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Ending s

d7lise — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 09:20:10 +0000

Tags:

grammar

When a word (noun) is expressing ownership an apostrophe and an s will be added to the noun.

the boy owns the dog
the boy's dog

Exceptions:

the noun is plural (the boys' dog)
the noun is a name ending with s (Jesus' dog); sometimes

English pronunciation

d7lise — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 11:38:43 +0000

Tags:

pronunciation

Some times I have to investigate the correct pronunciation of a word in American English. When I do, I will list my results here.

data - both "day-ta" and "dah-ta" are correct
MySQL - "my s q l" is official, "my sequel" is also used
query - "que" is pronounced like the beginning of "queen", "ry" like the beginning of "rich"
sans - probably best to says "sanz" when used in connection with non-french words ("comic sans") and "song" when used with French words ("sans serif")
status - both "stay-tus" and "stah-tus" are correct
the - "the" in front of a consonant sound, "thee" in front of a vowel sound

Religion and science fiction

d7lise — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 09:44:46 +0000

Tags:

religion

Isaac Asimov, "Reason"
This robot creates a new religion.

Isaac Asimov, "The Mayors"
A scientific culture can tame a more primitive one, claiming science is actually religion.

David Barr Kirtley, "Cats in Voctory"
The memories of the past have turned into a religion.

James Blish, "A Case of Conscience"
Is this planet paradise?

Anthony Boucher, "The Quest for Saint Aquin"
A priest is looking for the body of a dead saint. Meanwhile a robot ass asks him about his faith.

Ray Bradbury, "The Fire Ballons"
MIssionaries come to Mars to convert the local people, if it's possible. Maybe Christ needs to look like a blue sphere here.

Arthur C. Clarke, "The Nine Billion Names of God"
This religion believes, that the world will end when all the names of God have been written down.

Arthur C. Clarke, "The Star"
The supernova of this star has religious significance to us.

Greg Egan, "Oceanic"
This planet was colonized thousands of years ago. Now the story of that colonization only survives as religion. The story also illustrates how religion and science are 2 different ways of thinking.

George R.R. Martin, "Song for Lya"
Is a local religion an advanced group mind, or just a complicated way to commit suicide?

George R.R. Martin, "The Way of Cross and Dragon"
A local version of Christianity has a Saint Judas and dragons.

James Morrow, "Auspicious Eggs"
Births are few, far between and declared holy by the Catholic church. Priests help in this endeavour by drowning children, who will never become parents anyway. Do you know any more?

Norman Spinrad, "Deus X"
Uploaded people and artificial intelligences are common. The Catholic church has to decide whether these entities have souls.

H.G. Wells, "The Lord of the Dynamos"
I tell you, this piece of machinery is God.

SF topics

d7lise — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 09:42:18 +0000

Tags:

Lists of texts, that are science fiction AND something else.
A list of lists
Alternate history (Uchronia)
Anarchism and science fiction
* Art and science fiction
* Cats and science fiction
Economists, Science fiction novels for
Feminist Science Fiction, Fantasy & Utopia
Math Students, Science Fiction for
* Religion and science fiction
Do you know of any other lists?

English science fiction

d7lise — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 09:36:37 +0000

Tags:

My wee page about science fiction in English.

SF topics

Comma

d7lise — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 07:27:18 +0000

Tags:

grammar

He wrote novels, short stories and articles.
Lists: comma between (short) items in list, comma optional before "and".

After I wrote all the short stories, I wrote the table of contents.
Dependent clause: the 1st half of the clause is dependent (it can't work as a sentence by itself), so there's a comma before the 2nd half, an independent clause.

Therefore, I sent in the manuscript.
Certain adverbs: always comma before "however", "in fact", "therefore", "nevertheless", "moreover", "furthermore", and "still".

He calls me, still, to annoy me.
Comma before (same) certain adverbs, when in the middle of a clause.

I wrote a book, by God!
Comma before and after parenthetical phrases, if no other punctuation is there. (Parenthetical phrases: can removed while still leaving a sentence.)

He sent in the book on December 24, 2012, and was finished.
Comma around year as if a parenthetical phrase.

It is a big, green book.
Comma between equal adjectives: the book is big, and the book is strong.

He says, "I wrote a book!"
Comma after word for speak/write and before quote.

--

(Semicolon:
He called me; therefore, I sent in the manuscript.
Semicolon before (same) certain adverbs, when between 2 clauses.)
"however", "in fact", "therefore", "nevertheless", "moreover", "furthermore", and "still".

--

Read more here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comma
http://www.english-grammar-revolution.com/punctuation-rules.html

English grammar

d7lise — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 07:23:41 +0000

Tags:

grammar

A and an
Comma
Ending s

Read more here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:English_grammar