postman pat book - is this right?

[jingleyjen]

postman pat story book.

In the village of Greendale, there's a postman called Pat.
He delivers the mail with Jess, his cat.
He's out in the rain, he's out in the snow.
There's not a person, who Pat doesn't know.
The children of Greendale really love Pat,
For he delivers the presents, and they all love that!

so that is the whole book, but the there's not a person, who Pat doesn't know, gets stuck in my mouth each time I say it...

Is it correct English?

I know they wanted it to rhyme but it feels wrong.

[vbacqueen1]

I see what you mean - there's not a person THERE who Pat doesn't know, but as we know they're talking about Greendale, the village, I suppose it works. Kind of.

[islandofsodor]

It's a poem. Poetry isn't necessarily meant to be 100% grammatically correct.

[UnquietDad]

We have that same book and I am always at how short it is and at that same line.

[fluffyanimal]

I guess strictly speaking it should be "whom Pat doesn't know", and I'd probably delete the comma too. But colloquially it would be OK.

[AllFallDown]

I'd delete the who and the comma: "There's not a person Pat doesn't know."
I think the "there" is implicit. The comma is an abomination and it changes the meaning. Who for whom in a Postman Pat book is perhaps not a significant problem. As long as they don't get that and which muddled.

[dinny]

yes, delete the comma and also could delete "who" or not

[branflake81]

it should be "whom" as Pat is the subject. But agree, it sounds clumsy.

[edam]

That comma really grates. Awful. Can live without 'whom' in a kids book, but an author/editor who doesn't even know what a comma does? Hanging's too good for 'em.

[Sanguine]

LOL at "poem", Islandofsodor! I suppose it's poetry in the same way that the birthday cards I get from MIL are poetry.

[asicsgirl]

does "there isn't a person" sound better? another dialect thang i think - like

i haven't got a pencil
vs.
i've not got a pencil

both are 'correct', just more common in different dialects

[PortAndLemon]

I could live with it as just-needing-to-fit-the-metre if it weren't for the comma, I think.

Well, obviously technically I can live with the comma . Mataphorically, though, a little part of me has died inside.

[MargeSimpsonMyAlterEgo]

Could it go:

There isn't anyone Pat doesn't know?

eugh - so many negatives...

[PortAndLemon]

Or perhaps

Pat knows everyone, ohhohohoho!

[catok]

What is a 'not-a-person'? An object? In which case, there is an object which Pat doesn't know!
How about:
He's out in the snow, he's out in the rain,
Here comes Pat - let's meet him again!