SPUG: Software to expand contractions?

[Richard Wood]

I know this thread died last night but I wanted to add
my one more thing.

I was introduced to a book that I find very valuable
called "BUGS in Writing" (A Guide to Debugging Your
Prose),  by Lyn Dupre, Published by Addison Wesley
ISBN 020137921X. $19.95 US

It deals with about 150 topics such as:

Shall versus Will
So, So that, Such that
Like versus Such as
Blocks: Theorems, Proofs, Lemmas

and 

Contractions

Each topic has an explanation or discussion then
examples.  Here is what is said about Contractions:

"Although contractions (terms formed of multiple
words, in which missing letters are signified by an
apostrophe) are respectable terms in casual writing
(and in poetry), because they are part of our spoken
language, they are out of place in formal writing.  I
advise you to strive for formal writing that is
interesting and amusing, yet still is styled
impeccably.  Generally speaking, contractions are
unnecessarily casual,  Most publishers of textbooks an
journal articles do not permit contractions."

Submitted in a most impeccable manner, 

Rich Wood

--- Dan Ebert <mathin at mathin.com> wrote:
> 
> Since we're on a grammar thread ... that should be
> 'fewer words to
> read.'  Less is used for a matter of degree or with
> items like these:
> 
> add less water (but fewer water molecules)
> have less money (but fewer dollars)
> 
> I think the rule is something to do with the plural
> (use fewer with a
> pluralized word) but am not sure.
> 
> (Sorry, one of my pet peeves are the signs at the
> grocery checkouts that
> say '10 items or less.')
> 
> :)
> 
> Dan.
> 
> On Sun, 2003-10-26 at 16:54, Stuart Poulin wrote:
> > 's is also a contraction for "has".
> > i..e "It's been proven"
> >  
> > "He's" could be "He is" or "He has" depending on
> context.
> >  
> > I'd say keep the contractions in - less words to
> read.
> >  
> > 
> > 
> > Tim Maher <tim at consultix-inc.com> wrote:
> > 
> >         Dudes,
> >         
> >         I'm getting complaints from some early
> reviewers of my book
> >         about all the "contractions" I'm using in
> my writing!
> >         So last night I set out to write a Perl
> script to make changes
> >         like the following:
> >         
> >         That's => That is
> >         He's => He is
> >         They're => They are
> >         We're => We are
> >         
> >         Then I realized that the 's ending usually
> needs replacement
> >         by
> >         "is", so I tried
> >         
> >         "'s" => ' is'
> > 
> >
>
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=====
Richard O. Wood
Wildwood IT Consultants, Inc.
wildwood_players at yahoo.com
425.281.1914 mobile
206.544.9885 desk

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