Comments on: Today, Only Fix One of your Writing Problems http://www.writingproblems.net/grammar-errors/today-only-fix-one-of-your-writing-problems Simple, clear help for your writing problems Sun, 07 Nov 2010 18:27:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: admin http://www.writingproblems.net/grammar-errors/today-only-fix-one-of-your-writing-problems/comment-page-1#comment-55 admin Sat, 06 Nov 2010 21:09:49 +0000 http://www.writingproblems.net/?p=18#comment-55 Alex: Thanks for chiming in. I see your point and now lean toward recommending the second rewrite and not the first. I also maintain: I feel much better knowing that while "there can be one American Idol" lets others exist, this seems a better situation than there only being one American Idol and nothing else! Alex: Thanks for chiming in. I see your point and now lean toward recommending the second rewrite and not the first. I also maintain: I feel much better knowing that while “there can be one American Idol” lets others exist, this seems a better situation than there only being one American Idol and nothing else!

]]> By: Alex http://www.writingproblems.net/grammar-errors/today-only-fix-one-of-your-writing-problems/comment-page-1#comment-54 Alex Sat, 06 Nov 2010 09:19:03 +0000 http://www.writingproblems.net/?p=18#comment-54 Well actually... (as many comments start...) "The statement, In the end there can be one American Idol is clear. Spoken emphasis on the word one achieves Seacrest’s intent." That is a logical OR statement. "There can be one" does not preclude any other option. There could also be two, twenty-seven, or the answer to life the universe and everything. The first rewrite does not, even with emphasis, sufficiently convey the idea. The second one does. The only other problem is, Seacrest didn't deliver the line with the correct Sean Connery accent... and said American Idol instead of Highlander. Well actually… (as many comments start…)

“The statement, In the end there can be one American Idol is clear. Spoken emphasis on the word one achieves Seacrest’s intent.”

That is a logical OR statement. “There can be one” does not preclude any other option. There could also be two, twenty-seven, or the answer to life the universe and everything.

The first rewrite does not, even with emphasis, sufficiently convey the idea. The second one does.

The only other problem is, Seacrest didn’t deliver the line with the correct Sean Connery accent… and said American Idol instead of Highlander.

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