Obligated: Difference between revisions

From The Jolly Contrarian
Jump to navigation Jump to search
No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 1: Line 1:
“[[Obligated]]” is only a word if you have an aversion to verbs: It started out life as a {{tag|verb}}. [[Mediocre lawyer|Fastidious draftspeople]] inevitably put it into the {{tag|passive}} (I am ''[[obliged]]''), brusquely [[nominalisation|nominalised]] it into a {{tag|noun}} (I am subject to an ''obligation'') and then inexpertly retrofitted it ''back'' to a {{tag|verb}} again, ''still'' in the passive: (I am ''[[obligated]]'').  
{{pe}}“[[Obligated]]” is only a word if you have an aversion to verbs: It started out life as a {{tag|verb}}. [[Mediocre lawyer|Fastidious draftspeople]] inevitably put it into the {{tag|passive}} (I am ''[[obliged]]''), brusquely [[nominalisation|nominalised]] it into a {{tag|noun}} (I am subject to an ''obligation'') and then inexpertly retrofitted it ''back'' to a {{tag|verb}} again, ''still'' in the passive: (I am ''[[obligated]]'').  


For a ninja trick put it in the [[future perfect]] [[passive]]: “I shall have been obligated”.
For a ninja trick put it in the [[future perfect]] [[passive]]: “I shall have been obligated”.
Line 5: Line 5:
There's a better, active, English verb: “[[must]]” which, if you are to find favour with people like [[Amwell J|me]], you shall be obligated to [[effect]] the deployment [[of]].
There's a better, active, English verb: “[[must]]” which, if you are to find favour with people like [[Amwell J|me]], you shall be obligated to [[effect]] the deployment [[of]].


{{seealso}}
{{sa}}
*The [[future perfect]]’s not what it used to be expected to be going to have been.
*The [[future perfect]]’s not what it used to be expected to be going to have been.
{{plainenglish}}

Revision as of 04:44, 31 December 2019

Towards more picturesque speech
SEC guidance on plain EnglishIndex: Click to expand:
Tell me more
Sign up for our newsletter — or just get in touch: for ½ a weekly 🍺 you get to consult JC. Ask about it here.

Obligated” is only a word if you have an aversion to verbs: It started out life as a verb. Fastidious draftspeople inevitably put it into the passive (I am obliged), brusquely nominalised it into a noun (I am subject to an obligation) and then inexpertly retrofitted it back to a verb again, still in the passive: (I am obligated).

For a ninja trick put it in the future perfect passive: “I shall have been obligated”.

There's a better, active, English verb: “must” which, if you are to find favour with people like me, you shall be obligated to effect the deployment of.

See also

  • The future perfect’s not what it used to be expected to be going to have been.