Read the mixed up words

check

Not really a brain teaser but this is totally amazing. I guess most people can read this whole thing as easily if it were written properly.

Taken from http://www.eyetricks.com/wordjumble.htm


"Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe."

Total mind blow. LoL

EDIT:

I found a script that lets you scramble text in the described method. http://www.lerfjhax.com/70.0.html I found that the more uncommon the word, or the more repeating letters it has in it, the more difficult it is to 'read'

Anyway, have fun.

The Bob

That is quality but is he sentence 'the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae' grammatically correct. Should it not be 'olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer are in the rghit pclae'.?

The Bob (2004 ©)

verty

The Bob, waht is yuor pnoit?

Gokul43201

No, the Bob, that sentence is grammatically correct.

The Bob

Just doesn't sound right. It is plural so needs an 'are' not an 'is'. Never mind. Just my mind again.

The Bob (2004 ©)

Parth Dave

The Bob is right. That sentence isn't gramatically correct. It should be "the first and last letterS are in the right place".

Gokul43201

The place that you put in an 'are' there was a 'be' in the original sentence, not an 'is'. The root verb 'to be' need not always be expressed as 'is', 'am' or 'are' depending on the plurality or person.

For example, the sentence : "It is important that I/you/they be happy." is perfectly acceptable.

The Bob

Yes but: 'It is important that I is happy.'
'It is important that you is happy.'
'It is important that they is happy.' are also acceptable in parts of England.

As a side note: can I ask, also, why you are agruing with a Brit? I do speak the language (no hard feelings mind Gokul. You helped me when I started the forums ). Sorry. I don't want to sound mean.

The Bob (2004 ©)

Gokul43201

The Bob, my intention was not to provoke an argument. If that's what I did, I'm sorry.

That said...

Parth Dave : I too noticed the missing plural at the end of "the first and last letter". However, I have come across this usage in several places, and believe it is an elliptic form of "the first (letter) and last letter", which would make it an accepted form of writing, just as "Thank you." is good English, even though this sentence has no subject.

NateTG

This isn't an issue of plurality, but of voice -I think the predicate phrase is in the passive voice.
Compare "It is important that our needs are satisfied." and "It is important that our needs be satisfied."
One is a situation where the needs are satisfying themselves, while the other is a situation where someone else is satisfying them.

Gokul43201

Hmmm...there does seem to be a subtle difference. But to me it seems like the latter brings to your attention, that which is satisfying them, while the former ignores that aspect.

However, I feel uneasy about using 'are' in the place of 'be' in the original statement, because to me, that removes reference (albeit extremely indirect) to the person that puts in the first and last letters.

The Bob

I know it was not to provoke. I am assuming too much. Must stop it. Sorry.

It just doesn't seem right to me that the enlish language would allow this 'the first (letter) and last letter'. But even so I feel as there are two objects (the letters) then it still would be 'are'. I must admit that 'to be' is irregular, not to mention being used in modal verbs. 'Thank you' is more of a developed phrase.

I think the sentence should either be 'the first and last letters are' or the first letter and the last letter are'. As there are more than one object you use the plural verb ending. I can only assume that the writers didn't add the 's' or forgot the 'are'. Either way it is not done English (whether or not in America it is exceptable is another question). I will ask my Dad (he used to be a language teacher) and see what he says. Nothing my luck I will be wrong again .LOL

The Bob (2004 ©)

Gokul43201

Dad is the way to go !

The Bob

LOL. Indeed he is. I could not have got through german without him.

The Bob (2004 ©)

The Bob

Well it appears that you were correct. I have checked with my dad and he says that it is correct but (and I stress) Not common at all to hear it phrased that way.

Your quote above is correct gramatically (which I agreed with) but it is not the same type of sentence. The original sentence uses the present tense but your sentence (quoted above) uses the (and my dad is not sure but) subjunctive of the verb. Therefore it is no longer an example of the persent tense, which is what the original sentence is. You cannot mix the two together in examples.

However your original point that is it gramatically correct is right. It is just not correct to an English man (like myself) as it isn't how we use the verb.

Never mind. This clears it all up. You win Gokul.

The Bob (2004 ©)

Gokul43201

Ain't no winning allowed here.

The Bob

Ok. Sorry

The Bob (2004 ©)