Author Topic: Urgent grammar help plz (Read 7020 times)

Kathy · « **on:** 18 December, 2009, 12:55:12 pm »

When talking about two workers, which is correct:

"Keep abreast of each others' work" or

"Keep abreast of each other's work"?

Ta

токамак · « **Reply #1 on:** 18 December, 2009, 12:55:54 pm »

I would have thought the latter?

Deano · « **Reply #2 on:** 18 December, 2009, 12:59:36 pm »

Others'. Cos it's plural.

pcolbeck · « **Reply #3 on:** 18 December, 2009, 01:01:00 pm »

The second I would say. It's a possessive "s" attached to the singular "other". There is only one "other" relative to each of the two workers. If there were more than two workers it would have been "one another" rather than "each other" anyway.

токамак · « **Reply #4 on:** 18 December, 2009, 01:01:16 pm »

' shows possession, in this case the work of the other.

pcolbeck · « **Reply #5 on:** 18 December, 2009, 01:01:38 pm »

Quote from: Deano on 18 December, 2009, 12:59:36 pm

Others'. Cos it's plural.

No it's not

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #6 on:** 18 December, 2009, 01:02:33 pm »

If it's only two you could do "keep abreast of *the* other's work", and avoid confusion, but not for more than two.

Moloko · « **Reply #7 on:** 18 December, 2009, 01:07:50 pm »

Yay! It's a free for all!

Quickly!

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ms5r9E8iL6E&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/Ms5r9E8iL6E&rel=1</a>!

LEE · « **Reply #8 on:** 18 December, 2009, 01:09:04 pm »

Panda grabs coat and leaves

iddu · « **Reply #9 on:** 18 December, 2009, 01:12:30 pm »

Quote from: Dicky Mo on 18 December, 2009, 01:07:50 pm

Yay! It's a free for all!

[mischievous flame war]
why does it matter? Language evolves - people know what you mean
[/mischievous flame war]

Kathy · « **Reply #10 on:** 18 December, 2009, 01:13:28 pm »

Quote from: Mrs Pingu on 18 December, 2009, 01:02:33 pm

If it's only two you could do "keep abreast of *the* other's work", and avoid confusion, but not for more than two.

like it, Mrs P.

Asterix, the former Gaul. · « **Reply #11 on:** 18 December, 2009, 01:19:20 pm »

It could be either.

The two workers might each need to keep abreast of the work of the other worker (assuming there were only two workers altogether) or both workers might need to keep abreast of the work of the other workers (assuming the 2 workers were working with other workers as well).

токамак · « **Reply #12 on:** 18 December, 2009, 01:31:34 pm »

How many English teachers' does it take to change a light bulb's?

nicknack · « **Reply #13 on:** 18 December, 2009, 01:33:58 pm »

A light bulb's what?

Moloko · « **Reply #14 on:** 18 December, 2009, 01:34:52 pm »

A light bulb's Watt.

border-rider · « **Reply #15 on:** 18 December, 2009, 01:36:39 pm »

A light bulb's watt

if we're given free rein to be pedantic

токамак · « **Reply #16 on:** 18 December, 2009, 01:39:17 pm »

we're not helping much are we?

Moloko · « **Reply #17 on:** 18 December, 2009, 01:41:05 pm »

Quote from: Mal Volio on 18 December, 2009, 01:36:39 pm

A light bulb's watt

if we're given free rein to be pedantic

8/10

Deano · « **Reply #18 on:** 18 December, 2009, 01:43:33 pm »

Quote from: pcolbeck on 18 December, 2009, 01:01:38 pm

Quote from: Deano on 18 December, 2009, 12:59:36 pm
Others'. Cos it's plural.

No it's not

I know what you mean, but "each other's" seems completely wrong! You could re-write it as "one another's", and avoid the whole mess altogether.

No-on'll notice anyway. We've had an e-mail at work today which made me twitch a little:

Quote from: Farcilities

Please note due to the severe weather conditions outside there will be a limited breakfast service being provided by both cafe's on site today.

This is due to the daily delivery being held up on the roads due to the snow, clearly this problem is out-with anyone's control so I would be grateful if you can bare this in mind if you choose to use the catering facilities today.

Please do not reply back to this email.

TimO · « **Reply #19 on:** 18 December, 2009, 01:50:40 pm »

Quote from: Deano on 18 December, 2009, 01:43:33 pm

... No-on'll notice anyway. We've had an e-mail at work today which made me twitch a little:

Quote from: Farcilities
Please note due to the severe weather conditions outside there will be a limited breakfast service being provided by both cafe's on site today.

This is due to the daily delivery being held up on the roads due to the snow, clearly this problem is out-with anyone's control so I would be grateful if you can bare this in mind if you choose to use the catering facilities today.

Please do not reply back to this email.

...however badly written it is. $:-\$

Outwith is apparently a Scottish and North England colloquialism, but I think outside works better (and I'm not sure what the hyphen is doing there).

jogler · « **Reply #20 on:** 18 December, 2009, 01:52:09 pm »

"out-with"
one of my pet hate grammar sins.
No one says "outwith the fringe " do they

Use the word "beyond" FFS.
Send a copy of this in reply;contrary to the ~~wordwanker's~~ author's final statement

border-rider · « **Reply #21 on:** 18 December, 2009, 01:54:24 pm »

"There is a green hill far away, without a city wall"

as a very young Volio I used to wonder how many hills had a city wall - and why this one's lack was worth noting

Looking on t'internets I see that it's sometimes written as outwith or outside.

TimO · « **Reply #22 on:** 18 December, 2009, 02:19:44 pm »

Very Pterry Pratchett:

Quote

There is a knocking without.

Without what? Is this some sort of Zen thing?

(I think Shakespeare and others may have been there earlier!)

clarion · « **Reply #23 on:** 18 December, 2009, 02:23:44 pm »

Fnarr!

Kathy mentioned breasts

DrBru · « **Reply #24 on:** 18 December, 2009, 05:11:59 pm »

Quote from: jogler on 18 December, 2009, 01:52:09 pm

"out-with"
one of my pet hate grammar sins.
No one says "outwith the fringe " do they
Use the word "beyond" FFS.

To my mind those would be two different statements... I'm from Scotland though, so it's been in my vocabulary since I was a wee bairn -- I never realised it is a regional usage...

Author Topic: Urgent grammar help plz (Read 7020 times)

LEE

border-rider

border-rider