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#1
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Spell/Grammar Checker
This is serious but also somewhat tongue in cheek:
If Microsoft wants to supply Spelling, and particularly Grammar checkers, why dont they learn what is correct and incorrect. I do a lot of technical writing for our company, but am not a trained writer. Of all the words in the English language that I do not understand, it is WHICH and THAT. I am never sure what to use, and when the Spell/Grammar utility gets to one or the other, it detects an error, and presents you with being able to choose either - they cant both be correct. My proof reader was a college English major and she constantly berates me for my misuse of these two words, amoung others. Get with it Mr. Gates, with all the money Microsoft makes, the least that you can do is hire someone who understands English grammar to fix it. |
#2
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I can teach you that easily.
Both words introduce a clause. If the clause is required, use that. If it's just add-on information that could be eliminated, use which. And if you use which, use a comma before it. For example: I see a candle that is on the other side of the room. I see a candle, which is purple. You have to understand that Word doesn't really "read" your document. It compares a collections of letter or words against some set of rules. It's not a human being - it's doing the best a machine can. -- JoAnn Paules MVP Microsoft [Publisher] wrote in message ups.com... This is serious but also somewhat tongue in cheek: If Microsoft wants to supply Spelling, and particularly Grammar checkers, why dont they learn what is correct and incorrect. I do a lot of technical writing for our company, but am not a trained writer. Of all the words in the English language that I do not understand, it is WHICH and THAT. I am never sure what to use, and when the Spell/Grammar utility gets to one or the other, it detects an error, and presents you with being able to choose either - they cant both be correct. My proof reader was a college English major and she constantly berates me for my misuse of these two words, amoung others. Get with it Mr. Gates, with all the money Microsoft makes, the least that you can do is hire someone who understands English grammar to fix it. |
#3
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On 16 Sep 2005 17:34:12 -0700 in microsoft.public.word.newusers,
favored us with... Of all the words in the English language that I do not understand, it is WHICH and THAT. You use which (with commas) for a clause that adds non-essential information; use that (without commas) for a clause that's a necessary part of the definition. The dish that you broke cost me $100. ("that you broke" identifies the specific dish.) The dish, which was ornamented with lovely blue flowers, held a hearty Porterhouse steak. ("which was ornamented" is just added information, not distinguishing one dish from another.) -- Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA http://OakRoadSystems.com/ "To put it bluntly but fairly, anyone today who doubts that the variety of life on this planet was produced by a process of evolution is simply ignorant -- inexcusably ignorant, in a world where three out of four people have learned to read and write." --Daniel Dennett, /Darwin's Dangerous Idea/ (1995), page 46 |
#4
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Thanks Stan - now I know what I want for dinner. I WANT COW!!!
-- JoAnn Paules MVP Microsoft [Publisher] "Stan Brown" wrote in message t... On 16 Sep 2005 17:34:12 -0700 in microsoft.public.word.newusers, favored us with... Of all the words in the English language that I do not understand, it is WHICH and THAT. You use which (with commas) for a clause that adds non-essential information; use that (without commas) for a clause that's a necessary part of the definition. The dish that you broke cost me $100. ("that you broke" identifies the specific dish.) The dish, which was ornamented with lovely blue flowers, held a hearty Porterhouse steak. ("which was ornamented" is just added information, not distinguishing one dish from another.) -- Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA http://OakRoadSystems.com/ "To put it bluntly but fairly, anyone today who doubts that the variety of life on this planet was produced by a process of evolution is simply ignorant -- inexcusably ignorant, in a world where three out of four people have learned to read and write." --Daniel Dennett, /Darwin's Dangerous Idea/ (1995), page 46 |
#5
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If it's too tough, I know where you can find a hammer to tenderize it! ;-)
-- Herb Tyson MS MVP Please respond in the newsgroups so everyone can follow along. http://www.herbtyson.com "JoAnn Paules [MSFT MVP]" wrote in message ... Thanks Stan - now I know what I want for dinner. I WANT COW!!! -- JoAnn Paules MVP Microsoft [Publisher] "Stan Brown" wrote in message t... On 16 Sep 2005 17:34:12 -0700 in microsoft.public.word.newusers, favored us with... Of all the words in the English language that I do not understand, it is WHICH and THAT. You use which (with commas) for a clause that adds non-essential information; use that (without commas) for a clause that's a necessary part of the definition. The dish that you broke cost me $100. ("that you broke" identifies the specific dish.) The dish, which was ornamented with lovely blue flowers, held a hearty Porterhouse steak. ("which was ornamented" is just added information, not distinguishing one dish from another.) -- Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA http://OakRoadSystems.com/ "To put it bluntly but fairly, anyone today who doubts that the variety of life on this planet was produced by a process of evolution is simply ignorant -- inexcusably ignorant, in a world where three out of four people have learned to read and write." --Daniel Dennett, /Darwin's Dangerous Idea/ (1995), page 46 |
#6
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Just got back. Had prime rib - no hammer needed.
-- JoAnn Paules MVP Microsoft [Publisher] "Herb Tyson [MVP]" wrote in message ... If it's too tough, I know where you can find a hammer to tenderize it! ;-) -- Herb Tyson MS MVP Please respond in the newsgroups so everyone can follow along. http://www.herbtyson.com "JoAnn Paules [MSFT MVP]" wrote in message ... Thanks Stan - now I know what I want for dinner. I WANT COW!!! -- JoAnn Paules MVP Microsoft [Publisher] "Stan Brown" wrote in message t... On 16 Sep 2005 17:34:12 -0700 in microsoft.public.word.newusers, favored us with... Of all the words in the English language that I do not understand, it is WHICH and THAT. You use which (with commas) for a clause that adds non-essential information; use that (without commas) for a clause that's a necessary part of the definition. The dish that you broke cost me $100. ("that you broke" identifies the specific dish.) The dish, which was ornamented with lovely blue flowers, held a hearty Porterhouse steak. ("which was ornamented" is just added information, not distinguishing one dish from another.) -- Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA http://OakRoadSystems.com/ "To put it bluntly but fairly, anyone today who doubts that the variety of life on this planet was produced by a process of evolution is simply ignorant -- inexcusably ignorant, in a world where three out of four people have learned to read and write." --Daniel Dennett, /Darwin's Dangerous Idea/ (1995), page 46 |
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