Verbless slogans - A new trend?

Laurence Horn laurence.horn at YALE.EDU
Fri Nov 30 03:56:58 UTC 2001


At 9:49 AM -0500 11/30/01, P2052 at AOL.COM wrote:
>  >From my own experience, I would suggest the following:
>"We be ready" wouldn't be appropriate when referring to future events (e.g.,
>plans for the whole year) since the statement indicates a general present
>habitual state, based on past [before the moment of speaking] occurrences
>(e.g.,  Whenever we have to play the Tigers, we be ready" [="Every time we
>play the Tigers, we are ready" or "Every time we played the Tigers, we were
>ready" or  "Every time we've played the Tigers, we have been ready."])  "We
>ready" (=We are ready) is the better choice since it indicates a present
>state of physical or mental preparedness for whatever happens in the near or
>distant future.  P-A-T

Indeed; "we be ready" is more of a take on the Boy Scouts' motto.



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