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The government or governments

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Dear sir, I'm practicing writing my essay in English and I'm confused between the noun "governments" or "the government". Which one is correct to use? Thank you.Read More...
Gustavo, Contributor
Hello, Moon Le, and welcome to the Grammar Exchange: Both "governments" and "the government" are correct, but using one or the other will depend on what you want to refer to (governments in general or some specific government).Read More...
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Sentence structure

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Hello, Grammar Exchange members! I've run into the following sentence while reading a book titled "The Individual Subject and Scientific Psychology." What I don't understand about the sentence is the bolded part. 1. Successful application of the basic knowledge of psychology in particular concrete situations — be those situations examples of individual or group psychotherapy, of consultation in a business firm, or of dealing with a troubled adolescent — can be consistent only if the basic...Read More...
KDog
Thank you, Gustavo. Great help!Read More...
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Can a sentence be "simple complex"?

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I've run into multiple definitions of simple, complex, and compound. According to some online sources, a simple sentence has only one independent clause (but they don't say anything about dependent clauses.) These sites state that a sentence with one dependent and one independent clause is a 'simple complex sentence. Other online sources state that a simple sentence must have only one clause that is independent. According to these sources, a complex sentence is not ever a simple sentence,...Read More...
cwm9
I agree this makes far more sense. I do not like the dichotomy of 'simple/compound'. A child should not be greatly faulted for confusing complex sentences with compound sentences when attempting to infer a relationship from the fact that 'simple' and 'complex' are antonyms. To a child, a 'simple complex sentence' is a lexical nightmare even though the concept is perfectly valid.Read More...
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What is the syntactical function of an interjection? (i.e., what are the names of the syntactical usages of the part of speech that is the interjection?)

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Aloha, again, from Hawaii! I realize this is obscure and doesn't really hold much importance. This is mere curiosity. I'm just trying to wrap my head around some definitions to make sure I understand them. Simple definitions of a sentence suggest a sentence should have one or more independent clauses in addition to zero or more dependent clauses. There are two situations my question occurs in. First, consider: "No." This is an interjection, but 'interjection' is a part-of-speech label, not a...Read More...
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Does a leading phrase that is not a clause count as part of the predicate?

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Greetings, grammar experts! Consider: Under the deep blue sea, fish swam. 'Under the deep blue sea' is not a dependent clause because it has no verb and is therefore not a clause at all. It is an adverbial prepositional phrase modifying swim (I think.) Is this prepositional phrase considered part of the predicate of the sentence even though it has a comma after it? In other words, is the predicate.... "swam" or is the predicate... "Under the deep blue sea, ____ swam." Perhaps I am wrong to...Read More...
cwm9
Thank you!Read More...
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Use of an Apostrophe in a heading

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Hello, I am wondering which of the following is correct with regard to the use of an apostrophe if you use Players list as a heading with the players names listed below the heading. 1. Players List 2. Player's List 3. Players' List thank youRead More...
Gustavo, Contributor
Also, "the players' list" would likely be interpreted as "a list belonging to the players" rather than as "the list of players."Read More...
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Differences

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Please, would you kindly explain the difference between related to and relating to?Read More...
ahmed_btm
Hi, Ahmed, Sometimes they are used interchangeably. 'Relating to' is a preposition meaning 'concerning' or 'about' . On LDOCE, you can see: - Documents relating to immigration laws. - Other particular provisions allow parents to be given special information relating to their child. 'Related to' is an adjective meaning 'connected to' or 'caused by'. - Poverty is often directly related to unemployment.Read More...
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Indirect Question

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Is it necessary to change the tense in the indirect question? For example: Was he alone? Did you notice...? - Did you notice if he was alone or had been alone? I have found that some teachers say there should be was and some say had been.Read More...
David, Moderator
Hi, Gopal—Both are OK; however, there is a difference in meaning. With "was," the thing noticed (his being alone or not) was simultaneous with the noticing; with "had been," the thing noticed was prior to the noticing.Read More...
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Infinitive and gerund

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When is adapt to followed by infintive or gerund? He can't adapt himself to be free or being freeRead More...
David, Moderator
Hi, Ahmed—As to the general patterns, Gustavo has given you an excellent explanation of the difference between "adapt himself to be free" and "adapt himself to being free." I assume that, in light of those differences, you want the version with "being free." If so, the following would be more natural: He can't get used to being free.Read More...
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grammar

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is this sentence correct ? It is the first time i have seen you since you left .Read More...
David, Moderator
Yes, the sentence "It is the first time I have seen you since you left" is correct. I would find it a little more natural with "this" instead of "it": "This is the first time I have seen you since you left." Ahmed is right that you can also say, "I haven't seen you since you left ." You would use your sentence if you were seeing the addressee at the time of speech. You would use Ahmed's if the addressee's absence were continuing.Read More...
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I would make sure you had a good flight

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I found the following sentence in a movie. The context is: there is a boy who do not like to fly and the girl tell him the following sentence. In fact, I cannot understand the grammar associated with the following sentence. I mean, could someone please let me know why they have used "had" instead of "have" in the second half of the sentence. I would make sure you had a good flight.Read More...
ahmed_btm
Hi, Toaha, There must be a missing part here. Maybe there is an implied conditional. This needs more context.Read More...
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reported

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It is known that when time words refer to the same day, we don't need to change them. What about the verb itself? Is it better to change it or not? e.g "I'll travel tomorrow" he said he (will-would) travel tomorrow. it is still the same day.Read More...
ahmed_btm
Hi, mo7amed, Both are possible, however, in our exams, we go with 'will' because 'tomorrow' isn't changed. For more information, see: https://thegrammarexchange.inf...545359400#3712902217 https://thegrammarexchange.inf...ould-reported-speechRead More...
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"some of them, most of them"

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⁠How are you, everyone? I have following two questions; 1. As far as I understand, we don't use THE with possessives or demonstratives; * Is this Mary's car? (NOT ... the Mary's car ?) * This is my uncle. (NOT ... the my uncle .) Then, how do they use THE in the following sentence in BBC news, "Addressing Parliament for the second time in less than three months, the Queen said the priority for her government was to deliver Brexit on 31 January, but ministers also had an 'ambitious programme...Read More...
deepcosmos
Thanks for your another reply.Read More...
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What will be the active voice of these sentences? Please explain:

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1. I don't think you can do that without being seen. 2. I don't like being told what to do. 3. He hates being kept waiting. 4. We managed to climb the tree without being seen. 5. Sometimes the children were abused by being ignored. 6. Out professor has no tolerance for being treated disrespectfully. 7. It may not be directly related to the subject being discussed. 8. The minister underwent the experience of eggs being thrown at him. 9. You have undergone the experience of its being...Read More...
Gustavo, Contributor
I suspect someone has helped you with most of the answers, but that's ok if you understand them. I've noticed that you have used "them" instead of the more formal "their," but both options are fine. These are the only sentences that should be corrected: 12. Umbrage is a feeling of someone offending you by what someone has said or done. (If we assume that it's the same "someone," we should say: Umbrage is a feeling of someone offending you by what they have said or done. ) 14. They need to...Read More...
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union rings or French fries

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Which are correct: 1) I have heard that in this city only rich people go to restaurant A or restaurant B. I don't know which it is they go to though. It is either one or the other. 2) I have heard that in this city only rich people will go to France or Argentina this Christmas. 3) I have heard that in this city only poor people order onion rings or French fries. Rich people order both. 4) I have heard that in this city only poor people order either onion rings or French fries. Rich people...Read More...
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Usage of "in your face" and "on your face"

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When do we say "in your face" and "on your face". When we literally refer to an object on someone's face; it's "on your face". Apart from this are there rules for the usage "in your face" and "on your face"?Read More...
David, Moderator
Hi, Angelica and Gustavo—I agree with your explanation, Gustavo, and would like to add a footnote about "in your face." As a native AmE speaker, I cannot hear "in your face" in isolation without thinking of its idiomatic, slang uses: https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/in+your+face https://dictionary.cambridge.o...english/in-your-face As the Free Dictionary points out, "In your face!" can be used, rather rudely, as a stand-alone interjection, an "aggressive exclamation of triumph." This...Read More...
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