There are three types of speech - I don’t know if this is TRUE, but I heard it in a seminar and it made sense. The three types are: Descriptive, Instructive, and Expressive. Descriptive: “The sun rose high…” Instructive: “Walk, don’t run…” Expressive: “Ouch!” Most fiction writers will only use one - at most, two - of these forms. So use all three. Mix them up. It’s how people talk. -Chuck Palahniuk
Linguists of Tumblr
Lend me your…eyes.
I’ve been scouring my textbook and my notes but I can’t find an answer, so I figured I’d ask!
You’re parsing a sentence like “Three girls will take dates to the dance”, for instance.
- "Three" is Det., "girls" is N, they make an NP.
- "will" is the first Aux., so…
Structural Ambiguity (illustrations from SpecGram)
In fact, “time flies like an arrow” has at least 11 possible interpretations:
- (as an imperative) measure the speed of flying insects like you would measure that of an arrow - i.e. (You should) time flies as you would (time) an arrow
- (imperative) measure the speed of flying insects like an arrow would - i.e. (You should) time flies by the same method that an arrow would (time them)
- (imperative) very quickly measure the speed of flying insects - i.e. (You should) time flies as quickly as an arrow would (be or move)
- (imperative) measure the speed of flying insects that are like arrows - i.e. (You should) time (those) flies (that are) like an arrow
- (declarative, i.e. neutrally stating a proposition) all of a type of flying insect, “time-flies,” collectively enjoy a single arrow (compare Fruit flies like a banana)
- (declarative) each of a type of flying insect, “time-flies,” individually enjoys a different arrow (similar comparison applies)
- (declarative) each of a type of flying insect, “time-flies,” individually enjoys an occasional arrow when there is an opportunity (compare: “He prefers beer, but I like a martini”)
- (declarative) the common metaphor “time,” moves in a way an arrow would (which, depending on the context of the phrase may mean “moves in a straight line”, “moves by parabola”, “its move depends on the wind”, etc.)
- (declarative) a copy of the magazine Time, when thrown, moves in a similar manner to that of an arrow.
- (declarative) time flees (attempts to escape) in the same way that an arrow does.
- (declarative) The company responsible for publishing Time (magazine) Magazine (via synecdoche) is fleeing like an arrow would.
Roses are black.
I hate you.
and happy valentines day c:
(Source: aye-im-okay, via trolling-potato)
(Source: grapedranksoda, via fakeindifferencebeauty)
(Source: bbtigercub, via fakeindifferencebeauty)
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