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January 2021

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Could imagine or could've imagined in a past context

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1) Yesterday I went to see my friend who lost her only son the day before in a car accident. Seeing me she started crying. I could imagine (at the time) what she was going through. Is "could" OK? Or do we need "could have imagined" here? "I could've imagined what she was going through."Read More...
Gustavo, Co-Moderator
Hi, Language learner, The modal "could" is correct there, meaning that at the time it was possible for the speaker to understand the other person's feelings. For "lost" (rather than "had lost") to work, I think it would be better to say: - Yesterday I went to see my friend who lost her only son the day before yesterday in a car accident.Read More...
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Is this sentence correct?

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"We assisted a Brazilian IT multinational in their market entry strategy by providing them with a tailor-made & culture-based roadmap to hiring and retaining talent in Portugal" I have doubts about "roadmap to hiring and retaining talent". Can you help? Thanks! ElisaRead More...
ahmed_btm
Hi, Gustavo, Thanks a lot. I changed it because I am not used to this meaning of 'talent'.Read More...
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any and all vs anyone and everyone

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Hi, I currently say "I have never wished that anyone, especially any and all of my family...." and I wonder if it is more accurate to say " I have never wished that anyone, especially anyone and everyone in my family....."?Read More...
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It was agreed that

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During our meeting, it was agreed that the debt recovery action would be on hold for 1 year. Question 1: Why cant we say it was stated that, but we can say it was agreed that. 2. Is the sentence "it was agreed that" a passive voice?Read More...
Gustavo, Co-Moderator
I mean it is not mentioned who made the statement or the agreement. For there to be a matrix clause, there has to be a subordinate or dependent clause. In: - It was agreed / It was stated that .... "it was agreed / it was stated" is the matrix clause, and the "that"-clause is a subordinate or dependent clause. In: - It was eaten. there are no subordinate or dependent clauses, hence the structure is a simple sentence, not a matrix clause included in a complex sentence.Read More...
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That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

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"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. "This is a famous line from Shakespeare. I have no difficulty understanding this sentence. But I'm wondering whether the “which we call a rose by any other name ” is a relative clause or not. If it is a relative clause, what the function of the word"which"？ I am looking forward for an answer. Thank you so much.Read More...
Winter
Thank you so much for your replies. This was the first time I posted a question on Grammar Exchange, even without high expectation. While you guys really surprised me by warm welcome and detailed explanations. Now I have a better understanding of the sentence structure and really appreciate your attention and efforts. I will share the wonderful Grammar Exchange with other ESL learners!Read More...
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AM or am

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Should I use AM or am in the example below and what's the difference? He came her at 3.20 AM this afternoon to deliver a pizza for me.Read More...
David, Moderator
Hi, Cristi—Your sentence is a contradiction in terms. The time 3:20 a.m. is a time in the morning, namely, three hours and twenty minutes past midnight. If you wish to refer to "three hours and twenty minutes past noon," use "3:20 p.m." You can punctuate the numbers and letters in accordance with local custom.Read More...
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The double possessive

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What is the difference between: - He is a friend of mine, - He is my friend, and - He is a friend of me? Thanks.Read More...
David, Moderator
Hello, May123—I assume you mean to ask about differences in meaning rather than differences in syntax. "He is a friend of mine" means he is one of my friends, and that is how "He is my friend" would also be understood. However, the sentence "He is my friend" would also be compatible with a state of affairs in which the speaker had only one friend. "He is a friend of me" is unidiomatic and not to be used. The construction works in other cases, though. "Friends of John" might be used at John's...Read More...
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Singular or plural

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I have put a tender for external suppliers to provide cleaning services for my building and conduct a monthly fire inspection. All suppliers are required to put through applications and submissions why they are preferred supplier and I am required to make decision to whom: [1 decision] - outsource the cleaning job [2nd decision] to decide who will give the job for the monthly fire inspections. At the end of the process, I am required to issue reasons for our decisions or reasons for decision...Read More...
Gustavo, Co-Moderator
Because "decision" is a count noun and requires an article or some other determiner.Read More...
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It is (hight/about) time (that) + Subject + Simple past tense verb

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I have learned the following structure from Practical in Use. <It is (hight/about) time (that) + S + Simple past tense verb> This is regarding Subjunctive mood Now I am curious about the last sentence can be possible or not. It is (high/about) time (that) we went to bed. (O) = It is (high/about) time for us to go to bed. (O) = It is ( high /about) time (that) we should go to bed. (???)Read More...
Gustavo, Co-Moderator
Although the other forms are possible, I agree with David when he said in that thread:Read More...
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Meeting you

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Assuming I just met someone and after going, I need to email them. Do I say, it was nice to have met up with you this afternoon or it was nice meeting you this afternoon. What is the difference in meaning?Read More...
Cristi
I have heard both but not sure which one is more grammatical and whether there is a difference in meaning? ThanksRead More...
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I feel amazing

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Hello friends, I’d like to discuss this sentence: “I feel amazing.” I quite often hear native speakers say this and (1) I believe it’s grammatically acceptable but wonder if it has ever been controversial grammarwise. (2) I believe that it simply means “I feel great / wonderful / excellent” as “amazing” is a synonym of these words and that it doesn’t mean “I feel that I am amazing” and definitely not “I feel amazed”. If it means “I feel that I am amazing”, we can likewise say “I feel...Read More...
David, Moderator
One meaning of "amazing," according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is "great beyond expectation." "I feel amazing" basically means "I feel wonderful": "I feel so good I could say WOW," "My feelings right now are amazing to me," "My feelings are amazingly good," "I am amazed at how good I feel." Although it isn't nearly so commonly used, it is possible to say "I feel interesting" with the meaning "I feel peculiar" or "I'm not really sure how I feel."Read More...
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Grammar

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Are the below sentences grammatically correct? If so, why? 1. Once received, we will process your application? 2. Once we have received, we will process ... 3. Once it is received, we will... What is the difference of each? 1. passive? 2. also passive? 3. present? Thanks so much for your time!Read More...
Gustavo, Co-Moderator
"Received" in "once received" is a past participle. It derives from the passive form "once it is received ."Read More...
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might have left the country

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Which are correct: 1) We don't know where he is. He might have left the country. 2) We don't know where he is. He could have left the country. 3) It was fortunate we didn't go mountain climbing. We might have died in that avalanche. 4) It was fortunate we didn't go mountain climbing. We could have died in that avalanche. Gratefully, NaviRead More...
Posted
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meaning

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I've come across this sentence here: "I’m quite far in my medical school time so I don’t have lots of free time but I can still have some quality time with my family and friends", but I'm not sure I understand this first part: "I’m quite far in my medical school time". Does it mean that he has just started medical school, and it's gonna still take him a long time to graduate? I'll appreciate if you can help me to clarify this sentence. Thank you so much! All the best.Read More...
David, Moderator
Yes, that's right. Think of a timeline as a road along which one can travel far.Read More...
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any talk

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a. Any talk about politics is not allowed at this offic e. Is the above sentence grammatically correct? I think it's not correct. It seems to me that it should be b. No talk about politics is allowed at his office. or c. Any talk about politics is disallowed at this office. How about b. Anyone under sixteen is not allowed inside the room. ? Many thanks.Read More...
Gustavo, Co-Moderator
Hi, Azz, In my experience as a translator and a lecturer, I have only encountered "any" in the subject combined with negative verbs in legal texts. Sentences such as the ones you propose: are correct at least in legalese.Read More...
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In/of/at

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Which one is correct? I mean which preposition I should use here. 1- All the students of this school are hereby notified that a cultural programme will be organised next month. 2- All the students at this school are hereby notified that a cultural programme will be organised next month. 3- All the students in this school are hereby notified that a cultural programme will be organised next month.Read More...
David, Moderator
Hi, Subhajit—All three prepositions are correct. You can use whichever you like.Read More...
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for him to acknowledge

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Are these sentences both correct and do they mean the same: 1) That he should acknowledge that he has made a mistake will mark a moment in history. 2) For him to acknowledge that he has made a mistake will mark a moment in history. Gratefully, NaviRead More...
Gustavo, Co-Moderator
I have to say I had a faint suspicion about some wrong tense or mood correlation, but I quickly and foolishly discarded it. Could we say that the subject in (0), (2a) and (2b) is situated in a more improbable present or future (thus leading to the use of would ), while the one in (1a), (4) (if correct), (5) and (6) is situated in a more probable present or future (thus enabling the use of will )?Read More...
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Within Expectation(s)

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When writing about a student's score(s), I often classify the score as "within age expectations" (given that the student could have produced a range of scores that would be average for her age). Ex: Jane's performance on reading tasks was consistently within age expectations. Jane produced a math index score at the 55th percentile, which is within age expectations. Yet, recently someone insisted that it should be "...within age expectation" (not plural). This correction made my grammar...Read More...
Gustavo, Co-Moderator
Oh, yes! Within performance expectations for her age (group) makes much more sense! Within age expectations is too synthetic and does not convey the intended meaning clearly. I think this is because the preposition that links both concepts is "for" ( for her age ), and this is not a preposition that can be usually substituted for by placing a noun in attributive position. Instead, "of" is the typical preposition that enables this movement: expectations of performance ⇒ performance expectations.Read More...
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