Re: semenatics of if/unless/while statement modifiers

On Tuesday 22 November 2005 12:31, Steven Jenkins wrote:
> It's also valid English, but not what people would typcially say. If the
> auxiliary phrase needs rhetorical emphasis, however, putting it first
> makes sense:

	I'm going to the concert, if I can get the money.

	I'm going to be a doctor, unless I flunk out of college.

Statements like these are not only valid, but common.  Furthermore,

	Hammer on that nail until it is flush

It is much less common to hear people construct that sentence as:

	Until it is flush, hammer on that nail.

I *like* constructions as:

	begin
		do_something
	end until foo

although I'd prefer:

	loop
		...
	until foo

What's really interesting is that we're debating the syntax of Ruby WRT 
sentence structures in English and German, when the language author is a 
native speaker of neither.

-- 
--- SER

"As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, 
more and more closely, the inner soul of the people.  On some 
great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach 
their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned 
by a downright moron."        -  H.L. Mencken (1880 - 1956)