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 #2 (permalink) Thu Jun 14, 2007 7:28 am Expression: "Are they them?" |
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No semicolon; semicolons must separate independent clauses, and your first clause is not.
Yes, 'Are they them?' sounds OK to me as conversational English.
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 Mister Micawber
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| #3 (permalink) Thu Jun 14, 2007 7:36 am Expression: "Are they them?" |
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Hi Tom,
I'm somehow uncomfortable with 'are they them?' and can't fully say why. I'd be happier with: Are they the ones?
Alan
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| #4 (permalink) Thu Jun 14, 2007 7:53 am Expression: "Are they them?" |
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Or 'Are they your cousins?'
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Mister Micawber
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| #5 (permalink) Thu Jun 14, 2007 13:41 pm Expression: "Are they them?" |
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| Alan wrote: |
Hi Tom,
I'm somehow uncomfortable with 'are they them?' and can't fully say why. I'd be happier with: Are they the ones? Alan |
Many thanks to both of you.
Hello Alan
Let's say it was only one cousin, then how the following would sound to you?
Hello MM
Discussing punctuation with you is real fun. Could you please tell me how you would punctuate the senetnce? By the way, if I remove the comma from my sentence, could I use the semicolon then? For example:
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| If I am at a station with my friend waiting for his cousins to come whom I have not seen and a couple of guys catch my attention; can I say to my friend the following expression? |
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Tom
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| #6 (permalink) Thu Jun 14, 2007 14:05 pm Expression: "Are they them?" |
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No, you need a comma in place of the semicolon (a fact I forgot to mention); the first comma is actually not necessary as you have it (but see my rearrangment below), and would be removed by some stricter punctuators. The best end result (of the given material), in my opinion, is actually this:
If I am at a station with my friend, waiting for his cousins (whom I have not seen) to come, and a couple of guys catch my attention, can I say to my friend the following expression?
That makes it clearer for me, at least.
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Mister Micawber
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| #7 (permalink) Thu Jun 14, 2007 14:40 pm Expression: "Are they them?" |
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Tom, you'll say I'm a fusspot, but I find that the use of the formal 'whom' clashes with the phrase 'a couple of guys'.
Hopefully this isn't too nonsensical (but take it with a pinch of salt, just in case). |
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| #8 (permalink) Thu Jun 14, 2007 17:05 pm Expression: "Are they them?" |
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| Tom wrote: |
"Are they them?"
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In my opinion, a much more common expression would be "Is that them?"
And I completely agree with Conchita's take on the use of 'whom' in your sentence. :D
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| What fingers? | Expression: "go one better" |
