On Tue, Jun 28, 2011 at 6:31 AM, Daniel Shahaf <d...@daniel.shahaf.name> wrote: > Rob Weir wrote on Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 20:51:53 -0400: >> On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 8:45 PM, Daniel Shahaf <d...@daniel.shahaf.name> >> wrote: >> > Rob Weir wrote on Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 19:00:50 -0400: >> >> Hi Dennis, >> >> >> >> If I understand correctly, the practice at Apache would be to remove >> >> these legacy copyright statements and aggregate them into a single >> >> NOTICE document. This would be true, even if it says "DO NOT ALTER OR >> >> REMOVE". I imagine they would even tear off those tags on mattresses. >> >> >> > >> > To whom does the pronoun "they" refer? >> > >> >> Sorry, that is a joke that probably only makes sense in the US. > > You did not answer my question. >
You could parse "they" as being a nominative third person plural impersonal. In English, not all pronouns refer to antecedents in the text. The exceptions are the impersonals. "The impersonal is used in English to make general statements without a specified agent. An agent, in the case of the impersonal, is defined as the persons who perform the action of the verb. Although the impersonal pronouns in English are officially the one pronouns (one, someone, no one, anyone), the third person plural pronoun they as well as the second person pronoun you and the noun people can also be used in the construction of the impersonal in English. Such impersonal markers can also be mixed and matched as in the case of mixing one with their in the example One should always wash their hands before eating." Read more: http://www.brighthub.com/hubfolio/heather-marie-kosur/articles/38523.aspx#ixzz1QZPmWx68 Regards, -Rob --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: general-unsubscr...@incubator.apache.org For additional commands, e-mail: general-h...@incubator.apache.org
