Thread: Pronouns and etc.

What is the right answer:
She took it with her or with herself?
He had a lot of food in fron of him or himself?

When I opened the door I heard her speaking on the telephone?

I like the books written by Tolkien?

Thak you!

Originally Posted by Nuta

What is the right answer:
She took it with her or with herself?
He had a lot of food in fron of him or himself?

The first variants are correct. The second ones seem weird to me, even if they are correct I don't think they are common.

When I opened the door I heard her speaking on the telephone?

I like the books written by Tolkien?

Both are correct, but in the latter sentence "written" can be omited.

If I'm wrong in something I'm sure the native speakers will correct me.

Thank you very much!

She took it with her.
He had a lot of food in front of him.
Those two are fine.

When I opened the door I heard her speaking on the telephone
Absolutely correct!

I like the books written by Tolkien.
Perfectly fine but as Friendy said, 'written' can be omitted.

If you really want to get nitpicky here, note the following:

I like the books written by Tolkien.

The use of "the" here would suggest that there are several books in front of the speaker, on a desk or bookshelf or something, and the speaker's pointing out which specific books she likes. I would dare say that this sentence does not really imply that she likes Tolkien as an author.

I like books written by Tolkien.

This is more general and suggests a preference for Tolkien as an author; the speaker's simply describing what books she likes in general. However, the sentence seems a bit odd - it seems as if Tolkien being the author is a condition that must be fulfilled before she will like the book. Example(you C++ programmers do forgive me, I've just been learning plain C for now, I'll have to pass a test in it in university):

void readbook(struct book);

struct book
{
char title[80];
char author[45];
char genre[20];
};

main()
{
struct book fotr =
{"The Fellowship of the Ring", "J.R.R. Tolkien", "Fantasy"};
struct book visualc =
{"Beginning Visual C++ 6", "Ivor Horton", "Programming"};
readbook(fotr);
readbook(visualc);
}

void readbook(struct book bookk)
{
printf("\nTitle: %s\n",bookk.title);
printf("Author: %s\n",bookk.author);
printf("Genre: %s\n",bookk.genre);
if(strcmp(bookk.author, "J.R.R. Tolkien") == 0)
printf("I like this book.\n");
else
printf("I am indifferent to this book.\n");
}

Ahem! Now then...

I like books by Tolkien.

Suggests that Tolkien is one of her favored authors, but there are still other authors she likes.

Thank you!
You helped me a lot!

Originally Posted by Pravit

If you really want to get nitpicky here, note the following:

I like the books written by Tolkien.

The use of "the" here would suggest that there are several books in front of the speaker, on a desk or bookshelf or something, and the speaker's pointing out which specific books she likes. I would dare say that this sentence does not really imply that she likes Tolkien as an author.

Tolkien wrote a finite set of books. This set is "the books by Tolkien" because it is perfectly well defined and quite small.

void readbook(struct book);

Wasteful. Use a pointer.

Alas! I've been bested. Unfortunately, I suck at using pointers. Especially pointers with structures. Maybe this forum needs a "C/C++ Lounge."

they switched from teaching c++ at my school to Java. i take that class.

Cool! I'm not in school anymore. When I took it we learned C++. But that was about 3 years ago. I don't remember it anymore. Well, I remember something about the importance of overloading operators. I don't remember what it did. It's AP Comp Sci, right? WTF are they teaching Java in that class for? My university only recently switched to teaching C in the EE programming classes. 7 years ago they still taught Pascal...bleh.

Originally Posted by Pravit

Cool! I'm not in school anymore.

Stupid pravit and his dumb graduating !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah Pravit whats the deal? You're the same age as me. I really want to throw something at you right now.

Avast ye! I went back and got myself straightened out with pointers. I even learned how to code linked lists! I'm so proud!
Anyhow, replace with these lines:

void readbook(struct book ;
readbook(&fotr);
readbook(&visualc);
printf("\nTitle: %s\n",bookk->title);
printf("Author: %s\n",bookk->author);
printf("Genre: %s\n",bookk->genre);

Ah, much better and non-wasteful indeed!

@Dogboy and Tambakis: Yes, I've probably mentioned it for the hundredth time already, I'm just glad it's over. Now I can make fun of high school kids, being infinitely superior as a non-high school person! Muahahahuahuahhahahahahahahahah!

Boooring. Am I glad I'm going to study History.

Originally Posted by Pravit

readbook(&visualc);

Purists might prefer to invoke the function:
neverevereverreadbooksaboutevilmicrosoftcorruption sofperfectlydecentlanguages(&buy_Stroustrup_instea d);
Although I can't help liking Horton. Such a jolly looking chap.

Originally Posted by Pravit

Ah, much better and non-wasteful indeed!

But think about the criminal wastage of persistent storage with all those extra bytes you're gonna need for asterisks and ampersands

Pravit, I copied and compiled your piece of code. When I launched this .exe file it froze my computer and started to send spam! You bastard! What shall I do now?

Originally Posted by Jasper May

Boooring. Am I glad I'm going to study History.

Jasper, good sir, I thought you were going to study Russian and Chinese at some far eastern Russian university! Don't tell me you're another really-interested-in-Russian-but-not-going-to-study-it person like me. For heavens sake, have you seen all those other forumers who don't have a fraction of your capacity for language-learning that are going off to study Russian?? As for me, History was never really my thing(I barely scratched by the college entrance exams for US History на тройку). I'm better at Maths( I love that word) and Physics, besides languages, of course. At least get a minor in Russian or try to double-major in it or something. I'm double majoring in German(langweilig indeed, but at least it's a nod to my interest in foreign languages). And besides, you mustn't confuse computer programming with EE. EE people use programming, yes, but they use it as a tool to help them do EE work. You know I find CompSci more interesting but I've heard that lately you can't find a job in it

Originally Posted by waxwing

Purists might prefer to invoke the function:
neverevereverreadbooksaboutevilmicrosoftcorruption sofperfectlydecentlanguages(&buy_Stroustrup_instea d);
Although I can't help liking Horton. Such a jolly looking chap.

Well, I'm learning Visual C++ so I can get a little job as a programmer in the EE department while I'm in university. They want people fluent in this particular dialect, I'm afraid. And besides, I've got a sweet tooth for 3D games and I'd like to have a go at it some time later when I've got some skill at programming

And yes, I do think Horton is a rather jolly-looking old chap! Makes the book a pleasure to read, really. But you know, I guess I learned another amazing thing today! I guess I'll add Bjarne Stroustrup among the ranks of Johann Vaaler and Anni-Frid Lyngstad on my list of "Cool Scandinavians." You know, I can't believe he's a prof at Texas A&M. I could have gone there... The name threw me off.

But think about the criminal wastage of persistent storage with all those extra bytes you're gonna need for asterisks and ampersands

To point or not to point - that is the question;
Whether 'tis nobler in the compiler to suffer
The asteriks and ampersands of pointer notation,
Or to pass a structure to a sea of functions
And, though wasting, call them.

@TU: Man, pull out your 1337 h4x0r's dictionary, and turn to "P." Scroll down, past "p#r34k", "ping of death", "port", and "pr0n." Do you see that word down there, "pwned"?

I know it's a little off topic now but я просто хотел сказать, что через пять дней я окончу школу !!!

Yah well, still I think programming's boring. :P As for not studying Russian, I was actually trying to get so good as not to need to go studying it. I've started learning words again. You better watch it, Pravit-O.

I've always been quite good at Maths as well (A's etc.), but languages and history just appeal to me more.

Originally Posted by Ник

I know it's a little off topic now but я просто хотел сказать, что через пять дней я окончу школу !!!

Yeah, but for the next four days, I can still fling demeaning "Hah hah, you're a high school kid" insults at you in case we get into an argument, right?

Jasper May: But nobody will believe that you taught yourself Russian to a studied-it-in-university level. Especially if you want to get a job with it. You should have some credentials, don't you think?