Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 4 · column 3 of 6 · from the scan, no model involved
computer found this puzzling: “I’m’ followed by ‘thirsty’ may be an unusual usage.”
Things go from bad to worse between Ned and Nan. She nags him. He can do nothing to please her. Fred is nowhere to be seen. So, “One starry night he went to a high rock and tried to summon Fred.” PC-Proof threw up its curiously programmed hands: “The noun ‘night’ might not agree with the verb ‘rock’.”
The machine, thoroughly befuddled, examined a three-word sentence, “Ned was perplexed.” The sentence was “too complex to be processed.” Fred is thinking of inventing rock ‘n’ roll. He says, “It sounds good.” Said the machine, “‘Sounds’ followed by ‘good’ may be unusual usage in this sentence.”
Enough already! PC-Proof did catch a couple of missing question marks. Alina twice had failed to capitalize the first word of a sentence. The program nailed a comma splice. But the trouble with Mr. Hu’s Incredible Correction Machine, I suspect, is that English is beyond the reach of any grammar corrector ever likely to be invented. Words are not always what they seem. Nouns may be verbs and verbs may be nouns. Many split infinitives should be left alone.
Back to the drawing board, Mr. Hu! We writers still need all the help we can get, but some help we can do without.
© 1993 Universal Press Syndicate
86.4%