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Conventional grammar

  • Apr. 18th, 2012 at 12:52 PM
Labyrinth - Maze
Poll #1834514
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 74

Which is grammatically correct?

View Answers
at the Eastercon
7 (8.8%)
at Eastercon
69 (86.2%)
(What is this "Eastercon" you keep going on about?)
4 (5.0%)


To keep this poll simpler: take as read that whether or not it needs a definite article for this year, it'll be "an Eastercon" speaking more generally.

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drplokta
Apr. 18th, 2012 12:21 pm (UTC)
I was at the Eastercon in 1983. I'm going to be at Eastercon next year. It takes an article when being used as a generic term for one in a series, but not when being used to refer to the current/forthcoming one specifically.
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nmg
Apr. 18th, 2012 01:34 pm (UTC)
This usage exactly matches my own.
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swisstone
Apr. 18th, 2012 02:34 pm (UTC)
I'd modify that to say that whenever you add a descriptive word or phrase, either before or after, you would tend to use the article, e.g. 'the 1994 Eastercon', 'the last Eastercon', 'the Eastercon at Bradford'. But 'I was at Eastercon'. Clearly when you say 'I will be at Eastercon next year' you are referring to a specific Eastercon.
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