I was watching the Olympic Games. And a commercial came on for Cadillac. Apparently, Cadillac STS is supposed to be a performance car of some kind. This appears on the screen.
REAL PERFORMANCE CARS ONLY HAVE TWO SEATS.
I was playing baseball in high school and didn't get that diagramming sentences stuff. I wasn't an English major in college. I'm just a goddamn lawyer. I pose this question for all of those more knowledgeable than I am: What does that mean?
Does it have the same meaning as: "Real performance cars have only two seats?"
Just wondering.
Posted by Bill at August 18, 2004 11:57 PMWhat...no drawing of how this sentence looked on the TV from the couch? I was fully expecting to scroll down and find rabbit ears.
Posted by: Kathy Howe at August 19, 2004 06:50 AMSigh. Okay, here it goes, and remember it's been a while:
Only is an adverb, modifying the verb have. It is entirely appropriate for it to be placed before the verb. By modifying have with only, than yes, Bill, the sentence is saying that real performance cars can have only two seats, not three, not one. It is specifying the amount.
I think.
Posted by: lucy at August 19, 2004 07:39 PMthere is a difference between grammatical accuracy and literary import. A sentence can be correctly written different ways to carry different implications. As I read the tag line you mention, it tells me that real performance cars have two seats and nothing else.
Are they saying that caddies are basically soapbox racers for two, now? "The driver is basically ballast...."
Posted by: dan at August 20, 2004 06:01 PM