Skip to main content

Questions and Answers

Participle clauses - with different subjects

Hello, As far as I know, it's not correct to use two different subjects with participle clauses. Here in the following sentences, two different subjects are used. Could I understand why? Examples: 1- I was beginning to get a migraine with the students all talking at the same time. 2- With it being Sunday in Switzerland, we couldn't find any shops open. 3- There being no money left, we had to start making our way home. 4- It being too late to get a train, we took a taxi. Thank you in advance.Read More...
As I told you, you transcribed sentence (4) incorrectly. This is what appears in the video: Absolute clauses actually allow the change of subject. They are formed by a subject, different from that of the main clause, which may be introduced by "with" and is usually followed by a non-finite verb such as a participle. For you to understand how they work, imagine that the sentence above comes from: - As it was too late to get a train, we took a taxi ⇒ It being too late to get a train, we took a...Read More...
Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post

Placement of VP-Adverbs

Consider the following question: – Have you received the letter which I sent today using my private e-mail address? Should the adverb "today" be placed at the end of the sentence? If not, could you please explain why? Is the adverb not attached at the level of the verb phrase (VP)?Read More...
This is an excellent explanation, David! Precisely what I was hoping to find. Mille mercis!Read More...
Last Reply By MlleSim · First Unread Post

Participle clauses - multiple options

Hello, I wonder whether could : - Sentence 3 accept answer B? - Sentence 6 accept answer A? As second options.Read More...
Hi, Meriem, You should have written those two sentences instead of just inserting the image of their page. In sentence 3, 'hurrying' is the only correct answer. It means 'while/because' she was in a hurry/hurrying to go to school, she forgot ..... . Both are simultaneous actions. 'A' in 6 is totally ungrammatical. 'Feeling' gives the impression that there was no time span between her feeling and her sharing the news with her parents.Read More...
Last Reply By ahmed_btm · First Unread Post

Find out or find out about

We found.......later that we had been at the same school. A-up b-out about c-that d-out in I see neither answer is correct. As "find" isn't followed by up , out about needs an object, and I have never seen "out in" before It should be found out Is that right or wrong Thanks in advanceRead More...
I got it. Thank you.Read More...
Last Reply By Salma Mohammad · First Unread Post

The use of percentage

Greeting admin, I'm learning how to write graph reports, so could you help me with the use of percentage, proportion and rate. For example, is it correct to write: 1. The percentage of males enroling in the course was 30% 2. The percentage of males enroling in the course was 30 (without "%") And, can "proportion" and "rate" be used interchangeably with "percentage"? For example: The proportion / rate of males enroling in the course was 30% Thank you.Read More...
Hi, Moon Le, You should use the symbol "%" at all times if you are referring to a percentage. Also, please note that "enrolling" is written with double "l" in AmE. You can use "proportion," but not "rate," because you are comparing males and females, and "rate" expresses an absolute value. Instead, "percentage" and "proportion" refer to a portion within a whole.Read More...
Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post

Sentence

Hello, Which of the below sentence is grammatically correct: a. I was wondering if you had an expert who could check a calculation I have for one of our clients. or b. I was wondering if you have an expert who could check a calculation I have for one of our clients.Read More...
I agree with Ahmed. Additionally, if we intend for the clause to sound like a polite request (rather than just a question about the availability of an expert), we could use the conditional: - I was wondering if you 'd have an expert who could ... In this case, the speaker does not only want to know whether the interlocutor has an expert, but is asking for help.Read More...
Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post

Fee Guide/ Fees Guide

Hello, 1. I am creating a price list for different services types that we offer and the corresponding price. In the heading, should I use "Fee guide" or "Fees Guide" Many thanks!Read More...
I mean that, when a noun like "prices" functions as a noun, not as an adjective, the "-s" should not be dropped (see the last sentence below): - I am creating a price list. OK (here "price" modifies the noun "list," so it is adjectival and does not take an "-s") - ... for different services types ... NOT OK (similarly to the sentence above, you should say "service types") - ... and the corresponding price . NOT OK (you should say "and the corresponding price s ," because the different...Read More...
Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post

Can you say "It’s unbelievably disturbing to me how hard this is."?

It's an interesting construction to me. (No joke intended on the "to me" there!) I'm not sure if there's anything funny or odd about it.Read More...
Hi, Andrew—I agree with Gustavo that there is nothing grammatically wrong with the sentence you have asked about. As Gustavo says, "how hard this is" is an extraposed clause. It's what's known as an extraposed exclamative clause. Extraposed WH-clauses, including extraposed "how"-clauses, come in two varieties: extraposed interrogatives (" It 's hard to know how much this costs ") and extraposed exclamatives (" It 's outrageous how much this costs ").Read More...
Last Reply By David, Moderator · First Unread Post

"Anyone" vs "someone"

What's the difference between 'anyone' and 'someone' in the following sentences? I asked a similar question earlier on this site and got a good explanation. But still I have got stuck in "anyone" vs "someone". 1- I have never played against anyone/someone like him before. 2- I don't want to speak to anyone/someone like you. 3- There will never be someone/anyone like Ronaldo in the history of football.Read More...
Thanks, Gustavo. Yes, your "wine" example is something that all learners should understand, especially if they one day decide to pay a surprise visit to a friend, who just happens to be eating lunch at that time!Read More...
Last Reply By TheParser · First Unread Post

Hardly ........than.

From Oxford dictionary: Hardly had she spoken than she regretted it bitterly. Hardly had we arrived than the problems started. I know that we use than with soon(er), but is it possible to use than with hardly, too?Read More...
Hi, all, From 'The New Fowlers English Usage', page 350: 2 hardly... than. This, and the parallel constructions barely ... than and scarcely ... than, which have arisen by analogy with no sooner than, are labelled by the OED (s.v. than conj. 3d) with the condemnatory sign ¶ The examples cited are: He had scarcely won for himself the place which he deserved, than his health was found shattered- Froude, 1864; Hardly had the Council been re-opened at Trent... than Elizabeth was allying herself...Read More...
Last Reply By ahmed_btm · First Unread Post

whichever is/are the higher

Hi, In the following sentence, which verb form is okay? Pensions should be increased annually in line with earnings or prices, whichever is / are the higher. I'd appreciate your help.Read More...
Yes, we'll have to use a "light" verb: - We will gladly do whichever you prefer, exchange your goods or refund your money.Read More...
Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post

the new method/defining or non-defining

a. I like the new method to learn five languages simultaneously. b. I like their new method to learn five languages simultaneously. c. I like the new method which allows you to learn five languages simultaneously. d. I like their new method which allows you to learn five languages simultaneously. In which case there was/they had another method to learn five languages simultaneously before? Many thanks.Read More...
Hi, Azz, I think they are all ambiguous depending on whether the novelty is attributed to "the/their method to learn/which allows you to learn five languages simultaneously" (there was a former method, or there were former methods to learn five languages simultaneously that worked differently) or to the possibility of learning five languages simultaneously by means of the new method (the old one/s did not allow it). The two ideas could perhaps be more easily understood by enclosing the...Read More...
Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post

"By the time" Vs. "When"

Hello Grammar exchange members! Please consider the following sentence from Naomi Shihab Nye's essay titled "Field Trip". (a) By the time our workshops ended that summer, we felt more deeply bonded than other groups I'd known. The knowledge that I have about the "by the time" adverb clause is that it is used with either the past perfect or future perfect in the main clause like the example sentences below. (b) By the time I arrived at the party, everyone had already left . (c) By the time I...Read More...
Gustavo, I really appreciate your kind response. Learning is a never-ending journey!Read More...
Last Reply By KDog · First Unread Post

An exclamatory sentence that begins with the infinitive phrase

Hello Grammar Exchange members! I ran into the following sentences while reading an essay titled "Field Trip" by Naomi Shihab Nye. (a) She shook her head. “I guess none of those cute kids will ever become printers now, will they? Gee, I hope they don’t stop reading and writing! And to think of it happening in front of such an interested audience! Oh, I feel just terrible about it.” The underlined phrase is not a complete sentence and also I guess the phrase is used to express a suprise. Is...Read More...
Ray and David, I want to express my sincere gratitude for your kind response. Learning something new always feels great, and thanks to both of you, I have gained a new understanding.Read More...
Last Reply By KDog · First Unread Post

the very pattern of the late Victorian clergyman

Hi, How does "the very pattern of the late Victorian clergymanf" relate to the rest of the following sentence? It's from War Game by Anthony Price. Musgrave himself frowned up at him out of a luxuriant frame of hair and sidewhiskers and beard, the very pattern of the late Victorian clergyman . I'd appreciate your help.Read More...
Thank you, David. Here is the passage in question:Read More...
Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post

To hug vs hugging

Hi, I have an ESL student who is questioning these sentences. Which sentence is correct? or are they both correct? Hugging is not acceptable in my culture. To hug is not acceptable in my culture. I wasn't able to give him a good solid answer. Both sentences seem to say the same thing, but the first sentence seems to be much more clear. And, hugging is a verb so it an action that is not acceptable. BUT, to hug seems to be an action as well. I told him that to hug is a preposition phrase (this...Read More...
Hi, Janice—ESL students are standardly advised not to use infinive phrases as sentence subjects. In subject position, gerund phrases tend to sound much more natural. As Ahmed has indicated, infinitives tend to have a much more formal sound in that position. An infinitive can be naturally and correctly used in a variation of your second sentence. This one uses expletive "it": It is not acceptable in my culture to hug. In that sentence, "to hug" is an extraposed subject. "It" doesn't mean...Read More...
Last Reply By David, Moderator · First Unread Post

Have you bought bread you come here?

Hello everyone, Is it grammatically wrong to say this sentence? "have you bought bread before you come here?" The following sentence appeared in some grammar exercises: ............. you bought bread before you came home? a. had you bought b. have you bought c. did you buy d. will you buy Obviously the examiner wants "will you buy", which is fine, but I am asking about "have you bought". Is it grammatically wrong to say "have you bought bread before you come here?" Thanks in advance, Mr HossamRead More...
Hi, Hossam Nigm, It seems that you are in a hurry. You have forgotten to insert 'before' in the title of this thread. 'Have you bought bread you come here?' is ungrammatical and meaningless. It doesn't sound natural. You can say: - Will you bring bread before you come home? (Indicating future incident) - Do you bring bread before you come home? (Indicating a habit) You can see Rachel's reply for a similar question here: https://thegrammarexchange.inf...r-before-i-come-here No, 'came' here is...Read More...
Last Reply By ahmed_btm · First Unread Post

Past simple or Present perfect with ChatGPT

ChatGPT: I saw the movie already, so I don't want to watch it again. I wonder if it should be (I have seen the movie already, so I don't want to watch it again) .Read More...
This speaker of American English, given a choice between the present perfect or the simple past with "already," does prefer to use the present perfect. At the same time, I do not deny that I commonly hear the simple past. The robot is speaking natural, if a bit unfortunate, English here, at least in American English.Read More...
Last Reply By David, Moderator · First Unread Post

Should "of all time" include the present moment?

Hello, Does the expression "of all time" should always include the present moment? I mean, I've found this sentence which holds a past meaning but "of all the time" is used in it. Which I found confusing and contradictory: - He is considered "to have been" the best neurosurgeon "of all time".Read More...
Thank you Gustavo, Co-Moderator and f6pafd .Read More...
Last Reply By Meriem · First Unread Post

Is it unambiguous what "it" refers to?

Consider these three sentences: (1) "I sidestep debates about the nature of virtues and merely presume that virtues are character traits and skills that promote the epistemic ends of debate and discussion" (2) "I have argued that dogs are great pets" (3) "I have suggested that dogs are great pets" Can you paraphrase the sentences as follows without stepping out of bounds semantically? (1P) " virtues are character traits and skills that promote the epistemic ends of debate and discussion"...Read More...
If the words which follow "said" and which are not enclosed in quotation marks rephrase—in your own words—aspects of what he said, without changing the meaning or adding or subtracting from it, then what you have done is to use a combination of quotation and paraphrase. That is quite different from what you did in your opening post. In that post, you did not paraphrase at all. All you did was take some quotations and omit some words from them. What I want to make sure you understand is that...Read More...
Last Reply By David, Moderator · First Unread Post

'asking' them for something smaller

Hello, everyone, "In the door-in-the-face technique , a large, unreasonable request is made, which is turned down; this is followed by a smaller more reasonable request. People are more likely to agree to this smaller second request when it is placed in the context of the more unreasonable request than if it had been placed at the outset. The success of this technique may be related to the reciprocity social norm , the rule that we should pay back in kind what we receive from others. The...Read More...
Hi, Gustavo, appreciate your clarification. Also, thanks for your nice explanation with ". . . a large request (attending an out-of-town concert), then asking them for something smaller . . .".Read More...
Last Reply By deepcosmos · First Unread Post

Reported Speech and shifting back the tense.

Do these two sentences have the same meaning? Helen said she loves visiting New York. or Helen said she loved visiting New York.Read More...
Hello, Izzat Hannah—When you ask, " DO these two sentences have the same meaning?," do you mean, " CAN these two sentences have the same meaning?" If so, the answer is, yes, they can. They can both be indirect-speech versions of: Hellen said, "I love visiting New York." But if you mean, " MUST these two sentences have the same meaning in all possible contexts?," the answer is, no, they need not have the same meaning. Ahmed has clarified how it is possible for them to have different meanings.Read More...
Last Reply By David, Moderator · First Unread Post

Why do you see people write "in the near-term"?

Regarding "in the near-term" (or "in the long-term" or whatever) I assume that everyone in this forum would recommend to not hyphenate. But I've seen instances in the media where a hyphen is deployed in this situation. Is it just an error of some sort? One can search online and see how many examples there are of this: https://ludwig.guru/s/%22in+the+near-term%22. I don't know if it's possible to search just the media and just within the past week, but I saw an instance of this within the...Read More...
Hi, Andrew, According to The Chicago Manual of Style Online: Hyphenation Table , it should not be hyphenated when used inside a prepositional phrase ( in the near term, in the long term ) and should be hyphenated when used as a compound adjective ( near-term proposal, long-term plan ):Read More...
Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post

Present perfect or past simple?

Essam Nasr
The pharaohs have built great pyramids. Is it right to use the present perfect in the sentence above because the action happened in the past but the pyramids are still there up to now? Please choose and explain: Garaham Bell ........ the phone. a. invented b. has inventedRead More...
Hi, Essam Nasr, and 'Happy Ramadan', No, the past simple tense is the one that's normally used in this case. I think you miss the point here. When you mention the pharaohs or Graham Bell, the time frame is already established in the past, especially with verbs that happen only once. It is something that happened a long time ago. You can't say 'Naguib Mahfouz has written many great stories. Many people still enjoy reading them.' Naguib Mahfouz passed away many years ago. However, you can...Read More...
Last Reply By ahmed_btm · First Unread Post

Should this say "will determine" or "will have determined"?

See here: https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2023/03/20/the-un-just-released-a-landmark-climate-change-report-heres-the-timeline-it-gives-us.html There’s a girl sitting in a Grade 5 class today. By the time she graduates from high school, in just seven years, the decisions the world makes around carbon emissions will determine the environment she grows up in.Read More...
Hi, Andrew, I agree with David. One thing is to live in an environment (according to your paraphrase), and quite another is to grow up in an environment—the latter verb, which is the one used in the original text, entails an evolution from childhood to adulthood. A 5th grader would be around 10, and will finish high school at around 18. By the time the girl turns 18, the decisions made during this period will have determined the conditions of the world in which she has grown up.Read More...
Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post

"Opinion is divided" or "Opinions are divided"

Hello admin, I wonder which phrase I can use to describe different views of people on something. For example: Some people think that playing video games is bad for children. Others, however, believe that it is good for children to do so. Which one is more accurate and natural in writing to rephrase? 1. Opinion is divided as to whether playing video games is good or bad for children. 2. Opinions are divided as to whether playing video games is good or bad for children. Thank you.Read More...
Thank you so muchRead More...
Last Reply By Moon Le · First Unread Post

The world's poor

Hi all GE members, Can we use the phrase " the world's poor" to mean poor people in the world? Many thanksRead More...
Hi, Tony, Yes, that is correct. Being a collective nominalized adjective, "the poor" means "(all) the poor people." If you say "poor people" (without the article), the collective sense is lost.Read More...
Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post

"I would like to ensure that..."

In the following sentence, can we use the past tense in the subordinate clause following "to ensure" when we are referring to something that occurred (in this case) the previous day? – I would like to ensure that my inquiry was received. I ask because something seems a bit off with this sentence, though I am not sure what. I think my doubt comes from the fact that "to ensure" means "to make certain that (something) will occur or be the case". So, can one use the verb in the context shown ...Read More...
Thank you for this clarification, Gustavo!Read More...
Last Reply By MlleSim · First Unread Post

until/up to

a. Until now I have received four applications. b. Up to now I have received four applications. c. From last Tuesday until now I have received four applications. d. From last Tuesday up to now I have received four applications. Which of the above sentences are grammatically correct? Many thanks.Read More...
Hi, Gustavo, Sorry, Gustavo. This happened because of my mobile phone. I tried many times to fix it, but it didn't work.Read More...
Last Reply By ahmed_btm · First Unread Post

when

a. We'll have to talk about this. Let me know when is a good time. b. We'll have to talk about this. Let me know when will be a good time. c. We'll have to talk about this. Let me know when it is a good time. d. We'll have to talk about this. Let me know when it will be a good time. e. We'll have to talk about this. Let me know when it is a good time for me to call you. f. We'll have to talk about this. Let me know when it will be a good time for me to call you. Which of the above sentences...Read More...

His friends are many.

Hi. Can "many" be used predicatively, as in "John's friends are many"? I'd appreciate your help.Read More...
To add to David's answer above, I think the reason underlying the unacceptability of the first sentence is related to the general restrictions of using "(very) much" as a pronoun in the affirmative: *This is much. *This is very much. - This is a bit much. - This is so much. - This is too much. The same restriction may apply when "(very) much" is used as a determiner in the affirmative: *He has much money. *He has very much money. - He has so much money. - He has too much money.Read More...
Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post

present perfect

Choose the correct answer 1-My eyes are red because my mother( has cut/has been cutting ) onions, 2-Somebody( has eaten /has been eating ) my cookies, haven't they? There are very few left. 3-My mother( has made/has been making )-------a cake, so the kitchen is steamy. 4.1( have eaten/ have been eating )dinner, so there're plates all over the table. 5-Usually, | study at home, but I( have studied/have been studying )in the library for the last week. 6-A: Are you OK? B: Yeah, I'm fine! I'm...Read More...
Hello, Magdy Hamza, and welcome to the Grammar Exchange. I'm sorry if this disappoints you, but the Grammar Exchange is not a homework-completion service. Please visit our Guidelines page and revise your question.Read More...
Last Reply By David, Moderator · First Unread Post

'A person', 'anyone', someone

Hello, I have a trouble understanding the differences between 'a person', 'someone' and 'anyone' in the following sentences? 1- I am not interested in talking to someone/a person/anyone who is afraid of standing up against injustice. 2- Our company is looking for a person/someone who has a good experience in the computer. 3- When you don't like a person/someone/anyone, you avoid them. 4- When a girl doesn't want to carry on a conversation with someone/a person, she texts late. 5- I don't...Read More...
Hi, Subhajit, I understand you have made up the sentences yourself, haven't you? I won't revise them and will instead focus on your question. In the affirmative, "a person" is the same as "someone": (a) I'm interested in talking to someone/a person who loves grammar. In the affirmative, "anyone" carries the meaning of "no matter who": (b) I'm interested in talking to anyone who loves grammar. Depending on the context, in the negative anyone can combine with "not" to form "no one," or can...Read More...
Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post

punctuation hyphen

Hello. Could you please help me choose the answer? Why? - Which of the following sentences isn’t punctuated correctly? A. A 20 year old student has won the gold medal. B. She has bought three things: a vase, natural flowers and a wooden table. C. After you type the report, Hatim, email it to Miss Salma. D. What a wonderful jacket When did you buy it? Thank you.Read More...
Hi, Ahmed Imam Attia, There is a phrase that needs to be hyphenated and a sentence that needs an exclamation mark. Could you identify them?Read More...
Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post

HAVING

"A thread on an amazing man who passed away on Sunday morning and filled me with sadness, and disappointment with myself for not having reached out earlier having intended to so often. His name is PV Satheesh and he was a television producer with Doordarshan Hyderabad". Dear Sir On the above sentence, what does it " having " mean? Can you explain this usage in detail? And what is the difference " ME " and " MYSELF " in this sentence? Thanks and regards Antony GeorgeRead More...
Source : https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=harsha%20bhogleRead More...
Last Reply By ANTONY GEORGE · First Unread Post

Prepositional Stranding in Two Opposing Circumstances

Why is stranding obligatory in the sentence, "It depends on who I give it to" whereas it is not in "I wonder to whom I give it"? Thanks.Read More...
Again, your assumption is wrong. Stranding is NOT necessary in that sentence. The following sentence is perfectly grammatical: He asked me to whom I gave the message. No. "On" and "to" commonly go and function together syntactically. Indeed, the one-word preposition "onto" represents the morphological matrimony of their syntactic love affair. When you try to follow "on" with "to" in such a way that "to" has absolutely nothing to do with "on," you tear the two asunder and do violence to the...Read More...
Last Reply By David, Moderator · First Unread Post

Dummy it and its omission

Is 'it' necessary in the following sentences and 'to' in the sentence 2? 1- Whether you like 'it' or not, I am going out tonight. 2- Whether he wants 'to' or not, he has to clean the room. 3- Whether you want 'it' or not, India will win the match. 4- Whether you want 'it' or not, I am your president. 5- Whether you believe 'it' or not, I am a spy.Read More...
Hi, Subhajit, "It" and "to" are necessary in those sentences. "It" is not a dummy but a cataphoric pronoun in sentences (1) and (5): in (1), it refers to the speaker's going out, and in (5), to the speaker's being a spy. To be dummy, "it" has to merely fulfill a grammatical function, while in the mentioned sentences "it" has a referent, so it is a full pronoun there. Now, sentences (3) and (4) are not good sentences. You should use "like" instead of "want" in those sentences. For "want" to...Read More...
Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post

the model answer please?

She tells us that she........ away for a few days. I expect she will be back on Friday. a) would be b) will be c) has been d) is going to beRead More...
Hello, Ahmed Mancy, and welcome to the Grammar Exchange. Please have a look at our guidelines and revise your question and title. Thanks.Read More...
Last Reply By David, Moderator · First Unread Post

Singular and plural

Which one is correct? 1- Briefly describe the usage of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium as fertilizer/a fertilizer/fertilizers in plants. 2- When did the U.S start using nuclear bombs as a weapon/weapons .Read More...
Hi, Subhajit, After checking the Internet, I've found out that the fertilizer consists of a compound made up of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, so I don't think the comma before "and Potassium" is correct. It would if the three chemical components were each a fertilizer in its own right. Since it is the mixture that counts as a fertilizer, you should use "a fertilizer." You should also use the singular here. "Weapons" would be used if different, separate weapons were mentioned. The...Read More...
Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post

ChatGPT and the present continuous tense.

I have been exercising regularly, and I __________ stronger and healthier. A) am feeling B) feel C) will feel D) had felt This sentence was generated by ChatGPT .And his answer was (am feeling). I am asking what about feel.Read More...
Hello, Izzat Hannah—Like Gustavo, I think that "am feeling" is the best choice, a normal context being assumed. The present progressive conveys the right meaning, of a process or development that is unfolding. The present perfect progressive ("have been exercising regularly") leads the listener to assume that the regular exercise is ongoing even at the present time, and that the bodily development it has led to may be expected to continue. But perhaps the speaker is an astronaut who has been...Read More...
Last Reply By David, Moderator · First Unread Post

Who or which

It's a chance for all the different nationalities .......................................... live in Dublin to share their culture. A. Who B. Which C. BothRead More...
Hi, Treasure—I think Gustavo has made a good argument for choosing "who" in this particular sentence. As usual, I don't feel obligated to confine myself to a fill-in-the-blank task, rejoicing in my freedom to revise a sentence at will. (1) It's a chance for people of all the different nationalities in Dublin to share their culture . (2) It's a chance for all the different nationalities of Dubliners to be shared . I'd say that saying a person of a certain nationality lives somewhere is...Read More...
Last Reply By David, Moderator · First Unread Post

"At" vs "In" and their omission

Can you please tell me if the following prepositions are right and correct them if it's needed. Can I also make the sentences short? 1- I live at Manhattan in New York. Can it be shortened to 'I live at Manhattan, New York'? 1a- I live i n Manhattan i n New York. Can it be shortened to 'I live in Manhattan, New York'? 2- I live at the Burj Khalifa In Dubai. Can It be shorten to 'I live at the Burj Khalifa In Dubai'? 3- John: Where do you work? Me: I work at the Victoria Tower(a office)...Read More...
Hi, Subhajit, You should always remember to use the past participle in passive constructions like the one above. In Table 5-7 Prepositions of Place on page 138 of Azar & Hagen's Basic English Grammar, we can find a very good summary of how the different prepositions of place should be used mainly when speaking about people's locations (I have extracted the ones of interest to answer your question): Then, on page 139 there is Exercise 25, where students are expected to complete the...Read More...
Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post

What exactly is being attributed to the expert here?

Regarding the bold, I don't know what exactly is being attributed to Stokes. The word "adds" makes it seem like maybe only "which is one reason...havoc" is being attributed to him. What if more is being attributed to him, though? Is the "especially in working-age people" part being attributed to him? See here: https://archive.ph/86VdL#selection-963.442-963.709 For children, the aged and the rest of society, experts expect to see a long-term worsening trajectory of health and survival in...Read More...
Hi, Andrew—From a grammatical standpoint, I agree with Gustavo that the clause is ambiguous. Syntax permits the clause of attribution ("Stokes adds") to be adjoined either to the sentential relative clause ("which is one reason why the coronavirus wreaked havoc") or to the matrix clause containing it. HOWEVER, if the clause of attribution adjoins only to the sentential relative, then what was added by Stokes is that the referent of "which"—namely, the U.S.'s already having had a crisis of...Read More...
Last Reply By David, Moderator · First Unread Post

By the time + present continuous

By the time I am finishing this sentence, you will have already started thinking about your next question. Is this a grammatically correct sentence?Read More...
Hi, Izzat Hannah, As you know, the future perfect is used to refer to a future action or state previous to another future action or state which, if expressed in the form of a subordinate clause, cannot be stated in a future tense. These sentences taken from "The grammar of the English tense system" by Renaat Declerck which combine future perfect in the main clause with future in the before -clause are defined by the author as ungrammatical: Adverbial before -clauses, page 725, item 14.8.3:...Read More...
Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post

"If you happen to... [+ imperative/could you...]"

In another post today on this very forum, I was on the verge of using the following construction: "If you happen to [ do X ], could you please [ do Y ]? " After a moment's reflection, I had doubts about the use of "could" in this context and looked up the use of "happen to" in conditionals in L. G. Alexander's Longman English Grammar. The construction is covered under 14.8 and is never shown with "could". Instead, Alexander stresses the use of the imperative, as in: e.g. "If you happen to...Read More...
Thanks for explaining. I thought you might be worried a "mixed" conditional. I personally do not think such conditionals as these—conditional requests—are even candidates for being blacklisted by prescriptivists as "mixed" conditionals, because the part of the sentence with "could" is nonpropositional in nature; the question with "could" simply realizes the speech act of a request. Yes, it isn't ungrammatical. By crossing it out in red, I didn't mean to indicate that it was ungrammatical,...Read More...
Last Reply By David, Moderator · First Unread Post

mutually refer our clients

Is the below sentence grammatically correct? I am trying to say, I refer clients to them and they refer clients to us. "I am very excited to work together with you to mutually refer our clients to each other"Read More...
You don't need to physically work with somebody, or to be legally related, to say that you work with them. Also, the choice of the adjective ( excited, happy, pleased... ) depends on what you want to express. Alternatively, you can say: - I am very excited about our business relationship because, among other mutual benefits, we can refer our clients to each other.Read More...
Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post

Is "than do" ever needed?

See this example (you could write "than their secretaries do"): Hedge-fund managers who are pulling down billions sometimes pay a lower tax rate than do their secretaries.Read More...
I'm not saying that "do" cannot be placed at the end. I just feel that, with those postmodifiers "in the private sector" and "in the general public," those two sentences flow better as they are.Read More...
Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post

Is it OK to have a sentence that "leaves the reader in suspense"?

Consider this sentence: Rome has—regarding the Egyptian war—an official goal, namely to weaken the Parthians. You can see that "has" is interrupted. So there's some "suspense" (I call it "suspense" anyway) where the reader isn't sure (until after the interruption) whether it will be something like "Rome has many buildings" or something like "Rome has lost many soldiers". The word "has" can attach to some object that you have (he "has a stone") or it can be in a verb phrase or whatever (he...Read More...
Hi, Andrew, Perhaps you should have opened two different threads because your posting above deals with two different questions, the only element in common being the sense of expectation on the part of the reader at some point in the text. Suspense should not be a problem as long as it does not deviate the reader's attention (what Fowler describes as leaving a "false scent"). My advice would be to avoid suspense if a reader other than the writer—who knows what to expect—feels at a loss, for...Read More...
Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post
×
×
×
×