Re: transitive verb question

Subject: Re: transitive verb question
From: Lisa Higgins <lisarea -at- LUCENT -dot- COM>
Date: Thu, 9 Jul 1998 12:18:08 +0000

So then, Cyndy Davis is all like:

> I have a grammar question. "Display" is usually a transitive verb, meaning that
> it needs a complement to make a complete sentence. In numerous
> manuals I have seen display used without a complement ...
> Has this verb mutated with the age of computers or is it one of those action verbs
> that changes with the intended meaning of the sentence.

Both uses are still valid.

There have been several protracted discussions of this issue, but
only among tech writers, never users.

For the most part, users aren't too concerned with prescriptive
grammar issues. "The window displays" is a nice, short direct way of
getting the point across to the reader. There's nothing wrong with
that.

Lisa.
lisarea -at- lucent -dot- com




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