Comments on: “The next stop will be…” http://painintheenglish.com/?p=4186 Forum for the gray areas of the English language Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:26:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: douglas http://painintheenglish.com/?p=4186&cpage=1#comment-10168 douglas Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:26:25 +0000 http://painintheenglish.com/?p=4186#comment-10168 A case could be made for either construction, but I think context trumps syntax in this instance. That context is the subway. The phrase "the next stop will be" is more likely to be understood in a crowded train than "the next stop is." The sibilant "is" would be more easily drowned out than the sharper-sounding "be."<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-10168">1</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> A case could be made for either construction, but I think context trumps syntax in this instance. That context is the subway. The phrase “the next stop will be” is more likely to be understood in a crowded train than “the next stop is.” The sibilant “is” would be more easily drowned out than the sharper-sounding “be.”

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]]> By: XB http://painintheenglish.com/?p=4186&cpage=1#comment-10058 XB Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:43:59 +0000 http://painintheenglish.com/?p=4186#comment-10058 I have a question. Should it be "next stop" or "THE next stop"?<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-10058">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> I have a question. Should it be “next stop” or “THE next stop”?

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]]> By: Conrad http://painintheenglish.com/?p=4186&cpage=1#comment-10043 Conrad Tue, 21 Jul 2009 03:02:13 +0000 http://painintheenglish.com/?p=4186#comment-10043 You're correct: the next stop *is* X, because the order of stops is a predetermined list. But they are also correct: the next stop *will be* X, because you haven't stopped there yet.<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-10043">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> You’re correct: the next stop *is* X, because the order of stops is a predetermined list.

But they are also correct: the next stop *will be* X, because you haven’t stopped there yet.

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