i could use wiki to back up my argument too

but it's not exactly a reliable source. Can i point out the 'may' in the last sentence of your quote. It's not provable in either way, but the point is still that prescriptivists like yourself look for order in a language that has more exceptions than rules.

All our arguments are about the same thing really OG, that you take a prescriptivist approach to language and I (having studied linguistics and taught the language for almost ten years) prefer a descriptive approach. I have a lot of respect for your arguments (partly because they are the sort of thing I grew up with), but they aren't any more valid than those of people who say 'grammar doesn't matter' (which I disagree with too).

If you want a wiki link, i suggest you read this: User Posted Link
we'll carry this on another time, I have to teach a student how to use the infinitive of purpose.

Posted By: Dave in France on July 13th 2007 at 17:01:52

Message Thread

OK, what can you see out of your window right now? (n/m) (General Chat) - BSE Canary, Jul 13, 15:12:28
- Hello (n/m) (General Chat) - moto, Jul 13, 15:48:37
- STATIONNEMPENT INTERDIT (General Chat) - Dave in France, Jul 13, 15:40:57
  - and without the p (n/m) (General Chat) - Dave in France, Jul 13, 15:41:09
    - But the spelling doesn't matter (n/m) (General Chat) - Old Git, Jul 13, 15:42:25
      - true (General Chat) - Dave in France, Jul 13, 15:45:24
        
        .................... (General Chat) - Old Git, Jul 13, 15:48:32
        
        good point (General Chat) - Dave in France, Jul 13, 15:50:01
        
        By the way (General Chat) - Old Git, Jul 13, 15:55:06
        
        exactly (General Chat) - Dave in France, Jul 13, 16:03:23
        
        But you said (General Chat) - Old Git, Jul 13, 16:08:05
        
        the use of the word "infinitive" for to + verb (General Chat) - Dave in France, Jul 13, 16:15:39
        
        But Dave (General Chat) - Old Git, Jul 13, 16:23:23
        
        the latin infinitive is the closest thing in the 'classics' to the english to+base verb (General Chat) - Dave in France, Jul 13, 16:33:27
        
        I'm not going there, because we're never going to agree and the argument would descend (General Chat) - Old Git, Jul 13, 16:49:21
        
        wiki alert, cheat cheat cheat cheat (General Chat) - etc etc, Jul 13, 16:51:38
        
        It's in quotes you twat (General Chat) - Old Git, Jul 13, 16:53:45
        
        i could use wiki to back up my argument too (General Chat) - Dave in France, Jul 13, 17:01:52
        
        No, I agree that there is no definitive answer, and that essentially it is a style point (General Chat) - Old Git, Jul 13, 17:08:42
        
        So what you're saying is it didn't really matter that someone made an input error on here? (n/m) (General Chat) - etc etc, Jul 13, 17:11:56
        
        I quite enjoyed all that (n/m) (General Chat) - camcan, Jul 13, 17:11:12
        
        I wasn't, I have no idea what either of you are talking about (n/m) (General Chat) - etc etc, Jul 13, 16:57:29
        
        I've never been in starbucks, but I guess this is the kind of chat that goes on (n/m) (General Chat) - etc etc, Jul 13, 16:47:12
- The Danish Foreign Ministry - possibly the ugliest building in Copenhagen (General Chat) - BerlinCanary, Jul 13, 15:35:50
  - The ugliest building in norwich is either (General Chat) - Tomblander, Jul 13, 15:37:14
    - What about the whole of St Stephen's? (General Chat) - Garry Brooke, Jul 13, 15:52:11
- mainly (General Chat) - blindasabat, Jul 13, 15:32:23
- people wandering about in apartments (General Chat) - Brandonio, Jul 13, 15:31:08
  - You sure that was a window an not a mirror (n/m) (General Chat) - nixon, Jul 13, 15:44:35
- The Liver Building, and the corner of the Cunard Building. (n/m) (General Chat) - tudders, Jul 13, 15:28:32
  - Calm down, la. (n/m) (General Chat) - Arizona Bay, Jul 13, 15:30:08
    - Don't skit me there lad. A. (n/m) (General Chat) - tudders, Jul 13, 15:32:11
- Norwich Cathedral and Castle (just) (General Chat) - mr carra, Jul 13, 15:24:43
  - Where do you work? (n/m) (General Chat) - Brom, Jul 13, 15:28:02
    - in Norwich (surprise!!) (General Chat) - mr carra, Jul 13, 15:40:59
      - I guessed that! Just wondered where abouts. I work on Thorpe Road - have similar view :o) (n/m) (General Chat) - Brom, Jul 13, 15:53:35
    - In Cambridge (n/m) (General Chat) - Kings Lynn Canary, Jul 13, 15:37:35
- Three gypsy kids proffing the tin cans out of my bin (n/m) (General Chat) - Tomblander, Jul 13, 15:23:20
- left: some trees in the foreground, and in the background the hill with the Ski Village (General Chat) - Arizona Bay, Jul 13, 15:18:42
  - Matt's vocabulary and spelling are coming along but his creative writing still leaves much (General Chat) - Old Git, Jul 13, 15:23:29
    - You what, Grandad? (n/m) (General Chat) - Arizona Bay, Jul 13, 15:24:50
- Carrow Road (n/m) (General Chat) - Brom, Jul 13, 15:15:53
- The sea (General Chat) - Gay_Nigel, Jul 13, 15:15:20
  - Make it interesting then, or stop moaning (General Chat) - Old Git, Jul 13, 15:17:15
    - Too (General Chat) - Gay_Nigel, Jul 13, 15:29:04
      - Don't let the door handle slide into your arse on the way out (n/m) (General Chat) - Old Git, Jul 13, 15:32:28
        
        Why on earth not? (n/m) (General Chat) - Gay_Nigel, Jul 13, 15:36:56
        
        Cos it makes it slippery for the next person (n/m) (General Chat) - Old Git, Jul 13, 15:39:13
        
        Not slippery...... (General Chat) - Gay_Nigel, Jul 13, 15:42:02
        
        Bye bye big boy (n/m) (General Chat) - Old Git, Jul 13, 15:43:11
- The spire of St Brides Fleet Street, some palm trees on a roof terrace (General Chat) - Old Git, Jul 13, 15:15:15
  - possible winner (n/m) (General Chat) - BSE Canary, Jul 13, 15:16:45
- Some blokes messing around with a shopping trolley at a non ferrous casting company (n/m) (General Chat) - BSE Canary, Jul 13, 15:13:32
- a natwest bank and a bus stop (General Chat) - megson, Jul 13, 15:13:23
- Hollyhocks. (n/m) (General Chat) - Garry Brooke, Jul 13, 15:12:59
  - gaylord (n/m) (General Chat) - Old Git, Jul 13, 15:15:35

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