A Nice Grammatical Question.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 187, 10 June 1873, Page 7

A Nice Grammatical Question.

(Auckland Evenimj Star.) >, A searcher after truth writes to us, which J Grammatically correct, to say "the house 3 Building" or "the house is being built," the street is paving" or " the street is being ; aved." There is a wide diversity of opinion • n this subject, but we are inclined to favour . 'is being built" for the following reasons:— Appose you wish to express another kind of lea, would you say for instance, "Johnny ispanking," or "Johnny is being spanked?" Ie difference to you may seem immaterial, iiit it is a matter of considerable importance ii Johnny, and it is probable that if any lioice were given him he would suddenly feet the former alternative. You sav asraiin hat the missionary is eating. Certainly this ipresses a very different and much 'more ileasant idea than the form, "the missionary sbeins eaten," and the sensation is very different to the missionary, too. We have' conlilted several missionaries about it, and they ill seem to think that the two things are raehow not the same, no matter what the ;rammar says. But it is to bo confessed that there are occasions when the difference in km is not so marked. You assert we say, kt "Hannah is hugging,"—which, by the ray, would be a very improper thing for Hannah to do ; it would be positively scandalous, indeed. Precisely the same idea - is conveyed if you say "'Hannah is beint; bugged," because it is a peculiarity of the act that it is hardly ever one-sided : there is no selfishness about it. And it is the same with kissing. "Jane is kissing"—and her mama ought to know about it if she is—is just exactly the same as if we say " Jane is being kissed," and the sensation is just the same, although none of the grammars, by a singular inadvertence, mention the fact. It will not be necessary, however, for our correspondent to attempt to prove these last-mentioned facts by practice. He must take our word for mm. Unless he does so we shall answer no Ip questions in syntax for him or any one R$- Our duty is to conserve the morals of ■the community, not to start people playing ■private games of Copenhagen.