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Regarding the COVID-19 Pandemic

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David, Moderator
Dear Grammar Exchange members, As we continue our grammar discussions, I want you to know that I am aware that we are all struggling in various ways as a result of the current pandemic and that my heart goes out to all of you. I hope that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. Although we may not know each other personally, we all know that there is much more to us than the English grammar issues we discuss here. This post is devoted to the dimensions of you and your lives that I know...Read More...
Toni
Thank you so much. I am sure brighter days will come.Read More...
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Rhyme

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Thai and sigh give the same (rhyme - rhythm). Which one is correct?Read More...
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run out / run out of something / be out of something

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Now I am confused that somebody or something can be used as a subject in the following idioms. 1) Run out of Somebody run out of something: We were running out of food 2) Run out Something run out: The milk has run out. 3) be out of something 3-a) Somebody be out of something: Would you mind going to the store? We're out of milk. 3-b) Something be out of something: The official Olympic umbrella is out of stock. My question is, 1) "Run out of something" can be used with Somebody as a subject?Read More...
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Adjective Clause or Noun Clause as Appositive?

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I have been wondering whether "which they did not realise was being publicly live-streamed " from following sentence is adjective clause or noun clause as appositive ? "An entire school board has resigned after making disparaging remarks about families in an online meeting which they did not realise was being publicly live-streamed ." Thank you so much.Read More...
Gustavo, Contributor
Hi, alwayslearner, I invite you to read this recent thread , which deals with the topic you are asking about.Read More...
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she is said to be ill or to have been ill

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When turning the sentence "They say she has been ill" into the passive pattern, is it possible to say "She is said to be ill"? Or "She is said to have been ill" is the only correct sentence?Read More...
ahmed_btm
Hi, Ane4ka, and welcome to the G.E, I see that the perfect infinitive works much better as it mainly replaces either the present perfect or the past simple in the impersonal passive structure. 1. 'She is said to be ill' refers to a present state and is the same as 'they say she is ill'. 2. 'She is said to have been ill' refers to the fact that she has been ill for a period of time and it is the same as 'they say she has been ill for ....'.Read More...
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whether , if

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Hello. Which one is correct? He asked me (whether - if) I had written my report or not. Thank you.Read More...
ahmed_btm
Hi, Ahmed, Both are grammatically correct here. However, some people would prefer 'whether' because it is more formal than 'if'. ' Writing a report' is something formal. BTW, 'wether' can also be the only correct choice if you say "He asked me whether or not I had written my report." That's because 'if' can't be followed directly by or not.Read More...
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Grammatical construction

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I'm curious about the grammatical construction of this sentence: I am glad you are here . It appears to contain 2 independent clauses, which doesn't seem right (no conjunction) . Possibly "that" is understood which would make the second clause dependent, but again, that really doesn't seem right either. I've tried diagramming it, but I can't make it work properly. I guess I'm just missing something. I'm betting someone here can explain this sentence's construction. Thanks for your help.Read More...
Gustavo, Contributor
I've been thinking that the "that"-clause can also be said to complementize the adjective "happy." The verb is "am." "Am glad" is the main verb phrase. Complements can express the reason for the emotion or feeling denoted by the adjective, after adjectives like glad, happy, sorry, pleased , or function as a content clause after adjectives of cognition, such as sure, certain, doubtful, aware.Read More...
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fight to keep his job

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1) He has to fight to keep his job. 2) He has to fight for keeping his job. I think '2' means he has to fight because he kept his job, which is probably a strange thing to say. '1' seems to mean 'In order to keep his job, he has to fight.' Is that correct? Gratefully NaviRead More...
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a single chair 'vacant'

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Hello, everyone, “ Many people were standing, for there wasn't a single chair vacant nor any space left on the benches .” Could you explain to me why the writer prefers ‘a single chair vacant ’ to ‘a single vacant chair’ in above sentence, while I often see such a post-modifying adjective in “There is noun ~ ” pattern? What is the writer intending through the post-modifying adjective? Thanking in advance,Read More...
deepcosmos
Hello, Jack Milgram -- really appreciate your comment with note, which helps me a lot. Best RGDS,Read More...
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who is

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A says: "My coworkers drink a lot." B asks: "I didn't hear you. Who did you say drink a lot?" B asks: "I didn't hear you. Who drink a lot?" Are B's sentences correct in this context or should it be 'who drinks'? ============ A says: Our neighbors smoke. B asks: "Who smoke? Your neighbors above you or the ones below?" Is B's sentence correct in this context or should it be 'who smokes'? =================== A says: "Tom's brothers are naive." B asks: "I didn't hear you. Who did you say are...Read More...
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Confusion about using the definite article with adjective + noun

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Hello, One thing that always confuses me about using (or not using the definite article) is when to omitt it before an adjective and the noun it modifies. For example: 1 T he education system (here we are describing what type of system= the education system.) 2. simple tools (here we describe what type of tools) but no article is used). Both 1 and 2 above use the same adjective + noun structure, but I don't understand what the rule is here and hope you can it explain it to me. Thank you as...Read More...
Gustavo, Contributor
Hi, Mrchuffie, The rules that determine whether the definite or the zero article should be used before a singular or plural noun do not change if the noun is modified by an adjective. For example, "simple tools" is a plural noun phrase referring to all simple tools in general (that's why the zero article is needed). If you refer to some simple tools in particular, then the definite article will be required. "System" in the singular always takes an article, irrespective of whether it has an...Read More...
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Count and NON

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Is it ok or not? Ten is the least number of cars........ Be care of «TEN», it expresses the amount!!Read More...
David, Moderator
Hi, Mahmoud—"Ten is the least number of cars" is correct. Do you mean to ask why the verb is singular? As you say, "ten" expresses the amount. The sentence is not about ten things. The sentence answers the question "What is the least number of cars?" There's a famous saying in English: "Three's a crowd."Read More...
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withholding vital information "from"

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Hello, everyone, While I have a single sentence quoted from Longman dictionary - “ She was accused of withholding vital information from the police .”, which interpretation is correct in following two?; 1. She was accused of holding back vital information which was received from the police. (= She was accused of refusing to give someone vital information which was received from the police.) 2. She was accused of holding back vital information against the police. (= she tried to keep vital...Read More...
deepcosmos
Hello, David--you have really been enlightening me on the sea of English like a huge lighthouse. Thank you million times.Read More...
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The function of the phrase "in turn"

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a. What is the role/function of the phrase "in turn" in the sentence below? Preposition, conjunctions? b. What is the best replacement word for "in turn" in lay terms for the sentence below? example: As the case for most of the employee shares, he cannot exercise the options straight away, rather these options only vested and in turn became exercisable over a 4 year period after he became an employee.Read More...
David, Moderator
Hi, Tony—With "rhetorical usage," I am referring to the phrase's customary use in discourse, to indicate that one thing naturally follows another. As the OED puts it, the phrase is "used rhetorically to indicate an act duly or naturally following a similar act on the part of another, but without the notion of a pre-arranged series."Read More...
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Conditional structure - type 2

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When we talk about something hypothetically, I believe we have to use conditional formatting of type 2, that is past tense, followed by past future tense. But I often see people use past tense followed by present tense instead as in the example shown below. Please kindly shed some light regarding this. e.g. if the underlying asset was acquired by the vendor and is not subject to main residence exemption, there are no CGT consequences. Why don’t we say there would be no CGT consequences?Read More...
David, Moderator
Hi, Tony—That type of conditional doesn't fit in with the three celebrated ESL types. It doesn't involve a prediction about the future (tentative or confident), nor is it a counterfactual conditional. It is simply asserting that if one thing (the underlying asset) possesses (right now) two properties (the properties of having been acquired by the vendor and of not being subject to "main residence exemption"), there are "no CGT consequences."Read More...
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Exercise as countable and uncountable noun

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Swimming is good exercise. Swimming is a good exercise. I checked all the major dictionaries and they say that it is uncountable when it means (physical or mental activity that you do to stay healthy or become stronger) I have seen the following examples - Swimming is great exercise. (Longman Dictionary) Swimming is great exercise. (Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary) Cycling to work is great exercise. (Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary) None of them have used "a" before exercise...Read More...
Jack Milgram
Hello, Saifuddin. Well, I'd say no. All the activities modified from verbs + ing ( swim + ing , dance + ing , smoke + ing , etc.) are uncountable. That's why they don't actually mean " a set of movements ," they are more about the process as a whole .Read More...
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required by or required of?

0 likes · 15 views
Hi I came across the following in a job description in a call for applications: PERSON SPECIFICATION - The experience, qualifications, knowledge, skills and attributes required by the job holder. In my opinion this is incorrect and should read, required of. Anyone can verify this please? Thanks!Read More...
Steve M
Hi Jack......... thanks for the confirmation . This argument will definitely work in favour of the applicant Cheers!Read More...
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