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From: silber@uiucdcsp.CS.UIUC.EDU
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: Re: Grammar and Spelling on the Net
Message-ID: <53400006@uiucdcsp>
Date: Fri, 28-Mar-86 15:08:00 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcsp.53400006
Posted: Fri Mar 28 15:08:00 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 1-Apr-86 07:38:01 EST
References: <544@dsi1.UUCP>
Lines: 23
Nf-ID: #R:dsi1.UUCP:544:uiucdcsp:53400006:000:946
Nf-From: uiucdcsp.CS.UIUC.EDU!silber    Mar 28 14:08:00 1986


>In article <544@dsi1.UUCP>, lee@dsi1.UUCP (Lee Hagerty) writes:
>> In article <604@mmm.UUCP> mrgofor@mmm.UUCP (MKR) writes:
>> >	"Each person does as he thinks best."
>> > [...] The ambiguity is not the fault of disagreeing plurality.
>> 
>> This second example is not ambiguous, because the pronoun and its
>> antecedent agree. 

>Lee, you're wrong, and MKR is correct. There is an ambiguity, 
>and number agreement doesn't correct it.
>" Fred, the leader, has such omnipotence in the sect, that
>each person does as he thinks best."

I always thought that in "ambiguous" cases who's meaning could not be determined
from the surrounding context, that one could (or should be able to) correctly
assume that the pronoun in question refers to the closest possible antecedent
which agrees as to gender and number.

But then again, what do I know, English is my second language (my first being
Giberish).

Ami Silberman  "You find a plaid potion."