a construction that could use (to be) studied

Joel S. Berson Berson at ATT.NET
Mon Jul 23 14:10:46 UTC 2012


At 7/23/2012 09:14 AM, Charles C Doyle wrote:
>If we substitute "could stand" for "could use":   "He could stand to
>be hosed down" but *"He could stand cleaned"--in my dialect.

My dialect too doesn't permit "He could stand cleaned"* -- unless it
was after he stood to be hosed down.

Joel

* I'd have to say "He could stand cleaning."

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



More information about the Ads-l mailing list