This tag is about how the grammar works: different grammatical usages, how they can be used, or what they mean.
2
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3answers
7k views
“Types of” followed by singular or plural? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Types of things vs. types of thing
When using the phrase "types of" or "kinds of," it often seems appropriate to follow with a singular noun (e.g., types of rock), but ...
0
votes
2answers
7k views
“As of late” or “as of lately”?
The title pretty much summarizes my question. For example, in the following sentence
She has developed an accent while living overseas, which as of late(ly) became more pronounced.
I usually ...
6
votes
1answer
471 views
Why is “ouster” the act of ousting and not one who ousts?
The question should be clear enough from the title.
Also: What are we supposed to call one who ousts? [If this warrants another question, I will edit this out and open another question.]
2
votes
1answer
2k views
Please explain the: upwards vs upward difference [duplicate]
Possible Duplicates:
“Backward” versus “backwards” — is there any difference?
Afterward versus afterwards — which, and/or when?
I have seen both used ...
1
vote
2answers
424 views
“Excuse I” correctness
I had a gentleman say "Excuse I" to me the other day as he passed me in the hallway. He was a professor at the university I attend, and so it got me thinking:
Is "Excuse I" acceptable grammar even ...
1
vote
5answers
6k views
Can I use “I have asked something”
I wonder whether “ask” can be used as verb in past or present perfect tense. I used “I have asked something from somebody” in email, but this sentence sounds a little weird to me. So I want to check ...
1
vote
5answers
314 views
Forming the negative with “no?”
I sometimes see sentences like I no go to Rio (note that no is before go)—as the title of this blog post.
Is it considered slang or is there an actual rule?
p.s. While related, this is not a ...
9
votes
1answer
9k views
Why use “need not” instead of “do not need to”?
The header of psyco.sourceforge.net states:
High-level languages need not be slower than low-level ones.
Why use need not instead of do not need? What does it mean? Also, why no to before be? ...
0
votes
1answer
189 views
Please define the grammar errors (by their generally accepted terms) in this sentence
My goal in asking this question is to learn to name my errors. I write many sentences and think, "that's not right," and then I change it to make it sound better. It usually works well (and my boss ...
3
votes
2answers
531 views
study comedy “at” or “in” the XYZ theater
I will study comedy at XYZ theater
Sounds more intuitive.
Which one is grammatically correct and why?
4
votes
3answers
952 views
Adjective with proper noun
Rephrasing the entire question:
Do we use the article "the" when we use an adjective with a proper noun? Which of these is correct, and why?
The terrible Mr. Brown set my boat on fire.
...
4
votes
2answers
3k views
Where should the apostrophe go in “three days work”?
Which is correct?
1 Three day's work
2 Three days' work
3 Three days work
I would probably guess (2) is right, since the work belongs to the three days ("three days of work"). But I'm ...
1
vote
2answers
2k views
What is the difference between “get it over” and “get over it”?
I was wondering if there are grammatical differences between "get it over" and "get over it"?
If "over" is an adverb, "it" as a pronoun must be between "get" and "over", which is what I learned from ...
12
votes
4answers
260 views
“Be” as an action rather than a state
I've heard, on rare occasion, a subtle differentiation between be as a state (to passively embody) and be as an action (to actively embody). The latter form often occurs in parallel with do to add ...
11
votes
5answers
650 views
Commas around non-parenthetical name like “The famous playwright, William Shakespeare, was born…”?
I commonly see commas used like: "The famous playwright, William Shakespeare, was born in Stratford-upon-Avon."
It bothers me, but I'm curious to hear explanations of why this is done, and if it can ...
9
votes
5answers
557 views
Why does “is” replace “has”?
I am continually surprised to hear people use has and is interchangeably.
The erudite Peter Segal has been guilty of saying:
This song is been written by XXX.
YY is been a producer on the ...
4
votes
5answers
670 views
What is the “how” doing in one sense of the sentence “How would you like to die?”
The eighth episode of HBO's Game of Thrones series aired last night, and it was another fine one, full of wit and high drama. One particular scene in the episode, though, prompted an English language ...
3
votes
2answers
591 views
Can “I wonder” be put at the end of a sentence?
Usually sentences with "I wonder" are of the following form:
I wonder why _______.
But what about this?
Why is it that _______ I
wonder.
It seems relatively unnatural. Why is that? Is it ...
3
votes
2answers
619 views
Using multiple verbs with multiple nouns
In a sentence which uses multiple verbs and multiple nouns, is there a way to logically show which verb corresponds to which noun(s)?
E.g.
1. I like to buy and eat fish and chips.
(Both ...
2
votes
3answers
2k views
What's the difference between be verbs and auxiliary verbs?
I assume all be verbs are auxiliary verbs; is this correct?
22
votes
4answers
1k views
How do the rules of English inform understanding of one of our language's most disputed sentences?
Yes, historical context is important, but forget it for a moment. Taken at face value, what does the text mean?
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right ...
2
votes
1answer
311 views
“out loud”: is it hyphenated or not?
Does “out loud” require a hyphen? As in “think out loud.” What do you think? I think it does not. I noticed that it is commonly used without one. Even so, it bothers me.
1
vote
1answer
232 views
“To compensate” or “compensate for”?
As I'm no native speaker, I wonder about the usage for compensate.
I'm writing a title of a paper.
Is it:
"Compensating for X Effects"
or
"Compensating X Effects" ?
In this case I want to ...
10
votes
5answers
431 views
Are apostrophes actually needed?
I don't mean to make it grammatically correct I mean does English need them?
I can't seem to find a use case other than it's "legacy" in English, but that is never a reason to keep something around.
...
3
votes
1answer
384 views
Is metathesis correct?
Pronouncing asterisk as asterix /æstərɪks/ is called metathesis.
Some common examples of this phenomenon that I have heard are ask -> aks and introduce -> interduce /ɪntərˈdjuːs/.
So this ...
3
votes
2answers
854 views
Is “Didn't used to have been” a valid structure?
Are the following sentences valid:
It didn't used to happen.
It didn't used to have been there.
And if so, what tenses are they?
1
vote
2answers
194 views
Rules on encapsulating additional information: use commas(,… ,)or dashes (- … -)? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Parentheses vs. double commas vs. dashes to provide additional detail
Here is the sentence where i struggled to find the grammatically correct form:
Just curious – ...
3
votes
2answers
743 views
Participle phrase — what can it modify?
Must a participial phrase always modify the subject of a sentence, or can it modify the object?
11
votes
1answer
2k views
What are the rules about using 'half of' with plural nouns?
Here are some sentences with 'half of' and plural nouns that I consider to be well-formed:
Half of all films are a waste of celluloid.
Half of users surveyed said they preferred the old product.
...
4
votes
2answers
10k views
What does “Per [person's name]” mean?
Does "Per John:" mean exactly the same thing as "From John:" and "John:"?
What exactly does the word "per" mean in this situation (what denotation does it have)?
3
votes
1answer
330 views
Quantity for abbreviations of plural terms
I have two questions which I think are so closely related that they should be grouped together.
Quantity for an abbreviation that stands for a plural
Context: The author is trying to explain what ...
2
votes
0answers
209 views
Is there a good book about interesting grammar in any language? [closed]
I love reading about interesting differences in grammar in different languages, e.g. Finnish cases. Is there a good book, site or something else that treats "interesting things in grammar" in any ...
1
vote
1answer
445 views
Grammaticality of Star Trek's slogan [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Are split infinitives grammatically incorrect, or are they valid constructs?
Star Trek's slogan:
To boldly go where no man has gone before.
"To boldy go" sounds ...
2
votes
1answer
1k views
If it is the “better” of two options (rather than “best”), is there still the “worst” of two options? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Use of the superlative when only two items are present
When choosing between two items, I've always been told it's incorrect to say one is "the best". Rather, you ...
1
vote
3answers
1k views
Which tense after 'would I… if… ?'
I am struggling on a sentence here. Let me show u what I come up with;
Would I fail if I won't study?
In this sentence I am trying to indicate a possibility but I am not sure if I use this part ...
5
votes
2answers
924 views
When is the use of “north” more appropriate than “northern” and vice versa?
North, South, East, West, can be used as adjectives, but so can Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western. What rules, if any, govern which is appropriate when?
2
votes
1answer
529 views
Can “so” (as a conjunction) be followed by a sentence the subject of which is omitted?
Recently I have come across this strange sentence:
The paper was mainly about the everyday life of the ordinary people during the Japanese occupation so ...
2
votes
3answers
2k views
Why is “xxxx doth not a yyyy make” considered valid English?
Reading doth not a writer make.
This sounds all wrong so why it is acceptable to use?
The word order looks to be all out sequence (Object-Subject-Verb).
It should be "reading does not make you a ...
1
vote
1answer
265 views
Should I use the singular or plural here?
The following two phrases MS Word marks as wrong, whereas I think they are correct; but I would like feedback to be sure.
Microsoft and Cisco are both designing ...
MS Word suggests changing ...
0
votes
1answer
115 views
“consumers may not trust producers for (??) enforcing the property”
Here's an example sentence:
"consumers may not trust producers for enforcing the property"
Should it really be "for" there on the middle? Or should it be some other word?
4
votes
2answers
428 views
Does the sentence of “Don’t you …”? have a connotation of accusation?
“Don't you want to know how Ginny got hold of that diary, Mr. Malfoy?” said Harry.
Lucius Malfoy rounded on him.
“How should I know how the stupid little girl got hold of it?” he said.
...
2
votes
1answer
2k views
Anyone: (“they” or “he/she”) why is it sometimes plural? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is it correct to use “their” instead of “his or her”?
Plural versus singular:
Anyone can learn to dance if they want to.
Anyone can ...
7
votes
3answers
288 views
Is this quote grammatically correct?
Beauty and sadness always go together.
Nature thought beauty too rich to go
forth upon the earth without a meet
alloy. (George MacDonald)
The last part of the quote doesn't seem to make ...
4
votes
4answers
3k views
“Opportunity of purchasing” vs “Opportunity to purchase”
I am translating a phrase from Spanish and I would appreciate the input from a native English speaker:
I translated a phrase as "to give the opportunity of purchasing", but I am in doubt whether it ...
2
votes
1answer
484 views
Are em dashes acceptable in lists?
I often see lists written as follows (using em dashes to elaborate a list item):
Item 1—explanation for item 1
Item 2—explanation for item 2
Is this generally correct, or are colons preferable?
2
votes
2answers
396 views
About the use of future tense
Which is better:
"I am not having lunch tomorrow unless I am really hungry."
"I am not having lunch tomorrow unless I will be really hungry."
Something else
2
votes
4answers
1k views
Difference between “introduction to” and “introduction of”
What exactly is the difference between "introduction to" and "introduction of"?
For example: should it be "Introduction to the problem" or "Introduction of the problem"?
1
vote
3answers
812 views
“make it to there”
Consider the following two phrases which are both about going to some place:
If I can't make it there
If I can't make it to there
Isn't the second phrase grammatically correct, whereas the ...
3
votes
5answers
252 views
“The place where we promised to meet”
This is talking about a promise to meet at a certain place. However, is it grammatically correct? Is it badly phrased? It seems that it can be misinterpreted to mean that at a certain place a promise ...
1
vote
3answers
4k views
“I had finished the work on friday” / “I have finished the work”
Every morning, I have to speak in English. Suppose that today is Monday.
Do these two sentences convey the same meaning?
On Friday, I had finished the work.
"Had" is used here because it is ...
