but still stirring.I agree with you about the Bisto ad - it's awful! How can advertisers assume that we will want to buy stuff when it is shown off by such terrible characters? I think it's just another example of the spread of Chav culture. Ming of Mongo was different. He spoke rather nicely, as I recall! Minging used to mean smelly, but I'm not sure now. There has been a discussion on the definition of a gomper at Digital Spy Forums - seehttp://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/showthread.php?p=3069237#post3069237Apparently a gomper is equivalent to a munter or a scratter. So now we know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pucette<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Pucette<FONT><P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">"Qui ne connaît pas la campagne lhiver, ne connaît pas la campagne et ne connaît pas Posted December 17, 2004 Share Posted December 17, 2004 Thank you, I wish I knew what an iambic pentameter was, they didn't teach me that at school... shall go and find out... haven't read any Joyce either... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted December 17, 2004 Share Posted December 17, 2004 A line with five 'feet' or stresses.weak/STRONG:weak/STRONG:weak/STRONG:weak/STRONG:weak/STRONGShould I comPARE thee TO a SUMmer's DAY?Natural in English. If you read the Bible in French it is much less powerful and much more lyrical/elegaic. Differences in the natural rhythms of the languages.Treat yourself to Joyce! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted December 17, 2004 Share Posted December 17, 2004 I have asked for the King James version for my funeral.I can't stand Joyce though, or T S Eliot come to that.Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pucette<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Pucette<FONT><P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">"Qui ne connaît pas la campagne lhiver, ne connaît pas la campagne et ne connaît pas Posted December 17, 2004 Share Posted December 17, 2004 Thank you, that's very clear. I'm sometimes tempted to think that I should have been taught such things at school... but there are a lot of French people about who don't seem to actually enjoy literature but are very well versed are in the equivalent technicalities... I think I'd rather enjoy it than understand it though I think more understanding would enhance my enjoyment, it certainly does in French.When I've heard readings from the Bible in French they were certainly not as powerful as the traditional English, but didn't strike me as lyrical either, more like the modern English which does nothing for me. I'll pay more attention next time, I switched off after the initial disappointment.I will, a self-indulgent New Year's Resolution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bones Posted December 29, 2004 Share Posted December 29, 2004 When I were a lad they had dropped grammer from the curriculum in favour of Piaget's sand pit tomfoolery.HOWEVER:I am amazed that nobody has picked up on the obvious and simple solution to the original query:--We currently have ALL but one...etc--The inclusion of 'currently', I would assume, is relevant to the statement as it implies that a cancelation might occurr, in which case the availability status would change accordingly.It makes perfect sense to my ears.And yes, I know my post contains several spelling and grammer mistakes.Amen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bones Posted December 29, 2004 Share Posted December 29, 2004 Oh, have just noticed that the original post included the phrase:"Thanks for this."Which, whether it is addressed to the forum or attatched to the query, doesn't sound 'correct'(to me!).Anyone care to disagree? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now