• English in the dock

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     English in the dock:

       A courtroom drama:

       The murder of the English 

       Language,

       or the Accusative Case

     

    PROSECUTOR:  Are you Very Quickly, Adverbial Phrase?

    ACCUSED: I am.

    PROSECUTOR: Very Quickly, you are accused of splitting an infinitive. How do you plead, guilty or not guilty?

    ACCUSED: Not guilty, not guilty.

    P: A double negative …  Then how would you explain your past imperfect?

    A: I was going through an awkward phrase. There’s no substantive proof. Now and then I just colon friends for a quick imperative before lunch.

    P: Is that all?

    A: Well, no. There is rather a pretty feminine gender in the case, a Miss Pronunciation, who lives in Suffix with her grammar and grampa.

    P: When was your first dative?

    A: I met her at a participle. There she was supining in a passive mood; she’s superlative, absolutely pluperfect.

    P: Mr Quickly, would I be correct in this preposition that you were aiming at an unlawful conjugation with this feminine gender? Answer the interrogative – how far did you get?

    A: I made a pause at her, but she declined. She said her parentheses would object.  Anyway, she’s about to become a noun.

    P: Was this neuter you?

    A: Affirmative.

    P: Thank you. What nationality is she?

    A: Italic.

    P: Mr Quickly, you’re in quite a predicate I can tell you. Officer, put him in brackets. You are also accused of, evasion of syntax. Off with his prefix!

    Adapted from BBC Radio – many years ago.

     

    Categories: Volume 3