[Article] How to Run a Type One Tournament

[Shadow Ninja]

Attacking the second argument first, rating in Type One is what a star in Kindergarten is: a vague accolade for something you might or might not have done, which is generally meaningless.

It depends on what direction you wish to go with this, grammatically speaking.  You could say "your rating" or "a player's rating," but your lack of a qualifier makes it sound like the verb 'rating.'  Alternately, you could say "ratings... are what stars in Kindergarten are:" which would also be correct.

And I believe Smmenen did mean refute.

Anyways, a well done article, and I always like to hear the big shots supporting proxies.

[Jacob Orlove]

Attacking the second argument first, rating in Type One is what a star in Kindergarten is: a vague accolade for something you might or might not have done, which is generally meaningless.

I think that this sentence would have read more smoothly if you would have said:  "...ratings in Type One what a star in Kindergarten is..."  I think that the term ratings is actually both the singular and plural.  So that ratings...is....is not bad grammar.  Ask Matt or Jacob though.  They may have the definitive answer.

I would either say "ratings in Type one are like gold stars in Kindergarten: a vague accolade for something you might or might not have done, which is generally meaningless." or "one's rating in Type One is like a gold star in Kindergarten: a vague accolade for something you might or might not have done, which is generally meaningless."

You're using an analogy that works better as a simile, so you actually should use the word "like"--it makes the sentence work. You want the star to be singular if and only if the rating is also singular, but you can't have a singular rating unless it belongs to someone (you could say "a rating in Type One is like..." but that isn't as clear).

[Shadow Ninja]

Yeah, the simile does sound better than the metaphor, now that you mention it.  Good catch.  

Ain't grammar a hoot?

[Alfred]

Please stay on topic. -Dr. Sylvan