STRIP FOR Jul 25, 2008
Comments
User Name: richard1978
Jul 26, 2008
0
What you suggesting, saying "better than we are", is considered ok by everyone, but you are unnecessarily repeating the word "are" and it is obviously trying to avoid the conflict (which might be a good idea in advertising copy for example).
User Name: richard1978
Jul 26, 2008
+2
red33410, please read Cambridge Grammar of the English Language by professors Huddleston and Pullum, or their shorter summary called A Student's Introduction to English Grammar before you comment on grammar because the things you are saying are from when linguistics was in it's infancy.
The reason everyone says "better than us" and not "better than we" is that in English (as used by most people whose native langue it is), the word is "us" and it changes to "we" immediately before a verb, or as part of a reversed question structure like "can we?", "should we?" etc. French works the same way, so we also have "It's me" or "C'est moi".
In other languages it is different such as Latin, Italian, Russian etc. The word is (the equivalent of) we, and changes to "us" if it's the object of a preposition or a verb, so we have phrases of the type of "It is I".
Speaking one way or the other does not mark someone out as being intellectually challenged - I am intellectually able to say "He is taller than I." when I speak Slovak, but when I speak English (my native language) I, like most people say "He is taller than me." because that is how it works. If you use Latin grammar in English then you are part of a weird minority (and are probably applying your own rules inconsistently anyway because very few people really say "It is I").
The reason everyone says "better than us" and not "better than we" is that in English (as used by most people whose native langue it is), the word is "us" and it changes to "we" immediately before a verb, or as part of a reversed question structure like "can we?", "should we?" etc. French works the same way, so we also have "It's me" or "C'est moi".
In other languages it is different such as Latin, Italian, Russian etc. The word is (the equivalent of) we, and changes to "us" if it's the object of a preposition or a verb, so we have phrases of the type of "It is I".
Speaking one way or the other does not mark someone out as being intellectually challenged - I am intellectually able to say "He is taller than I." when I speak Slovak, but when I speak English (my native language) I, like most people say "He is taller than me." because that is how it works. If you use Latin grammar in English then you are part of a weird minority (and are probably applying your own rules inconsistently anyway because very few people really say "It is I").
User Name: red33410
Jul 26, 2008
-1
Rusty, you are going to assign intelligence based on someone's appearance, solely? That smacks of something we, in the west, have been trying to eschew for years. Why don't you take your caste system with you BACK to somewhere it will be appreciated, like India. *grin*
User Name: statrixbob
Jul 25, 2008
+1
As a cubicle worker and a member of a support group I've got to tell you I don't get it. You should have done your homework before smearing support groups. We don't act like that all. We are worse, far, far worse. :-)
User Name: rustyshackelford
Jul 25, 2008
0
The type of person that would make a comment of that nature would say 'better than us' rather than better than we are. The look upon the character's face screams 'better than us.' Anything else would not fit with the visual and takes away from the humor. Most of the comments on this site seem to be made by the anal retentive types that Scott Adams regularly makes fun of in his comic.
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