A puzzle for the grammar police.

[Alceste]

Frankly, I just want to know what's being done about the man-bat!

The enemies of the wizard who controls the man-bat are going to have to conjure at least a gryphon to deal with him.

The man-bat has absolutely no natural predators?

We have three creature types. Noble, dark and wild. Each category has a competitive advantage over one of the others (think rock, paper, scissors). Some of my blurbs imply which category is most susceptible to attacks by that particular creature. In this case, wild.

 

[Ouroboros]

"Fast, vicious and strong, all creatures of nature fear the blood-sucking man-bat."

Does this sentence convey that the creatures or nature are fast, vicious and strong, or that the blood-sucking man-bat is?

I think it's the former.

I think it's an illformed and ambiguous sentence. Grammatically, I suspect it's correct.

If you do write it "All creatures of nature fear the fast, vicious, and strong blood-sucking man-bat." Then it would make sense and reference wouldn't be a problem.

Or if you write "Fast, vicious, and strong, the blood-sucking man-bat is feared by all creatures of nature." It would also make more sense.

 

[Ouroboros]

I may be wrong, but shouldn't it be "Fast, vicious, and strong?"

Depends. In this case I do think it should be there since there are three different adjectives, each one describing the man-bat. If "vicious and strong" is one component, then there shouldn't be a comma.

"Jane, John and Laura, Bob and Sandra, all came to my party." Suggests John and Laura is a couple, and Bob and Sandra are too. While "Bob, and Sandra" would suggest they came separate.

 

[Ouroboros]

I also say it's the latter, but I would have put a semi-colon in it:

"Fast, vicious and strong; all creatures of nature fear the blood-sucking man-bat."

I don't remember exactly from English class, but I do suspect it's not proper.

I think the parts on both sides of the semi-colon has to be complete sentences. "Fast, vicious and strong" is not a complete sentence.

(Anyone who remembers their grammar, please correct me. )

 

[Smart_Guy]

Are you guys really native English speakers?

I mean c'mon, seriously

 

[Alceste]

Are you guys really native English speakers?

I mean c'mon, seriously

I think that should be c'm'on.

 

[Secret Chief]

Clearly the latter.

 

[FearGod]

Are you guys really native English speakers?

I mean c'mon, seriously

[youtube]ZXa8cO9mXFk[/youtube]
English Is Crazy! - YouTube

 

[Secret Chief]

I studied a terminology in English called sentence ambiguity. I say it could mean either, depending on the context.

"The chicken is ready to eat" could mean either the chicken is ready to be eaten, or a living chicken is ready to eat something. There are many examples in English like that. I guess graduating with English major paid off

Ambiguity is the foundation of English. When I say English, of course I mean what foreigners call British English. I believe this vagueness annoys the hell out of Americans, but that's just an unintended bonus.

 

[Ouroboros]

Are you guys really native English speakers?

I mean c'mon, seriously

Nope.

It's my second language. I studied a few more and can understand them to some degree, but I only speak two.

 

[Smart_Guy]

Cool, we know English better than the native microphones... I mean speakers

 

[FearGod]

Cool, we know English better than the native microphones... I mean speakers