Post AY4EbDMQIaJeTPBuGe by nowster@fosstodon.org
(DIR) More posts by nowster@fosstodon.org
(DIR) Post #AY44c0H1RVjedGP0LI by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-07-25T21:04:36Z
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What do you think of the way "impact" is used in the following sentence? Is it acceptable in formal Standard English? Construction at the First Street exit will impact traffic.
(DIR) Post #AY44k8lFlnNxGyQGR6 by queenofnewyork@newsie.social
2023-07-25T21:06:02Z
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@grammargirl Easier than trying to remember if it’s effect or affect. :)
(DIR) Post #AY44p5ulmSPZtOEhOK by pjohanneson@mstdn.ca
2023-07-25T21:06:55Z
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@grammargirl I'm not a fan of "impact" as a verb, but I know I'm far too late to complain.https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1993/01/25
(DIR) Post #AY45ATtBq52AKThA1Y by JoCzechowska@mas.to
2023-07-25T21:10:49Z
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@grammargirl As they say, any noun can be verbed.
(DIR) Post #AY45E6InTcc8KlOm2K by benjamingeer@zirk.us
2023-07-25T21:11:31Z
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@grammargirl It’s even found its way from English into French. https://fr.wiktionary.org/wiki/impacter
(DIR) Post #AY45w3sppZaXZeDX28 by jmccyoung@mstdn.social
2023-07-25T21:14:31Z
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@pjohanneson @grammargirl It depends on the definition of wrong, for me. I'm enough of a descriptivist that I'm willing to accept it, but it makes me cringe hard and if I were copyediting something and it came up I would nix it without hesitation.
(DIR) Post #AY45w4bV9VJjoB7Cee by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-07-25T21:19:26Z
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@jmccyoung @pjohanneson I'm going for "acceptable in Standard English," so for example, if you were an English teacher, would you tell students not to use it that way in their papers.
(DIR) Post #AY46LePz8ITk7jvOtc by leadore@toot.cafe
2023-07-25T21:24:05Z
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@grammargirl To me the more interesting question is, are they pronouncing the verb correctly (stressing the correct syllable)?
(DIR) Post #AY46UAvS9dNXGEhzFY by richardfontana@mastodon.social
2023-07-25T21:25:22Z
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@grammargirl Descriptivistically speaking, it's been 'correct' for at least a few decades, but that doesn't mean I have to use it myself
(DIR) Post #AY46WRJOCbi8f0z4zo by jmccyoung@mstdn.social
2023-07-25T21:26:00Z
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@grammargirl @pjohanneson Thank you! Yes, I would definitely consider it non-standard, but I'd also note to students that the use of "contact" as a verb was considered a barbarism not that long ago. It would be a fun teaching exercise to have students go through the three editions of _The King's English_ and look at the changes in standards.
(DIR) Post #AY46syDgX2Dl5s3kYa by SecureInStyle@fashionsocial.host
2023-07-25T21:30:01Z
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@grammargirl I personally would prefer to use "affect" rather than "impact". The term "impact" sounds so dire in my head.
(DIR) Post #AY47EmyD2QlqZgDzmK by Saposcat@mendeddrum.org
2023-07-25T21:34:02Z
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@grammargirl I hadn't been aware of the controversy, but I am now.
(DIR) Post #AY47FBfdCdlTBIj0nA by quotesofnote@zirk.us
2023-07-25T21:34:04Z
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@grammargirl @jmccyoung @pjohanneson The ultimate consideration I suppose is whether you are prescriptivist or descriptivist.
(DIR) Post #AY484xWP3Li0MF5y4G by piratero@mastodon.world
2023-07-25T21:43:29Z
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@grammargirl affect
(DIR) Post #AY48BjFEX5X06cIBcG by ericdere@mastodon.nl
2023-07-25T21:44:40Z
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@grammargirl I'm not a native speaker, but it would seem to be both noun and verbhttps://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/impact
(DIR) Post #AY4AQoKi62Y28gAopE by Sony@fosstodon.org
2023-07-25T22:09:50Z
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@grammargirl I never knew this was controversial. I do prefer "affect" rather than "impact". Thinking about it from a non-native English speaker's perspective, I can see how it might be confusing. I can imagine large construction vehicles hammering away at unsuspecting vehicles.
(DIR) Post #AY4BDB6Ckvtke9S556 by Elephantidae@mas.to
2023-07-25T22:18:31Z
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@grammargirl Are we supposed to say "will have an impact on traffic"? if we want to use "impact"?In this sentence I think "impact" is better than "affect" since I think the connotation of "impact" is more negative. Surely the construction won't have a good affect on traffic. Also I think that in news items like this it is especially important to “Omit needless words.” 🙂
(DIR) Post #AY4CqqUwrvp6I8VLE0 by Freedom2B@kolektiva.social
2023-07-25T22:36:59Z
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@grammargirl However, now I want to know more.
(DIR) Post #AY4E8DnXarfRQq3AuW by marcoshuerta@vmst.io
2023-07-25T22:51:16Z
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@grammargirl@zirk.usI I’ll level with you, I often use impact in contexts like this so I don’t make an affect/effect error. 😬
(DIR) Post #AY4EKOEub9ZjI4egFs by marcoshuerta@vmst.io
2023-07-25T22:53:28Z
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@grammargirl I’ll level with you: I often use impact in contexts like this so I don’t make an affect/effect error. 😬
(DIR) Post #AY4EbDMQIaJeTPBuGe by nowster@fosstodon.org
2023-07-25T22:56:30Z
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@grammargirl Definitely not driving that way. Don't think my insurance covers such impacts.
(DIR) Post #AY4FmJtmQlpjtFeXSa by shepgo@mastodon.social
2023-07-25T23:09:45Z
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@grammargirl Nice primer on the topic:https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/yes-impact-is-a-verb
(DIR) Post #AY4JIN1KevcyhY9xdg by muzzle@mastodon.social
2023-07-25T23:49:10Z
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@grammargirl We use context all the time to disambiguate the intended meaning of words. There is no ambiguity here, so all (is) good in my book. ("is" in parenthesis is to please the thin blue line)
(DIR) Post #AY4JkyiC7KOnhuqj6O by dheadshot@mastodon.social
2023-07-25T23:54:22Z
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@grammargirlMultiple interpretations: a digger could pull out and crash into cars, thereby impacting traffic...
(DIR) Post #AY4NF51FWyUxoqo7ua by royal@theres.life
2023-07-26T00:33:24Z
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@grammargirl Ubiquitous, understandable, and nonstandard. We have a better word for this: affect.
(DIR) Post #AY5elo0HhxHuyuVTOq by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-07-26T15:24:25Z
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@Freedom2B Merriam-Webster has a good page on "impact" as a verb. https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/yes-impact-is-a-verb
(DIR) Post #AY6iZyVBRYLr2cX8bI by Freedom2B@kolektiva.social
2023-07-27T03:41:53Z
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@grammargirl Now to find out if there are pronunciation differences.
(DIR) Post #AY6jYpimhi57TOum7k by Freedom2B@kolektiva.social
2023-07-27T03:52:54Z
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@grammargirl Way cool stuff!
(DIR) Post #AY8KVLqbD1hlPjjUjQ by Freedom2B@kolektiva.social
2023-07-27T22:21:34Z
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@grammargirl We have added words to make a verbal phrase: "make impact with."If it is good enough for Old English, it is good enough for me.