Hello, Emad, I agree with Ahmed_btm that "has ever happened" is a very natural choice, and it is probably the answer that the test makers would like you to choose. However, there is only one incorrect (ungrammatical) answer in the answer set, and that is "has never happened": Nothing like this happened to her. (correct in a suitable context) Nothing like this has happened to her. (correct in a suitable context) Nothing like this has ever happened to her. (correct and very natural) * Nothing...Read More...

Nice analysis, Gustavo. I agree with everything you have said and would simply like to add that another natural way of saying "I have made up the example below " is to say "I have made up the following example ." Right here on the Grammar Exchange, I have written sentences like "Please consider the following example" probably thousands of times. Ansonman, if you really want to use "an," you could say: I have made up an example, namely, the example that appears below. But there is no need for...Read More...

Hello, JenH, and welcome to the Grammar Exchange! The pattern agent + past participle is only used in English when the agent is a generic, plural noun, as in: - moth-eaten clothes (clothes eaten by moths ) or an institutional, singular noun (of which there is only one of the kind), as in: - state-owned company (company owned by the state ). The noun "department" does not belong to either of those categories. I'd express the sentence you propose as follows: - Fill out the form as requested by...Read More...

Hi, Leonard-Jones, Please see if this can be of help.Read More...

No, Hussein, you may leave your reply, but please note that your judgement that "Sentence NO. (1) is definitely correct" is right only if we suppose that the time at which the sentence is uttered or written is not now but before March of 2008 . That is an unusual context. On an grammar test, a student could not be expected to make such an assumption on his or her own. Thus, if this is a testing item, and there is no such contextual stipulation built into the question, (1) is incorrect.Read More...

Hi, Fujibei, "Meta" is being used in a rather informal, somewhat regional sense there. The OED does, however, have an entry for "meta" (adjective) in the applicable sense. Have you ever heard of a "meta-analysis"? In the academic world, it is an analysis of analyses, or a study of studies. In TESOL, we often talk about the need to minimize the use of "meta-language" -- i.e., grammatical terminology, language about language -- in our explanations. In your quote, something similar is...Read More...

Hello, Abo Hamza, No, that sentence is not correct. Are you trying to express one of these ideas? It was the last time I would go to work by bus. It was the last time I could go to work by bus. It was the last time I went to work by bus. If so, you should revise the sentence accordingly.Read More...

Thank you.Read More...

Thank you very much, David, With all due respect, I beg to differ! It might be a very friendly reply, for at the end of the day it implies that the people of your city have a high average life expectancy!!!! Thanks again for all the clear and precise replies. I really appreciate it. Respectfully, NaviRead More...

Thank you for helping me You save my life!!! ​Read More...

When we transitioned to this new platform, a little over a year ago, I requested that the programmers disable the "like" function, so that there wouldn't be the sense of a popularity contest, comparable to Facebook and some other grammar sites. We prefer that members express their appreciation in words. Thank you.Read More...

Hello, Joho, and welcome to the Grammar Exchange! The general rule is to use "between" when there are two things or people involved and "among" when there are more than two. However, if there are more than two things or people involved, "between" may still be used if the many countable things are thought of as being related in pairs. That applies here. In distinguishing between symptoms, we compare one type of symptom with another. That is why "distinguish between symptoms" works well.Read More...

Hi, Azz, Please note you made a typo in (a), where you wrote "They made a n mistake... " After making that correction, I think (a) and (b) are fine: in (a), you couldn't believe the mistake they made, while in (b) you couldn't believe their having made that mistake, i.e. the fact that they made it. (c) is wrong because there is a duplication of the object: c. They made an error (that) I couldn't believe they had made it .Read More...

Hi, Joshua: In (1) and (2), the direct object of "describe" is the noun phrase "the characteristics of a perfectly competitive firm." Normally, we do not place an adverb, such as "briefly," between a verb and its direct object. Therefore (1) is better than (2); it is more advisable to use (1), because "briefly" does not come between "describe" and its direct object in that sentence.Read More...

I agree with Gustavo. Please note the change from " in the party" to " at the party."Read More...

Many thanks for your help. في الاثنين، ١٢ أغسطس، ٢٠١٩ ٢:١٤ م The Grammar Exchange < alerts@hoop.la > كتب:Read More...

Hi, Kis, Yes, only "whichever" is possible there. "which(ever)" is required whenever the range of selection is restricted, and this is clearly the case because of the superlative (of all the opinions stated, there is one that has the most support): - People in group situations tend to agree with whichever opinion they think has the most support. "what" will only be accompanied by a noun in questions (direct or embedded). "whatever" may appear with a noun in any kind of sentence, albeit in a...Read More...

Hello, Dave, and welcome to the Grammar Exchange! As the sentence is written, it is indeed ambiguous: we can't tell whether "allowed" falls under the scope of "not." In other words, we can't tell whether "or allowed to walk home" refers to a child who is not allowed to walk home or to one who is allowed to walk home. One way to disambiguate the sentence is the way you have suggested. You can repeat the word "not" before "allowed." Another way you could disambiguate the sentence is by...Read More...

Hello again, Jiho, That is not a possible reading. You cannot add "that" or "which" there. If "they like best" were a relative clause, the sentence would be ungrammatical. * " Ask people which of them " does not work. That is what your would-be reading implies. So your would-be reading is wrong. If you wish to understand the sentence, please refer to my first reply.Read More...

Hi, Serg, and welcome to the Grammar Exchange! Unfortunately, everything you have written in your post is filled with grammatical errors, and it is very difficult to decipher the question that you are trying to ask. Best wishes in your English studies!Read More...

What else could the nonrestrictive clauses be dependent on? Is your view that they are dependent on something that is not present in the sentence? Or is it rather that they are not dependent clauses at all? Presumably, there are only two choices: dependent or independent. If they are not dependent clauses, they must be independent clauses, capable of being stand-alone sentences unto themselves. Do you find these to be sentences? Many of whom saw their professional reputations and their...Read More...

Thank you, always, David. AppleRead More...

Thank David & Gustavo, Your comments were so helpful.Read More...

Hi, JSlotnick, and welcome to the Grammar Exchange! An open house for one neighbor is a neighbor's open house. An open house for more than one neighbor is your neighbors' open house. In the context you've described, I recommend " neighborhood open house ."Read More...

Hi, Kis, Only (b) is correct. Embedded or indirect questions cannot be reduced. Such reduction can only take place when the clause functions as an adverbial, for example: - Come when available (= Come when you are available).Read More...

Hi, Apple, The usage of the progressive with "want" ("is wanting to") is indeed abnormal. However, it does sometimes occur in conversational discourse, including between commentators in news broadcasts. The effect of using "is wanting" here is that it makes the statement informal, tentative, and confined to the ongoing present. It suggests temporariness. Compare: "I am loving the class" (temporary) vs. "I love the class" (fixed state). I would never teach this usage of "is wanting" to...Read More...

Hi, Azz, I only find (a) and (f) to be grammatically correct. While in (a) "those" refers to the people the other peson mentioned (the ones who jog in the neighborhood late at night), (f) is a cleft sentence used for emphasis. I think (b) would be possible with a comma: b'. That is, young people ("that is" has a reformulatory value and is used to correct the other speaker's claim: not any kind of people, but only those who are young).Read More...

Hi, Abo Hamza, Your question sounds somewhat imperative, as if you were saying: Tell me: is it correct or not? which I hope was not your intention. Next time, it'd be better for you to use a more polite formula, like: Could you (please) tell me if this is correct? In answer to your question, although this sentence: is correct, these others would perhaps be more idiomatic and natural: - This is her first time to visit London. - This is the first time she's visited London. - This is the first...Read More...

Thank you, David. appleRead More...

Thank you all for taking the time to answer my questions. I think there may be some ambiguity in the quiz. Once again, many thanks.Read More...

Hi, Mr P., Generally, we do not speak of " the fewest number of " or " the least number of ," just as we don't speak of " the most number of "; rather, we refer to " the smallest number of " and the " the largest number of ." Let's revise the textbook sentences: 1a) This book has the smallest number of pages . 2a) The tour guide said that ten is the smallest number of tourists she can take on the boat trip. Some people feel it is incorrect to use "least" with count nouns, that "least" should...Read More...

Thank you, David. Your reply always confirms my opinion or sometimes makes me realize my wrong perception or mistakes. AppleRead More...

Hello, Ahmad, Unfortunately, "namesake" does not work at all in those two sentences. "Namesake" is used in an entirely different way. Generally, a namesake is the name of the person in honor of whom something else is named. Thus, Betty Azar is the namesake of Azar Grammar Exchange. In your sentences, you could use "nominal" for the meaning you want. One definition of "nominal" is "of or relating to names (in distinction to things)" ( OED ): 1a. The mistake was nominal in nature. 2a. The...Read More...

Thanks Capt (Rtd) Joshua Loo On Friday, 2 August 2019, 05:04:10 pm GMT+8, The Grammar Exchange < alerts@hoop.la > wrote: Reply By David, Moderator: Question vs Questions | == To reply by email, write above this line. == | | | | | Hello, joshua: We're sending you this notification because you are either following the forum, the content, or the author listed below. New Reply To Topic | Subject: Question vs Questions Reply By: David, Moderator In: | | joshua posted: If it is one page...Read More...

Hi, Jiho, You are not comparing the countries, but their inhabitants. The countries should be referred to as the locations where different behaviors are reported, not as the elements being compared. I think the sentence could be fixed by saying: - Unlike (people) in the USA, people in Canada and other counties are not allowed to use guns. - Unlike what happens in the USA, people in Canada and other counties are not allowed to use guns.Read More...

Thanks a lot, Gustavo and David for the information you've provided. Really interesting and helpful especially, the difference between "quit" and "stop". So, for this reason we say for example: "stop crying", but can't say "quit crying".Read More...

Thank you so much Because I had really been confused. The more I looked for it, the less I found it. I have taken these examples from " Sample Essays for the TOEFL ".Read More...

Thanks, sir.Read More...

Hi, Perriced, Before answering your question, I'd like to make two corrections: 1. "chime in" is used when someone says something in the middle of a conversation, so it doesn't seem to be the right phrasal to start a thread. Such an invitation could be made in the middle of the thread, when there have already been some replies and you want somebody else to take part in the discussion. 2. "thanks" is plural, so you should say " many thanks." Now, in answer to your question, both sentences: a.Read More...

Hello, Navi, No, I would not say that "besides" is just as ambiguous as "apart from" there; it clearly has the "in addition to" meaning. However, unless it is supported by something like "other things" ("I have a lot of other things to be grateful for"), I do find the "besides"-phrase awkward in initial position, precisely because it seems as if the writer imagines it has the other meaning. It works better at the end, especially with the addition of a comma and "too": 1a') I have a lot to be...Read More...

Hi, Kuen: "Fixed income" has an economic definition that you can easily Google. By replying "I'm on a fixed income," Speaker B means to imply that his or her income cannot be increased to accommodate the expense of hiring a gardener. Speaker B's reply is a convoluted way of saying, "I can't afford to do that."Read More...

There are many ways to put the idea, but I recommend using "level" as the verb. I recommend using the sentence I recommended three posts above.Read More...

Hi, Joshua, "These research studies and analyses notwithstanding " means the same thing as " Notwithstanding these research studies and analyses," which means the same thing as " In spite of these research studies and analyses." In "richer than portrayed here," "portrayed here" is a truncated comparative clause. The meaning is that "the view of communication as transmission is much richer than it is portrayed as being here."Read More...