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Subject:Re: "May" vs. "Can" From:Steve Wax <stevewx -at- ESKIMO -dot- COM> Date:Sat, 12 Aug 1995 22:48:31 -0700
Richard jests:
>>I don't want to rewrite the sentence (although my fingers are itching
>>to!), but I do want to change "may" to "can." Thoughts, anyone?
>As far as I'm concerned, you may change "may" to "can," if you can.
Recalls another compressed construction for the edification of editors:
That which that is restrictive is that that which that is
nonrestrictive is which.
One of the staff scrawled it on a wall chart, and we all had a fine old time
scratching our heads until one of us hit on the illuminating punctuation:
That "which" that is restrictive is "that." That "which" that
is nonrestrictive is "which."
Editors were much clearer on when to convert "whiches" to "thats" from then on.
