A sentence is a set of words that is complete in itself, typically containing a subject and predicate.
61
votes
12answers
5k views
When is it appropriate to end a sentence in a preposition?
Like many others, I commonly find myself ending a sentence with a preposition. Yes, it makes me cringe. I usually rewrite the sentence, but sometimes (in emails) I just live with it. To, with... ...
26
votes
12answers
3k views
“Nothing to tell” versus “nothing to say”
There's nothing to tell.
There's nothing to say.
Can anyone explain the difference between those two statements and give some examples on how they should be used? I think I do have a basic ...
25
votes
10answers
3k views
Can a sentence start with “Because”?
In my grade school days, I recall a teacher proclaiming to the class:
You should never start a sentence with the word "Because".
Of course, I've since seen lots of examples to the contrary, and ...
21
votes
7answers
3k views
Is it acceptable to start a sentence with “however”?
I have heard that starting a sentence with however is wrong. What are the grounds for this view and is it still held by a majority of pedants?
They would suggest changing
However, some people are ...
20
votes
2answers
3k views
How do you capitalize a proper noun such as “iPhone”?
I was always taught to capitalize the first letter of the first word in a sentence, and also the first letter of proper nouns. In the last few years it's been common for certain firms to name their ...
20
votes
6answers
605 views
Is there any valid rule discouraging the use of a certain word to start a sentence?
Is there any rule you think is valid that discourages the use of a certain word to start a sentence?
Because I suspect the answer is no.
But it would be good to have a blanket answer to this kind of ...
19
votes
5answers
2k views
Is there some rule against ending a sentence with the contraction “it's”?
I heard this lyric in a song the other day and it just sounded so wrong that I assumed it must be incorrect grammar, but I can't find any specific prohibition that applies.
That's what it's.
...
18
votes
3answers
1k views
How should I end sentences with a URL as the last word?
For example,
The website I was referring to is hosted at http://english.stackexchange.com.
How should I place the fullstop at the end?
15
votes
14answers
9k views
14
votes
5answers
3k views
Is it really incorrect to start a sentence with “and”?
I know it's wrong, but I do it all the time or else my sentences would go on forever.
13
votes
3answers
2k views
Starting an independent statement with “I mean, …”
A friend was noting that his daughter would occasionally start sentences with the phrase "I mean, " simply for emphasis, not for clarification:
Friend: How was the Miley Cyrus concert?
...
12
votes
3answers
3k views
Is there an online sample sentence database or search engine?
Sometime, I am not sure if I use a specific word correctly. I would like to get some sample sentences to learn from.
So, is there a online sample sentence database/search engine?
12
votes
1answer
569 views
How to deal with abbreviations at the end of a question?
In a sentence like
Should we host them on imgur et cetera?
where I want to abbreviate the "et cetera", what is the correct punctuation? Using a period after the "etc." like mid sentence usages ...
11
votes
6answers
539 views
What does “Has it come to this?” in “Republican leaders quickly voiced horror at these tactics. ‘Has it come to this?’ said John Boehner” mean?
There was the following sentence in July 19 New York Time’s editorial titled “Democrats Gain the Upper Hand”:
“Senator Patty Murray, a member of the Democratic leadership, said Monday that her party ...
10
votes
4answers
364 views
Why am I always compelled to begin a response with “Well, ”?
Because of a certain 140 character limit I've learned where I can trim characters on responses but even after all this time I still reply with "Well, so and so . . ." and I go back and have to delete ...
10
votes
2answers
5k views
Can you grammatically end a sentence with “with”?
Do you want to come with?
Can I come with?
I seem to hear this construction more often in recent years, but it still grates on my ear.
I know it's often said that one shouldn't end a ...
10
votes
2answers
423 views
What does the phrase, “there is properly no history, only biography” mean?
I found Ralph Waldo Emerson's famous words, “there is properly no history, only biography,” in his “Essay I” being quoted in the article titled “Keeping the dream alive: A biography,” appearing in ...
10
votes
3answers
382 views
Do listeners understand different adjective orders?
I found Adjective order,
but I keep wondering if listeners actually understand what I mean when I don't follow that order. For example, if I say, "a lovely long white coat," I may change it to "a long ...
9
votes
3answers
987 views
The sentence with the most prepositions at its end — does it really work?
What did you bring that book that I don't want to be read to from out of about 'Down Under' up for?
I was wondering whether this sentence is actually correct and if it is, whether someone could ...
8
votes
3answers
7k views
Sentences beginning with “so”?
This also came up on either a BBC or CBC science program, but not as a linguistically-oriented discussion.
Over the last two or three years I've noticed a lot more people starting a sentence with ...
8
votes
4answers
818 views
Can you use two “and”s in a sentence?
For example,
I like chocolate, vanilla, and lemon and orange ice cream.
Indicating "lemon and orange" is a combined flavor, as an item in the list needing an initial and.
8
votes
3answers
447 views
The ambitious/arrogant tone of “I”
I don't understand why but I feel arrogant or ambitious when I use a simple sentence in active voice using "I" especially while I was writing my college essay or curriculum vitae e.g.
"I managed a ...
7
votes
7answers
4k views
Is it correct to start a sentence with 'also'?
Is it correct to start a sentence with 'also'?
Also, I had given him the file you sent me.
7
votes
5answers
575 views
What does “I believe in making America safe for old-fashioned light bulbs and not those weird curly ones,” mean?
I saw the line, “That’s all I believe in. That and making America safe for old-fashioned light bulbs and not those weird curly ones,” in the speech of Michele Bachmann quoted in Maureen Dowd column in ...
7
votes
3answers
193 views
Breaking or break the habit
Which of these sentences is grammatically correct?
Imagining the ill effects of smoking led him to ultimately break the habit.
Imagining the ill effects of smoking led him to ultimately breaking the ...
7
votes
2answers
297 views
Longer than a word — smaller than a sentence
What would you call a linguistic construct that is just big enough to convey a meaning within a context, longer than a word but not having the length and proper form of a complete sentence? Like, for ...
7
votes
1answer
502 views
Is it okay to start a sentence with a Greek letter (variable)?
Is it okay to start a sentence with a variable? Do I need to rewrite a sentence just because the subject is typeset as a Greek letter?
For example:
Φ is treated in a special way.
vs.
...
6
votes
3answers
4k views
What does “find someone well” mean?
I got some email from a stranger that contains:
I hope this email finds you well.
So what does "find you well" means here? Does it mean "Are you well" or "The email find the right guy"? I'm a ...
6
votes
2answers
160 views
What does “Watch the plain clothes” account for in terms of “Cheap liquor nationalism”?
International Herald Tribune (September 30) introduced a commentary of Japanese novelist, Haruki Murakami who is regarded as a favorite for this year’s Nobel Prize in literature on Japan’s dispute ...
6
votes
2answers
281 views
Help me parse this sentence so I can understand what joke my ancestors played on the King
I'm reading an old history book about my ancestors entitled "Rulewater And Its People: An Account Of The Valley Of The Rule And Its Inhabitants" published in 1907 by George Tancred. In it, I'm having ...
6
votes
1answer
131 views
Is ‘Today, Japan’s old age social security system is running at a deficit, is the whole country” in Forbes magazine a right sentence? [closed]
I’m puzzled about the meaning of “is the whole country” in the following sentence of the article titled “Japan’s choice: Sink the welfare state or collapse – Whither Japan,” in October 21 Forbes ...
5
votes
5answers
2k views
Is a sentence always grammatically incorrect if it has no verb?
Is the following grammatically correct? My friend says the second sentence is grammatically incorrect, but couldn't explain why.
I have always been fascinated by statistics. The different ways in
...
5
votes
7answers
1k views
“Viewer discretion is advised”
This program contains material that
may be disturbing to some viewers.
Viewer discretion is advised.
Is that 100% correct English? This is the text shown before some TV programs. When I first ...
5
votes
4answers
572 views
Attributive and predicative position of an adjective
I have some difficulty understanding the position of adjectives.
In English I have to put the adjective before the referred name (e.g., I'm an Italian man).
In some languages (as Italian or Ancient ...
5
votes
2answers
184 views
Is this a valid sentence using “approbation” [closed]
I believe the word means to approve or praise. So can I use it as
Are you looking for an approbation from your boss ?
or
Why are you still standing here ? Do you want me to approbate you ?
...
5
votes
1answer
171 views
Need clarify the use of word “locates” in the sentence
My English teacher asked a quiz question:
The dancing club ___ north of this district
a. lays
b. lies
c. locates
d. lain
The answer was given as c. locates. I feel something ...
5
votes
2answers
4k views
What does “pass it on” mean?
I love the song Pass It On by The Coral, but I can't understand the meaning of this sentence:
Just find the feeling, pass it on.
What does pass it on mean?
5
votes
1answer
385 views
“I give nothing to no-one” or “I do not give anything to anyone”
I have a bit of an issue with negations. Are the following correct?
I do not give anything to anyone //I guess this is correct
I give nothing to no-one //can I say that?
Generally, is it the same ...
5
votes
1answer
74 views
Is there a proper way to refer to the “source” and “destination” of a phrase used in communication?
The terms topic or subject can be used to describe what a sentence refers to. What are the proper terms for the "source" (the person who is speaking or writing) and "destination" (the person who is ...
5
votes
4answers
386 views
Using “basically” in an interview
Can I use word basically in an interview?
For example
I basically belong to X but I am working at Y from last 10 years.
Or can I use
I belong to X and I am working at Y from last 10 years.
...
5
votes
2answers
604 views
Is “to [verb] will [verb]” a complete statement?
Let's have, for example, the following phrase.
To create fancy product will require more effort.
Is it a grammatically complete and correct sentence?
5
votes
1answer
319 views
Is every sentence in a tense?
I know that "tense" indicates time. If that is true, then not every sentence can be indicated of its tense.
Please review these sentences:
"If I could go to the market , I must have taken breakfast ...
5
votes
2answers
181 views
OK to use two “there”s in a sentence?
A teacher once told me that it is improper to use two there words in a sentence, such as
There is a woman there.
or
Is there a man there?
and instead state
A woman is there.
or
...
5
votes
2answers
275 views
When talking about something, where do we place its name in the sentence?
In Computer Science papers (and I'm sure that in papers in many other fields, too), we often have to describe a new tool or method that has a name.
Let's talk for instance about Eclipse, and its wide ...
4
votes
6answers
858 views
What do you call the impressive short sentences catalogs and magazine use to write product descriptions?
A couple of years ago I heard a word descriptive of short and impressive sentences that are used in catalogs and websites for product descriptions.
I don't remember that specific word. Do you have any ...
4
votes
7answers
491 views
What is the subject of the following sentence?
Food allergies are adverse reactions to an otherwise harmless food or food component that involves an abnormal response of the body's immune system to specific protein(s) in foods.
This is a ...
4
votes
3answers
307 views
Meaning of “Schemas are changed infrequently, if at all”
As the question title implies, the following is a simple sentence written in plain English.
Schemas are changed infrequently, if at all.
Where schema is a special term used in Database ...
4
votes
6answers
7k views
Forming valid one word sentences
I remember my English teacher saying that there are only two valid ways to make a one-word sentence:
A question:
Why? Where?
A command:
Go! Stop!
Is this correct?
4
votes
3answers
197 views
What is wrong with phrasing like “configure how”?
I'm doing some editing and one sentence I'm navigating says "You can configure how the thing appears." (That's a paraphrase.) I think it is wrong because "configure" is a transitive verb and needs a ...
4
votes
2answers
426 views
“If you think it's hard to meet new people, try picking up the wrong golf ball.”
What does the following Jack Lemmon quote mean:
If you think it's hard to meet new people, try picking up the wrong golf ball.
I guess picking up the wrong golf ball must be an idiom but I ...
