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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"whoever would like to attend" seeking confirmation [duplicate]
This is my first question so I'm asking for leniency if it is a bit off.
So, here's my question.
I was writing an email to a student of mine to tell him, in answer to a request of his that it was OK ...
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2
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104
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"All that I see is lights" or "All that I see are lights" [duplicate]
I am in a heated debate over whether to use "is" or "are" in the following sentence:
"When I look into her eyes all I see is/are bright lights beaming energy through our path ...
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2
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116
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"It was time they began/had begun"
Which version is the correct indirect form of this sentence:
The boss said, “It’s time we began planning our work”.
1. The boss said that it was time they began planning their work.
2. The boss said ...
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20
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verb + object +(to be) p.p? [duplicate]
Can all verbs with to infinitives in the place of the object complement use both the past participle and to be p.p. form when the relationship between the object and the object complement is passive?
...
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1
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2
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Proper Usage of "Too" in the Middle of a Sentence
I'm curious about the acceptability of using the adverb "too" in the middle of a sentence right after the contraction "there's." Specifically, I want to know whether "too"...
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What's the role of "won't have had" in this sentence? [duplicate]
What is the role of "won't have had" here? In this sentence it doesn't look like a reference to the future, although it is exactly what the will-form usually indicates. Based on the context, ...
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1
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117
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What part of speech is 'many' in "as many A's as B's"?
At first glance, it seems like the "many" in "There are as many A's as B's" is an adjective. However, we can't substitute an arbitrary adjective in this sentence. Compare:
"...
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41
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Why do many polysyllabic adjectives ending in -y often take suffix -er and -est to form comparative and superlative form, rather than "more/most"?
In principle, the comparative form of polysyllabic adjectives has "more" before the word, rather than taking a suffix "-er". But why do adjectives ending in "-y" often ...
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43
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Comparing word order: "with whom" and "with" [duplicate]
Sentence 1: A person with whom I am particularly close has moved away.
Sentence 2: A person I am particularly close with has moved away.
What are some differences between these two sentences that are ...
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249
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Grammatical class of 'we' when referring to a collective group vs each individual of a group
What's the grammatical class of "we" when referring to a group in its entirety versus when referring to each individual member of the group.
For example, if I said to my girlfriend:
We will ...
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513
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"To be" vs "to have been"
I am preparing for an English exam and came across this problem:
(Instructions: Choose the option that is closest to the meaning of the original sentence.)
Original: "The board thought that the ...
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Should I use 'can' or 'will be able to'? "If he fixes your car tonight, you [?] drive it to school tomorrow." [closed]
Should I change "will be able to" to "can" in the bolded sentence from the exchange below?
A: My car broke down and I have to drive to school to pick up my daughter tomorrow. I ...
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68
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"Made in planet earth" or "made on planet earth"? [closed]
I'm confused about this. We usually say 'Made in China', but what about planet Earth?
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41
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"Bet" in the beginning of the sentence [duplicate]
Bet it was a quick death, though. In this sentence, there is no noun before "Bet". Does it refer to "you" or "I"?
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114
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Using the word "he" twice in the same sentence - is this grammatically correct? If not, why are there published books that break this rule? [closed]
So, I was reading some books by Stephen King, S.D. Perry, and a couple authors I really love. I notice they'll use pronouns or certains words twice in the same sentence. When I read it, it's pleasant ...
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41
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"As well as" or "as did"?
I have a question about the use of "as well as" and "as did". Which would fit better in the following sentence?
When the earthquake began, at least fifteen men and women fell to ...
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"Export settings" disambiguation and meaning
"Export settings" disambiguation and meaning.
The aforementioned quotation is ambiguous. As I see it, it could mean either of the following:
Export (verb) settings ---> Action of ...
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2
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Skipping a relative pronoun
My eyes widen, and I slowly turn toward the elderly gentleman standing at my side.
In this sentence, before "standing", "who" is skipped why?
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Commas in an introductory phrase for both a time shift and a new setting
So let’s say I’ve got an introductory phrase that introduces both a new setting and a new shift in time, sort of like a “scene change” phrase. For example, let’s say those two elements are “later” for ...
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Identifying the sentence meaning and a request for the sentence analysis [closed]
What is the difference between the two sentences below? And what does the first sentence express exactly? Also, could you provide a grammatical analysis of the structure of the first sentence naming ...
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From which form of "longing" is the adverb "longingly" derived?
"Longingly" is the adverb form of "longing".
Depending on where you look, "longing" is described as an adjective, a verb, or a noun:
Oxford defines it as either a noun ...
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50
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'Some rats lived at/in the school. To get rid of them, the headmaster called in a rat control service.' [duplicate]
Can one use "at the school" instead of "in the school" in,
Some rats lived at the school. To get rid of them, the headmaster called in a rat control service.
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414
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"May I have a mango!" is it an Imperative, Optative or Interrogative sentence?
I am confused in which category to put this sentence.
It's a polite request, so it looks like it's an example of Imperative Sentence. But it does express the desire to have mango (even though not ...
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47
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Disambiguation: "agree to an appointment within 24 hours" [duplicate]
Was taking some work notes, and the line:
He goes M.I.A. when I don’t agree to an appointment within 24 hours
Gave me pause. It could mean either:
He goes M.I.A. after 24 hours since I didn't get ...
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1
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229
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How did "excited for" come about?
I really don't like the phrase "excited for" which seems to have become very common in recent years, as in "I'm excited for the weekend...". My sarcastic reply would be "I ...
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2
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81
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How do you distinguish between a participle and a gerund in a modifying phrase?
I'm taking the Poynter Institute's Language Primer course and was confused by the following passage:
A modifying phrase can contain
A participle: Being very hungry, …
A gerund: Working all day, …
Or ...
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1
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50
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Present simple or present continuous when the subclause is present simple?
I've prepared the following gap-fill exercise for my students (I'm in the EFL teachers programme):
Lilli ……………… (sit) on the saddle while her friend Victoria pushes her from behind.
However, I'm not ...
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2
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114
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Clause inside relative clause
"She had a book which she believed was bought by her father."
In this sentence, why we can insert a whole clause into the relative clause?
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Relative pronoun's position in non-restrictive relative clause
I'm learning the grammar of relative pronouns; I thought all relative pronouns should be at the start of a clause, and then I learned that pronouns can be put after a preposition, as in "The bed ...
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50
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What is this conditional-type sentence used to express reluctance or uncertainty?
The difference between "I can fix the computer" and "I could fix the computer" (present tense) is that the latter expresses more reluctance or doubt.
What is this type of sentence ...
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590
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Using "should" with a negative meaning
I found this sentence in Oxford Dictionary in an entry for "draw up":
Sarah drew herself up, full of indignation that he should presume to judge her.
Also this one in the entry for "...
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Grammar for Layout
I need help with "Layout" as in UI interface layout.
Here are few sentences with context using layout, I've added confusing part into quotation marks
A child window is "laid out" ...
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Royal "we" meaning? [closed]
I heard the royals used 'we' instead of 'I'.
The royals makes impressed food.
So we are gonna roll out the red carpet and spare no expense.
Word 'We' means 'I' in this sentence?
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How do you draw the tree in generative grammar for phrasal prepositional verbs such as "put up with? [closed]
I have the structure for transitive phrasals and for prepositional verbs, but I am having some trouble when I have to draw the tree for a phrasal prepositional verb. I know for sure it must contain a ...
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"the" with nationality - Brits
I know that we have to use 'the' when it comes to groups of people, for example:
The French are good at cooking.
When nouns and adjectives are the same, we can omit 'the'
Americans are good at ...
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Is that grammatically correct if I wrote “where is the sense when”
I'm writing a song, and I’m not sure if it would be acceptable if I said
Where’s the sense when you clip the wings of angels?
Is it grammatically correct or not ?
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3
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Meaning of the zero article for a plural noun phrase in English?
Please consider this example of sentence :
“ Schools allocate places to the pupils who score highest. “
Here are two first questions :
Could you confirm that “schools” here means “all schools” ?
...
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Can I use 'You felt stressful'? Can I use this expression in some situations? [closed]
I know I have to use "I am stressed" not "stressful" but I have some confusing expressions.
In many stressful situations, can I use "I felt stressful to something"?
If ...
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Have a question about a particular use of inversion in English [duplicate]
It is found that the complainant, deterred by fear of the pollution which he would have suffered had he passed near the Pariahs, did not conduct the procession.
In the above sentence, why is the ...
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2
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soon need, or need soon?
I was reading a story when there was the following sentence fragment, "..., it was nothing like what we would need soon."
I respect this author and I believe he is careful with his words and ...
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What is the plural of the pronoun "one"?
A man who looks up to celebrities will never become one.
Men who look up to celebrities will never become... ones?
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What is the meaning of "lowest stable non-descript"? [duplicate]
In Chapter 2 of Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities I read the following:
As to the latter, when every posting-house and ale-house could produce somebody in “the Captain’s” pay, ranging from the ...
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Difference between ",' and ` in quoting [closed]
I'm designing a template language that tries to adhere as closely as possible to english grammar and HTML syntax. For example, arrays are declared by appending an s to a word rather than prepending a ...
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2
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I would need 3 more sheets. (of paper)
A student is responsible for collecting sheets handed out in class for those students who are absent. This is what is often said to me as I'm handing out the sheets. I've always corrected them by ...
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Why can say "diminishing weakened"? [closed]
The resource as:
However, the ability of the rainforest to pull in more carbon than it releases is diminishing weakened by changing weather patterns, deforeststation and increasing tree mortality, ...
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Is there a term to describe the use of an incorrect adverb (as an adjective-modifier)?
The phrase 'slightly dead' would be incorrect because a person can't be 'slightly' dead. Is there a term to describe phrases that incorrectly use adverbs in this way?
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What's the grammar of "specified in here" in this sentence?
I heard this through VOA, but I wonder if its grammar is correct.
I don't see anywhere specified in here exactly what the fraud was.
My idea is: the word "anywhere" in this sentence is an ...
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Grammar: "This changes state that has this property"
I came across this sentence in The Rust Programming Language:
: calling the 'next' method on an iterator changes internal state that the iterator uses to keep track of where it is in the sequence.
...
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The use of "from" and "among" as prepositions [duplicate]
She was selected from among a hundred applicants.
Are "from" and "among" both prepositions here? What is the rule of using two consecutive prepositions as we know a preposition is ...
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Can this past participle also be an adjective? [closed]
A recent word game used
which surprised me because they usually don't include conjugations of verbs, unless they are also adjectives, like e.g. "burnt". Can
be an adjective? The only ...
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