English lesson

Plu karo Glosa-lista-pe,

You must remember an English teacher is reading these letters. English used to be a verb-second language. (Modern German still is.) Shakespeare has many examples of this:

NOTHING / CAN / WE / CALL / OUR OWN BUT DEATH. Object / 1st element of the verb 2nd / Subject / Subsequent elements of the verb / The rest of the sentence has normal sentence order for the time.

This is the reason many English teachers insist on the “…said Betty” construction; the quote is the first element, the verb “said” second, the subject “Betty” last. However, they can hardly insist on this anywhere else, since modern English uses a subject-first construction. In modern English the sentence would be:

WE CAN CALL NOTHING BUT DEATH OUR OWN.

Although I am of little importance in such matters, I do not insist on such archaisms (and am also in favor of English spelling reform as was another famous North Dakotan, President Theodore Roosevelt).

Use whatever construction you prefer in Glosa. I just hope this gives you some insight on “Betty said…” and “… said Betty.”

Vi debi sti u memo; u doci-pe de England lingua du lekto panto-ci grama. England lingua pa du es un akti-verba-bi lingua. (Nu-tem Deutsch lingua es a-nu.) Shakespeare habe poli exempla de u-ci:

NOTHING / CAN / WE / CALL / OUR OWN BUT DEATH. Buta-verba / Mero mo de akti-verba bi / Nima-verba / Plu seqe mero de akti-verba / U resta de frase habe u norma taxo de u-la tem.

U-ci es u kausa; poli doci-pe de England lingua demanda u “…dice Betty” stru: u cita es mero mo, un akti-verba “dice” bi e u nima-verba “Betty” ultima. Anti-co mu posi rari demanda u-ci in hetero loka, ka nu-tem England lingua du uti u nima-verba-mo stru. In nu-tem England lingua, u frase es (homo Glosa):

NA POSI DONA U NOMINA “NA AUTO” A ZERO-RA SED MORTA.

Anti mi es de pusi importa de ta pragma, mi ne demanda ta paleo kredi (e este favo de England-lingua verba-grafo re-forma plus homo es hetero Nord-Dakota-pe; presidenti Theodore Roosevelt).

Vi pote uti ali stru; tu ma hedo, in Glosa. Mi simpli este u spe; u-ci dona a vi u logi de “Betty dice…” e “… dice Betty”.

Saluta, _ _ /. Gary #/# ###

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