Questions tagged [grammar]
This tag is for questions about morphology and syntax, the two elements of grammar. DO NOT USE THIS TAG IF YOUR QUESTION IS ABOUT WHETHER SOMETHING SPECIFIC IS GRAMMATICAL. For such cases use the 'grammaticality' tag. Also do not use this for punctuation or spelling (orthography); those are not about grammar, and they have their own tags.
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I have a doubt (Which combination is correct??)
Napoleon was one of the greatest of generals. He is universally acknowledged so.
1.=Napoleon is universally acknowledged to have been one of the greatest of generals.
2.=Napoleon is universally ...
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Which is a right representation? 'was collaborated with' vs 'has collaborated with' [closed]
When I collaborate with someone in writing an article, which one is the right representation?
This article was collaborated with A
This article has collaborated with A
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3
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1
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'As that they may have the trouble of saying as little as possible'
There is a quote from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, which is as follows:
“It would look odd to be entirely silent for half an hour together, and yet for the advantage of some, conversation ought ...
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2
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What is the grammar of "to count" in this sentence? [closed]
In the below sentence, what is the grammar of "is to count" and what is the meaning of the whole sentence?
Kuhn's own account of science entails that what is to count as a problem is ...
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When is this type of inversion usually used? [duplicate]
What is this inversion rule? I heard
"After bad weather comes fine weather", it was obvious for me that the word "comes" here was related to "fine weather". Yes, I learnt ...
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Are the sentences correct and natural? Thanks [closed]
Once the dark and cold swallowed the world we fought for
and I saw no silver lining but clouds
Words fail me when painful memories surge
The light dims when I feel so overwhelmed
With you I just turn ...
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Is it a grammatically correct conditional sentence "If I won that award my life would change"? [migrated]
I'm interested in whether the bold phrase in these examples is correct in terms of grammar from the native's point of view?
In tonight's competition I'm an underdog and have no chance for any of the ...
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Quotation mark in company name [closed]
I have a company named Flahms. There is no meaning to it. I wanted to ask if I want to add a quotation mark to it so it will be Flahm's. What will mean adding this quotation mark? Means it is Flahm ...
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"Necessarily" or "not necessarily"? [closed]
The idea that has to be communicated is that picking someone at random in the street, it does not follow that they are a tennis player : occasionally you mignt find such a person.
Is the following ...
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Types of Clause
I'm getting perplexed searching "how many types of clause ....?" Because different websites are giving different answers.
I am thinking about taking it as, may be there are two types: ...
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"implies the narrator"?
A sentence on this website reads:
It might well be, implies the narrator, that he made up the whole story, but he's content to leave it up to the reader to decide which "passages" of his ...
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Indefinite article before the multiplication product: ‘a ten of twos is a twenty' or '‘a ten of twos is twenty"
For an article intended for linguists only, I have to unidiomatically translate oral multiplication tables from a South Asian language to reflect the original morphology, and while doing so a question ...
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Meaning of "was to have" [closed]
Mr Macron was to have hosted the king at a banquet at the former royal palace of Versailles.
This sentence confuses me a little, especially the fact that "was" and "to have" are ...
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"on/in browser on/in my phone"? Which one is correct? [closed]
Statement is -
Twitter is not working properly "on/in Chrome browser on/in my phone"
Which one is correct in each case?
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Is the text written correctly? [closed]
Think of something you have tried to do and failed. How long was it before you gave up? What made you finally give up?
Let me see. I can’t even count how many times I gave up. I think it depends on ...
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3
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What is the difference between "would be needed" and "may be needed"?
I am trying to understand the below sentence grammatically.
"To determine whether sending a link actually occurred, more context
would be needed"
Why did we use would in this sentence. ...
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1
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Using "has been" in "An application of ABC has been to" [closed]
I found, in some writings such this and this, the following grammar constructs:
An application of ABC has been to [something]
And:
An application of ABC has been to [do something]
Before, I didn't ...
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4
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Which is correct and in what context: John was the architect of the Royal Hotel, or John is the architect of the Royal Hotel
I am curious about the use of "was" and "is" when referencing art or architecture that was designed or created in the past, but whose authorship is being disclosed in the present. ...
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1
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The threat of highwaymen had also lost some of the lurid colour of her imagination [closed]
The sentence is:
The threat of highwaymen had also lost some of the lurid colour of her imagination.
This is from a book called The Marriage Season by Jane Dunn.
What does this sentence mean and how ...
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1
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with something to recommend it
I'm reading an Economist report on mending an algorithm-related law called Section 230 and the last sentence (the part in bold, to be specific) confuses me a bit:
When platforms “alert specific users”...
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Should 'PFA' be followed by 'is'? [migrated]
I am a Grammarly user. When I use PFA (Please find attachment) in my emails,
PFA the updated presentation.
It suggests I update the statement as:
PFA is the updated presentation.
Please clarify if ...
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Is it appropriate to use 'archival' as a postpositive adjective?
I am able to find plenty of online resources using the word 'archival' as a prepositive adjective used to describe things related to archives.
Can 'archival' be used as a postpositive adjective as ...
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Is it correct to say “Welcome to John” if you want to welcome somebody to John’s house? [migrated]
If you want to welcome somebody to John’s house, would you say:
“Welcome to John”
“Welcome to John’s”
“Welcome to John’s house”
For instance, which of the previous can be written on doormat?
Thank ...
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1
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What is the reason behind "has" in the sentence "One of us has done it"? [closed]
In the sentence,
One of us has done it.
We consider "one" as a third person. But why is this true?
The "one" is among "us." We know "Us" is the first person. ...
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2
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Is it correct to say "long time no see and never will"? [closed]
It seems like it's not, because there were no negative statement before "and", after which goes future "will". I could surely write something like "Haven't seen each other for ...
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1
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Is it right to use "is mixed" in this sentence?
The smoke of the factories, ships, and machines ____(mix) with the early rays of the sun to create a sort of beauty that is "both surprising and charming".
I filled in the blank with its ...
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Can we use participle phrases the article A,an before verb+ing or verb+3 [migrated]
In some news, you see sentences that are difficult for you to understand. Are these sentences preceded by articles An, a, or are they participles phrases? Why participle word stolen proceeding ...
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Is the adverb 'just in time' still used adverbially when used in the sentence, "He is just in time?"
Can this phrase ever be used adjectivally other than in a hyphenated way such as,'a just-in-time system'?
(I ask because in another language which I am learning, "He came just in time." is ...
user475991
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If "to X" signifies an infinitive, what form is the phrase "to be able to X", and can it be split?
"To slowly walk" is a split infinitive which is sometimes frowned upon, in which case "slowly to walk" or "to walk slowly" is often preferred.
"To be able to walk&...
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"It's not...but rather is..." |Vs| "It's not...but rather it's..." |Vs| "It's not...but..."—Is there a rule or is it just about writing style?
Here's a random example I just came with to exemplify this. It's not perfect but gets the point across I guess:
1- It’s not a special mental condition or a rare disorder, but rather is the consequence ...
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"sentence pattern with preceding adjective" [migrated]
Lately, I came upon a sentence in a story I read, which caught my attention.
FEARFUL, THE HUNTER FLED THROUGH JUNGLE
It is understandable for me, if the sentence is modified as follows:
BEING ...
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1
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"If word gets out" vs "should word get out" [closed]
Why does the first sentence have a plural for the word "get" while the second sentence doesn't?
(1) "If word gets out"
(2) "should word get out"
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How do (so-to-speak)-(meta-compound) adjectives get hyphenated? [duplicate]
Suppose a compound adjective is to be further modified by a further adjective or descriptive phrase. How should these words be hyphenated?
“I read the article, and I wondered if the sometimes-broken ...
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Is 'the note said' correct? [migrated]
Is 'the note said' correct?
Notes can't speak, so 'the note detailed' might be more correct but doesn't read well in fiction.
So what to use?
For example ('detailed' wouldn't work here):
The note said,...
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1
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Is the line in bold grammatically correct? [closed]
Meanwhile, the FTSE 100 hit a new record high last month. While rising interest rates and higher commodity prices hammered many stocks, they flattered the banks, miners and energy giants of London’s ...
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What is the name for the phenomenon where an English verb that takes a clausal complement either does or does not mark the infinitive with "to"?
Let them go home.
*Let them to go home.
*Allow them go home.
Allow them to go home.
Make them go home.
*Make them to go home.
*Force them go home.
Force them to go home.
What is the reason that &...
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2
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Semicolon placed after conjunctive adverb linking two independent clauses?
I was practicing for my SAT with the official SAT questions when I came across this one and was quite confused.
Why is the semicolon placed AFTER "however" (see picture)?
I get the need for ...
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Pronoun usage in "Did you enjoy his playing the violin?" [migrated]
Why is the pronoun "his" used in this sentence?
"Did you enjoy his playing the violin?"
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357
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What’s the grammar of "For those whose stories they are"?
Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong has urged the UK to confront its colonial past.
Speaking at King’s College’s Centre for Grand Strategy, Senator Wong highlighted the UK’s role in the Indo-...
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Is a collection of years plural or singular?
For example: when referring to the Great Depression, which of these would be more correct?
That 10 years is known as the Great Depression.
Those 10 years are known as the Great Depression.
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Complementation according to Quirk et al.: syntactic concept vs. semantic concept
According to the definition of "complementation" in "The Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar", for most linguists complementation is a syntactic concept. However, the definition ...
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What the difference between would rather and prefer?
In the Practical English grammar, A J. Thomson, A.V. Martinet, it is said:
Some statements with prefer+ noun have no exact would rather equivalent:
He prefers dogs to cats and He would rather have ...
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"...in the past has launched recycling efforts..."
Just read this article:
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/global-plastic-dow-shoes/
The first sentence of the fifth paragraph caught my eye:
"Dow, a major producer of chemicals ...
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Is it correct to use the to-infinitive after past participles? [migrated]
The patches are seen to merge or diverge along their lengths.
The -ing shouldn't be used in this sentence?
The patch is understood to be a useful minimum indicator of the distribution of gas.
Is ...
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3
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Parallel structure [A as well as B]
He wants to know how to keep in touch with her as well as how to get her attention.
The sentence above has the correlative conjungction [A as well as B]. Here, A and B should have a parallel structure,...
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Simple Past vs. Present Perfect in a list
Consider these sentences:
(Simple Past)
I accepted the cars, hated the planes, ignored the boats, and romanticized the trains.
(Present Perfect)
I have accepted the cars, have hated the planes, ...
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Why is “a” in “What is a desperate humanity to do?”
I heard this sentence in the TV show Severance: “What is a desperate humanity to do?” Isn’t “humanity” an uncountable noun? Why is “a” in front of it? Thank you.
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Whatever "it is"?
Recently I have encountered the following sentence:
Best wishes for your studies and research careers or whatever it is you choose to pursue.
I think "it is" is redundant. What do you ...
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Skin Problem: Acne or Acnes?
According to Cambridge Dictionary, acne is an uncountable noun that means "a skin disease common in young people, in which small, red spots appear on the face and neck". What does the word &...
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What do we call the target of an appositive?
From Wikipedia (emphasis mine):
Apposition is a grammatical construction in which two elements, normally noun phrases, are placed side by side so one element identifies the other in a different way. ...
