[lbo-talk] Prose Style -- A Sample for Discussion

Carrol Cox cbcox at ilstu.edu
Mon Jan 1 12:44:53 PST 2007


Tayssir John Gabbour wrote:
>


> Except for the mysterious end part, my understanding is he's just
> illustrating the difference between syntax and semantics. I got this
> from skimming, which was much easier than a close reading.

I guess the question then would or might be, "Is 'just' justified as a qualifier of that difference?" Probably yes, it is.


>
> The author goes on:
>
> "But suppose that it is a DE-bunker rather than a 'Bunker', [clip]

Ah, You know the source. While the first sentence of my quote obviously points backward, I'm not sure that what you call "the mysterious end part" necessarily insists on going on?

But the writer speaks of "grammar and rhetoric" rather than "syntax and semantics." Do you think these two phrases are interchangeable? I have books on my shelves, which i bought long ago. entitled "grammar of motives" and "rhetoric of motives." Could one retitle burke's books "syntax of motives" and "semantics of motives"?

carrol



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