Wirt Atmar wrote:
>
> Patrick asks:
>
> > Which is more correct? (We're arguing about how to write some
> >  documentation.)
> >
> >  "Once this has been set up, you can view ..."
> >
> >  -or-
> >
> >  "Once this has been setup, you can view ..."
> >
>
> Well, here's more crap from the great pontificator, but the correct answer is
> "A".
>
> "Setup" is a noun, like "television" or "airplane," and if you substituted
> either of those nouns into the sentence, they would make the incorrectness
> obvious.
>
> "Set up", on the other hand, is a verb followed by a preposition and is a
> phrase now so common in English that it rates its own dictionary entry as a
> transitive verb.
>
This reminds me of a recent conversation with a 112 year old who was
having
problems in English class.  We talked about [repositions, verbs, etc.
Then
I asked her if she knew anything about "parsing" a sentence.  Completely
blank look.  Then I asked her mother (in her 30's).  "Never heard of
it.  Are
you sure that is the right word?"  I guess I am too long in the tooth.
What
do they teach in "English" classes today?  I don't see how you can have
a good
knowledge of English without being able to parse a sentence.  Know
wonder I
have to correct my admin people letters, etc.

Rant off.

Nick D.