Questions tagged [descriptive-grammar]
Descriptive grammar is a set of rules about language based on how it is actually used. In descriptive grammar there is no right or wrong language. It can be contrasted with prescriptive grammar, which is a set of rules based on how people, mostly writers of style books and grammar text books, think language should be used. See https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/descriptive-grammar .
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What should be the correct form of 'be' verb in the following sentence? [duplicate]
So I was asked to rewrite the following sentence with the correct tense of the verb given in bracket:
It is I who (be) to do it.
Initially I believed, the following would be correct:
It is I who has ...
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3answers
60 views
Is “considering stealing” grammatically correct? [duplicate]
I am working with a student who sends me essays and I help edit them. In one of his paragraphs, he wrote "The lecturer indicates this is illegal since it is considering
stealing." In my head,...
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0answers
5 views
is there an expression to describe “something/someone that is more real than the original item/thing”
I’m looking for a word or a phrase that describes the following:
“something/someone that is more real than the original item/thing”
I am looking for something specific, if possible! Thank you!
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1answer
30 views
“I found that, on average, there are…” or “I found, on average, that there are…”? [duplicate]
So if you couldn't figure out the question from the title, does the subordinating conjunction (the word "that") precede or succeed the extra information between the commas?
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4answers
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Does saying “I was stolen by my sleep” make sense in English?
In my native language, we say "my sleep stole me" when we unintentionally fall asleep. I'm guessing it's more of an idiomatic expression.
My question is, can it work in English?
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30 views
Sentence structure and form
Is this sentence grammatically correct?
"The great sea creature came alongside Lotty and nudged him, so he climbed on board its strong back.
I don't get what sentence structure the second part ...
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1answer
23 views
How to describe the use of 'them' with nouns? [duplicate]
I'm looking for a short and precise word to describe the use of the pronoun them with plurals, i.e.
Let's kill them zombies!
Them townsfolk sure are full of baloney.
I hate them bees.
It appears to be ...
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1answer
24 views
Can I use where instead of from which? [closed]
Imagine something secretly entering your body and controlling your behavior, turning you into one of those zombies from science fiction movies. Does that sound creepy? That's exactly how a parasitic ...
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2answers
61 views
Word choice - Grammar! [closed]
I came across these questions in an old English Language book from the 70s and was wondering if one form of the following sentences is more correct than the other.
Only the team with the lowest ...
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1answer
23 views
In descriptive grammar [closed]
As descriptive grammar is defined, if I say, for example, 'I postpone to play soccer' meaning 'I postpone playing soccer,' and a listener knows what it means, so communication is achieved, then I make ...
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0answers
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adjectival/adverbial grammar issue relating to “undisturbed”
In the sentence "The blackbird was singing undisturbed on the outskirts of the wood" Could the word "undisturbed" be seen as both adjectival (qualifying "blackbird") as ...
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31 views
Agree with/on/about/to the book - In what scenarios are these correct?
Is my current use of these correct:
We agreed on that book. - Eg.: When in a book club you are choosing the book for the next session.
We agreed about that book. -Eg.: When two friends discussed a ...
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0answers
42 views
Can 'where' introduce a specific manner without an antecedent?
I came across this sentence when reading Eclipse, where Sam (werewolf) was the leader of the pack: “ Sam approached Carlisle where he stood in the front, the huge pack right on his tail.”
I've known ...
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1answer
60 views
Why is the article “the” used with “population?” [closed]
Why do we need an article before "population?" Why is "the" the correct article to use in the following sentence?
The population is suffering.
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2answers
51 views
What is right? (English question)
I am a high school student studying English in Korea. I am asking this question because school changed the original text on the English test. So, I have some question and want to get your explanations....
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0answers
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I can't tell whether it is right or wrong
This question is from the Korean high school English test. I wonder if the summary is a proper (ex English composition, collocation or grammar) in the box below.
[Question]
Many advertisements cite ...
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2answers
60 views
The doctor prescribed that the child must take/should take/take the medicine every 8 hours
Non-native here. The reason why this question confuses me is that this should be "took" based on what I have learnt in grammar classes. But that doesn't sound right. I am confused between ...
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0answers
41 views
Passive and active verbal adjective
guys. Hope you are all in greatest condition. I do know that a verb can serve as an adjective when it is placed before a noun and this verb is either a past participle or a present participle in this ...
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0answers
27 views
Has “was” been left out before shown because of parallelism?
If this work could be discovered, it might, he thought, in all probability be restored. Some of the country people were therefore seized, and, inquiry being made of them, the line of the canal was ...
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1answer
71 views
Why is the order “is not” instead of the more rationally intuitive “not is”?
He not is.
He is not.
Using the second method, you have to listen to the third word 100% of the time, instead of only when "not" is used.
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2answers
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Is the phrase 'top-level' appropriate to describe data that makes general obeservations as opposed to more detailed ones?
I am trying to find an appropriate term to describe general data in the form of statistics or reports that give somebody a general overview on a topic. I am trying to distinguish this from very ...
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2answers
165 views
Should I use the word “might” to express someone's wish/hope in a past situation?
The dictionaries are very clear as to the use of "may" to express a wish or a hope - and one can easily infer that a sense of future is always implied in such use. For example: "May she ...
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0answers
20 views
'Such' in place of a demonstrative pronoun. Such a configuration or such configuration?
I read some explanations about the use of 'such' as a determiner, but I still could not figure this out. If, in scientific/formal writing, I want to use 'such' instead of 'this' to specify a ...
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0answers
46 views
Which one of the sentences is grammatically correct?
1: In their article published 10 years ago, they concluded that the ant was an amazing creature.
2: In their article published 10 years ago, they concluded that the ant is an amazing creature.
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2answers
40 views
First conditional sentences
Certain grammar websites describe type 1 conditional sentences as the ones in which the time is the present or future and the situation is real.
Examples given are:
If I have time, I'll finish that ...
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1answer
69 views
Grammar - for you / with you?
I am writing a letter and got stuck here:
Will that be alright for you? or Will that be alright with you?
Which one is the correct version?
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2answers
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does an “issued” a threat become “rescinded/revoked” when acted upon?
In the sense of a direct threat like "If you do X, I will beat you", which is a threat with a promise that is clear. One would say a threat was "issued".
If something can be issued, it can be revoked/...
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2answers
61 views
Elided Compound or Simple sentence
In the example
"He gave Tom a cycle and Jack a bike"
Is this a simple sentence or an elided (stripping) compound sentence which can be expanded to “He gave Tom a cycle and he gave Jack a bike.” ...
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2answers
70 views
Combination of the present perfect and the simple past?
Is there a chance to combine these two tenses this way, I have checked with several sites, and I found out that it's seemingly some jobless old latino, definitely not Willis.
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1answer
35 views
With object adjective
I just watched a movie in which someone more or less says "Oh yeah, with him dead, you want me hacking the computer"
My question: to what extent can I use this construction? Is it grammatically right ...
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1answer
30 views
After and Before Clauses
guys. I would like to ask whether a clause should always be in the past if it follows another clause starting with after in the past. For instance: After she read the note, she understands/understood ...
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0answers
107 views
Is it grammatically correct to say ( can I kindly bring your attention to … )?
Is it grammatically correct the position of the adverb in the following question ( can I kindly bring your attention to .... ) ?
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1answer
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How to create inline reference to all preceding items?
I need to create a list of items where each item is associated with a descriptive clause that comes at the end of the list. One way to accomplish this is with formatting. E.g.,
If Client does not ...
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0answers
32 views
Should the asterisk of a postscript correspond in size to the first asterisk, or be the same font size as the postscript's lettering?
The former makes sense in terms of its intent--which is to take off where it leaves off, the reason why an asterisk is used on both ends--but perhaps this is trumped by the importance of font size?
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26 views
Describe something will be made to do smth in short
Good day, all!
I'm writing an IT specification for adding a new feature to some existing functionality. Let's say some "sender" plugin will be improved in a way it'll be able to access attributes of ...
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0answers
23 views
Time reference of imperatives/modals
What time reference is indicated by imperative sentences/Sentences with modal verbs (present or future)Some say it is present time others say it indicates future since the action can only happen ...
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1answer
35 views
Adjective /Adverb modifier
"The decision affects people at large/in general" what role does the phrase 'at large/in general' perform here? Are they used as adjective modifier of noun 'people ' or adverb modifier of verb '...
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0answers
14 views
Type of co-ordinator
In the example sentence
"He cannot compete, let alone/much less win //// not to mention/not to talk of winning"
What role/s do let alone / much less / not to mention / not to talk of perform?
Are ...
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0answers
7 views
Making sense of Complex conjunction
1.When a connector is added to a co-ordinating conjunction what is the combined entity called ? An emphatic conjunction?
Example-He is young and therefore,strong.(and therefore)
2.Similarly, when ...
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0answers
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Can 'on one occasion' and 'at 5am' be called sentence connectors /conjunctive adverbs?
In the given examples:
He never invited anyone. On one occasion, somebody came.
Does "on one occasion" act as sentence connector here acting as conjunctive adverb?
He has a tight schedule. At 5 ...
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0answers
22 views
Mixing Conditional 1 and 2
Are the following sentence ok to use ?
Are they related to the mixed conditions where you mix between conditional 1 and 2 ????
1-I want to travel abroad and complete my study if I could.
2- I want ...
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1answer
117 views
When do we use Verb ING at the beginning of sentences?
Could someone please explain the grammar structure of the lyrics below?
Sitting here wide awake
Thinking about when I last saw you
Since the beginning of these lyrics starts with an "ING" ...
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1answer
1k views
Make a questions without auxiliary verb
As a non-native speaker, I found some context in movies or general speaking, they make a questions without an auxiliary verb for example
Who knows the answer?
Who wants to go to Thailand ?
Why ...
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0answers
50 views
Got arrested or Was arrested
Not really sure how to use Get/Got + V3 or V.to be + V3 ( Passive voice )
Can anyone explain, are there any differences between these two grammar structures ?
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1answer
14 views
correctly punctuate each sentence to make it meaningful
Ten(10) editor-in-chiefs from two(2)media houses were present at the seminar
During the nineteen eighties(1980's) there was severely famine
All seven former heads-of-states were at the inaugural ...
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0answers
29 views
Grammatical status of Question tags in Sentences
When a question tag is added to a simple sentence, what does the combined sentence become? (compound sentence/complex sentence)
Can it be classified as asyndetic co-ordinate clause?
If question tag ...
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0answers
25 views
there WOULD be at least 10 people and out of that 10 people at least 2 WOULD
Context- I was teaching a child about how the economy is being effected by the corona-virus. I pointed at a street with some stores and restaurants and said:
"If it weren't for the virus there would ...
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0answers
32 views
Grammatical rules describing use of “um”, “so”, “basically” in spoken language?
Use of filler words seems to be proscribed as bad or incorrect, yet they also seem so common that they are part of spoken language. Whether desirable or not, are there grammatical rules that describe ...
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1answer
109 views
Some problems with present perfect tense
I have read all the questions and i have answered them. Or I have read all the questions and answered them. Which one of these two perfect tenses is correct. Do keep using have many times to represent ...
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2answers
132 views
Can “in order to keep” be used in place of “allowing”?
A quote from a Wikipedia article is as follows:
An alternative approach commonly used in spacecraft is to divert surplus PV power into a resistive load, allowing the panel to operate continuously ...
