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Post by Vadim on Jul 16, 2008 14:44:45 GMT
A quick one:
Here is an extract from my work. Can someone clear up the decision on wether to change slightly, recast, or leave as is, the following:
The important factors are: • recirculation within the flow region; • pressure losses due to the influence of the change in section; • nozzle velocity profile at the exit.
These factors all cause the nozzle to under perform.
I'm told the "under perform" is a split infinitve. What to do?
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Post by Dave on Jul 16, 2008 14:58:20 GMT
Who told you?
I'm thinking that underperform should be one word in this case, a verb in its own right.
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Post by Dave M on Jul 16, 2008 16:08:24 GMT
I'd go with Dave: it's to underperform.
(It's not a definitive test, but Google shows 2.49 million cases of "underperform", and only 165k of "under perform / under-perform".)
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Post by Twoddle on Jul 16, 2008 17:04:34 GMT
I'd go with Dave: it's to underperform. (It's not a definitive test, but Google shows 2.49 million cases of "underperform", and only 165k of "under perform / under-perform".) I agree that it's not a split infinitive - and I'm forever being told that split infinitives don't matter anyway - but I'd look upon it as a compound verb ("under-perform") rather than a single-word verb ("underperform"), regardless of Google.
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Post by Pete on Jul 16, 2008 20:20:50 GMT
I agree with all other posters so far. Just in case you're taking this as a vote! ;D
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Post by Tone on Jul 16, 2008 21:00:26 GMT
I think that I'd go for "under-perform", rather than "underperform".
Tone
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Post by Vadim on Jul 16, 2008 21:44:07 GMT
I agree with all other posters so far. Just in case you're taking this as a vote! ;D It's 2-2 so far with under-perform Vs underperform. You have the casting vote, Pete, but as your post was completely ambiguous due to previous posters saying different things, I'm in gridlock.
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Post by SusanB on Jul 16, 2008 21:46:48 GMT
I'd vote for underperform!
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Post by Twoddle on Jul 16, 2008 22:02:17 GMT
You should all accept my opinion on this. I know more about under-performing than most, having practised it all my life.
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Post by Geoff on Jul 16, 2008 22:13:50 GMT
Sorry to make it more difficult for you to decide, Vadim, but I think I'd go for under-perform.
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Post by Paul Doherty on Jul 16, 2008 22:39:00 GMT
Vadim, this is where a good dictionary is vital (otherwise you're reduced to votes here, which cannot be good!) The Oxford Dictionary of English gives underperform but under-record.
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Post by Verbivore on Jul 16, 2008 22:43:07 GMT
Underperform for me. Not a split infinitive at all.
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Post by Alan Palmer on Jul 17, 2008 6:01:27 GMT
I vote for underperform.
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Post by Gabriel-Ernest on Jul 17, 2008 12:18:50 GMT
Despite the Oxford Dictionary of English it is under-perform for me. But only because I think that coming upon underperform in a sentence would make me stumble (so to speak) and thus impair the flow of that sentence. Also, it looks ugly.
G-E.
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Post by Paul Doherty on Jul 17, 2008 12:50:42 GMT
You'll want Collins Unabridged, then, G-E. The seventh edition (2005) doesn't list underperform, thus by implication suggesting it should be formed with a hyphen. Although the Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors says that under as a prefix "normally forms one word". So there we are.
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