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In attendance

Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 12:03 pm
by Perry Lassiter
An otherwise very good sports writer for the local paper today wrote that a group of people "were in attendance" at an event. "Attend" is a perfectly good verb. I attended a party. Much stronger, vigorous, and shorter. Let's bury "in attendance," what do you say?

Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 4:58 pm
by Philip Hudson
One might have occasion to use "in attendance".
Suppose you were required to attend a boring meeting? What if you were there only because it was required? You might want to describe the experience in a weak, lethargic manner to convey the sheer boredom of it all. Don’t bury an expression just because it doesn’t fit your sunny disposition. It might come in handy some cloudy day.