Re: verbs

[Jason Willebeek-LeMair <jlemair -at- ITEXCHSRV2 -dot- PHX -dot- MCD -dot- MOT -dot- COM>]

Actually, display has an intransitive use.

When monkeys want to attract a mate, they display (usually by sticking
their swollen butt in the air).

So, when I took over a large set of manuals where the screens were
displaying, I had a vivid picture of a bunch of CRTs sticking their
swollen butts in the air.

Jason
Who does not display unless trying to attract a mate.

>----------
>From:  Wittel, Teresa J.
>Reply To:      Wittel, Teresa J.
>Sent:  Tuesday, September 23, 1997 5:54 PM
>To:    TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
>Subject:       verbs
>
>Delete if verbs bore you....
>
>While I've quite gotten over the misuse of the English language - since
>I'm a frequent contributor - hmmm..... I would just like to point out
>that the lie/lay confusion is similar to the display/appear phenomenom.
>Apparently, there is a lot of confusion about how these verbs are used.
>
>Lay and display are transitive verbs and require an object to act upon.
>(The system displays the red screen./Lay the book down.)  Lie and appear
>are intransitive and do not have an object. (The red screen appears./The
>dog lies down.)  You may remember this from earlier posts.
>
>Do NOT say, "The red screen displays." or "The dog lays down."  (You can
>say that the dog lay down - see next paragrpah.) In fact, if you can
>replace the word "display" in a given sentence with "becomes visible" -
>you are using the wrong verb.  Likewise, if you can replace the verb
>"lay" with "set" and it still makes sense, you are probably using the
>right verb. (Exceptions exist, of course. Still, it usually works for
>me.)  If you can use the verb "sit", you probably can use the verb "lie"
>in its place.
>
>And remember folks, past tense of "lie" is not "laid" or "lied" (unless
>you told a fib) - it is "lay".  Who knows why?
>
> TECHWR-L (Technical Communication) List Information: To send a message
>to 2500+ readers, e-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot-  Send commands
>   to LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU (e.g. HELP or SIGNOFF TECHWR-L).
>  Search the archives at http://www.documentation.com/  or search and
>browse the archives at http://listserv.okstate.edu/archives/techwr-l.html
>

 TECHWR-L (Technical Communication) List Information: To send a message
to 2500+ readers, e-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot-  Send commands
   to LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU (e.g. HELP or SIGNOFF TECHWR-L).
  Search the archives at http://www.documentation.com/  or search and
browse the archives at http://listserv.okstate.edu/archives/techwr-l.html