Phil Cook <phi### [at] nospamrocainfreeservecouk> wrote:
> > "The rest of it is not difficult." -> "The rest of it's not difficult."

> As has been discussed "it isn't" would probably be the default contraction  
> (regional variants notwithstanding), however "it's not" would be more  
> likely used when you what to emphasize the ease of 'it'.

  Many answers seem to stick to that 'not' word there, which wasn't really
the point. Maybe this would have been a better example:

  "The rest of it is easy. " -> "The rest of it's easy."

-- 
                                                          - Warp

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>  "The rest of it is easy. " -> "The rest of it's easy."

I would always use that contraction during normal speech with a native, 
unless I wanted to emphasise the "is":

a: If the rest of it's easy we need to think again.
b: But we already agreed the rest of it *is* easy.

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And lo on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:26:20 +0100, Warp <war### [at] tagpovrayorg> did  
spake, saying:

> Phil Cook <phi### [at] nospamrocainfreeservecouk> wrote:
>> > "The rest of it is not difficult." -> "The rest of it's not  
>> difficult."
>
>> As has been discussed "it isn't" would probably be the default  
>> contraction
>> (regional variants notwithstanding), however "it's not" would be more
>> likely used when you what to emphasize the ease of 'it'.
>
>   Many answers seem to stick to that 'not' word there, which wasn't  
> really
> the point. Maybe this would have been a better example:
>
>   "The rest of it is easy. " -> "The rest of it's easy."

Yep standard contraction. As with the "not" the first example may be used  
when you want emphasis e.g

FP: "It's not easy!"
SP: "It is easy!"
FP: "It is not!"
SP: "It is!"

Is different in tone to -

FP: "It's not easy!"
SP: "It is easy!"
FP: "It's not!"
SP: "Is!"

-- 
Phil Cook

--
I once tried to be apathetic, but I just couldn't be bothered
http://flipc.blogspot.com

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And lo on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:55:55 +0100, Stephen <mcavoysAT@aolDOTcom>  
did spake, saying:

> On Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:30:43 +0100, Doctor John <doc### [at] gmailcom>
> wrote:
>
>> Stephen wrote:
>>> So I am wrong. Put today's dare in your diary :)
>>>
>> ...also put today's date ;-)
>>
>> btw, today's dare is what?
>
> I hate M$ autocorrect

Forte was written by Microsoft?

-- 
Phil Cook

--
I once tried to be apathetic, but I just couldn't be bothered
http://flipc.blogspot.com

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Phil Cook <phi### [at] nospamrocainfreeservecouk> wrote:
> >   "The rest of it is easy. " -> "The rest of it's easy."

> Yep standard contraction. As with the "not" the first example may be used  
> when you want emphasis e.g

> FP: "It's not easy!"
> SP: "It is easy!"
> FP: "It is not!"
> SP: "It is!"

  The problem I'm still having is that the subject in the example is
not 'it' but 'rest', and usually the verb "is" is contracted with
the subject and not some ancillary word.

  "The rest's easy" would be ok, because the subject is 'rest'. However,
"The rest of it's easy" sounds odd to me because the subject is still 'rest'
but the verb is not contracted with it...

  One could build a more extreme example:

  "The car which has its windows rolled down's parked there."

  The subject is 'car', and the verb is very far away from it, and
contracted with a completely unrelated word. Feels even more awkward.
When contracted, the verb looks like it's related to 'down', but of
course it isn't. It's related to 'car'.

-- 
                                                          - Warp

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Warp wrote:
>   "The car which has its windows rolled down's parked there."
> 
>   The subject is 'car', and the verb is very far away from it, and
> contracted with a completely unrelated word. Feels even more awkward.
> When contracted, the verb looks like it's related to 'down', but of
> course it isn't. It's related to 'car'.
> 

This should, of course, be written 'The car, which has its windows
rolled down, is parked there'.
Now do you see why you can't contract 'is' in this case?

John

-- 
I will be brief but not nearly so brief as Salvador Dali, who gave the
world's shortest speech. He said, "I will be so brief I am already
finished," then he sat down.

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Doctor John <doc### [at] gmailcom> wrote:
> Warp wrote:
> >   "The car which has its windows rolled down's parked there."
> > 
> >   The subject is 'car', and the verb is very far away from it, and
> > contracted with a completely unrelated word. Feels even more awkward.
> > When contracted, the verb looks like it's related to 'down', but of
> > course it isn't. It's related to 'car'.
> > 

> This should, of course, be written 'The car, which has its windows
> rolled down, is parked there'.
> Now do you see why you can't contract 'is' in this case?

  My point, exactly. :)

  One could think of it as "the rest, of it, is easy" in the same way,
but of course commas are usually not used in these types of short
expressions, while they make sense if you think about it.

-- 
                                                          - Warp

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On Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:45:34 +0100, "Phil Cook"
<phi### [at] nospamrocainfreeservecouk> wrote:

>> I hate M$ autocorrect
>
>Forte was written by Microsoft?


I write everything in MS Word then cut and paste.
-- 

Regards
     Stephen

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Stephen wrote:
> On Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:57:34 -0500, Mueen Nawaz <m.n### [at] ieeeorg>
> wrote:
> 
>> Warp wrote:
>>>> All three of these aren't correct.
>>>   Btw, wouldn't it be better to say "none of these three are correct"?
>> 	Nope.
>>
>> 	It would be better to say "none of these three *is* correct".
>>
>> 	</nitpick>
> 
> I don't think it would. Is is singular, are is plural, we are talking
> about three. ;)

	You know, in all the grammar books I've had throughout my education, it 
says that none is always singular as it is a substitute of "no one" or 
"not one". I'm 100% sure about that.

	However, a Google search brings up both arguments - with a number of 
sites saying either is acceptable (or is that either *are*?).

-- 
If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.


                     /\  /\               /\  /
                    /  \/  \ u e e n     /  \/  a w a z
                        >>>>>>mue### [at] nawazorg<<<<<<
                                    anl

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And lo on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:06:44 +0100, Stephen <mcavoysAT@aolDOTcom>  
did spake, saying:

> On Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:45:34 +0100, "Phil Cook"
> <phi### [at] nospamrocainfreeservecouk> wrote:
>
>>> I hate M$ autocorrect
>>
>> Forte was written by Microsoft?
>
> I write everything in MS Word then cut and paste.

Better spelling and grammar checker?

-- 
Phil Cook

--
I once tried to be apathetic, but I just couldn't be bothered
http://flipc.blogspot.com

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