The linguist’s mind ripples with muscle beneath his unprepossessing skull. Most days, reclusive and modest, he contemplates exotic texts in his remote book-cave. Occasionally, however, an English specimen from Digital City issues a cry for help. The linguist springs into action (spilling his tea)…
In my fantasy I’m a super-editor tasked with swooping down to rescue important writing from distress. When I don my hero-togs I make the world in my head a little safer for good grammar.
All of this augurs poorly for a real constitutional crisis — where, armed with public support, some person or institution in our system openly defies the constitutional checks and balances imposed by another. The pushback, in such a case, is going to require nuance and statesmanship — nuance to make clear to the public exactly what the crisis is (and isn’t) and how it was provoked; statesmanship to provide at least some response from those of the same political ilk for why the long-term costs of such subversion of the Constitution outweighs the short-term benefits. (Stephen I. Vladeck, “What’s Really Happening in Biden vs. Abbott vs. the Supreme Court,” New York Times, 2-1-24)
Which of the following is the subject of the verb “outweighs”?
(a) “pushback” (b) “crisis” (c) “statesmanship” (d) “ilk” (e) “subversion” (f) none of these
You got it! How would you fix the problem? It must be said, remedying the peccadillo we’ve identified does little to ease the trudge through Professor Vladeck’s clotted prose.
Stephen I. Vladeck (@steve_vladeck), a professor at the University of Texas School of Law, writes the One First weekly Supreme Court newsletter and is the author of “The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic.” [New York Times biotag]
I live in Texas and devote much of my time to easel painting on an amateur basis. I stream a lot of music, mostly jazz, throughout the day. I like to read and memorize poetry.
EthicalDative 
The Caped Grammarian
The linguist’s mind ripples with muscle beneath his unprepossessing skull. Most days, reclusive and modest, he contemplates exotic texts in his remote book-cave. Occasionally, however, an English specimen from Digital City issues a cry for help. The linguist springs into action (spilling his tea)…
In my fantasy I’m a super-editor tasked with swooping down to rescue important writing from distress. When I don my hero-togs I make the world in my head a little safer for good grammar.
All of this augurs poorly for a real constitutional crisis — where, armed with public support, some person or institution in our system openly defies the constitutional checks and balances imposed by another. The pushback, in such a case, is going to require nuance and statesmanship — nuance to make clear to the public exactly what the crisis is (and isn’t) and how it was provoked; statesmanship to provide at least some response from those of the same political ilk for why the long-term costs of such subversion of the Constitution outweighs the short-term benefits.
(Stephen I. Vladeck, “What’s Really Happening in Biden vs. Abbott vs. the Supreme Court,” New York Times, 2-1-24)
Which of the following is the subject of the verb “outweighs”?
(a) “pushback” (b) “crisis” (c) “statesmanship” (d) “ilk” (e) “subversion” (f) none of these
You got it! How would you fix the problem? It must be said, remedying the peccadillo we’ve identified does little to ease the trudge through Professor Vladeck’s clotted prose.
Stephen I. Vladeck (@steve_vladeck), a professor at the University of Texas School of Law, writes the One First weekly Supreme Court newsletter and is the author of “The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic.” [New York Times biotag]
(c) 2024 JMN — EthicalDative. All rights reserved
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About JMN
I live in Texas and devote much of my time to easel painting on an amateur basis. I stream a lot of music, mostly jazz, throughout the day. I like to read and memorize poetry.