I see your point. You'd diagram it
[Corruption (from diverse sources) has wrought]
as if the sources were an optional clause. But if we remove your "optional"
clause, we have
[the corruption has wrought on
the languge of our youth]
There's no direct object to recieve the action. I submit:
The diverse sources have wrought corruption upon the language of our youth.
Lama
From: "Chris Barker" <ftog@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Aha Lama, you fell into my trap ;-). The verb agrees with "corruption"
which is singular.
OK, it wasn't a trap, but when I read it through (missing the
misspelling of "programmes"), I had to think carefully before leaving
the construction as it was.
Lama-Jim L'Hommedieu wrote:
> Chris,
> did you mean the corruption these shows *HAVE* wrought?
> From: "Chris Barker"
>> You have not mentioned, in your otherwise well-constructed rant, the
> corruption that TV prorammes like Friends and Simpsons has wrought on
> the languge of our youth. It is not "may I have a beer", but "can I
> get a beer".... aaaargh!>
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