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January 2022

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so

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With each new solution, we glimpse a bit more of the overall pattern of nature. As with a crossword, so with the physical universe, we find that the solutions to independent clues link together in a consistent and supportive way to form a coherent unity, so that the more clues we solve, the easier we find it to fill in the missing features. (source) Are <As> and <so> the same? Is so a preposition? I don't understand the grammatical structure of <so with>.Read More...
GBLSU
Thank you.Read More...
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as

0 likes · 61 views
Is it as simple as they failed to use their time and wealth to build world-class vehicles but they succeeded in rewarding CEOs and the 1 percent at the top fabulously? (source) Is the first <as> adverb? Then is the second <as> a conjunction or a relative noun?Read More...
GBLSU
Thank you for the explanation.Read More...
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conduct a full and fair investigation

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1) To that end, this matter has been referred to the Office of Internal Affairs to conduct a full and fair investigation. Source: https://www.yahoo.com/now/conn...olice-221551657.html Is '1' grammatical? Who is to conduct a full and fair investigation? It seems to me that from a grammatical point of view the people who have referred the matter to the Office of Internal Affairs are to conduct a full and fair investigation. However, the real meaning seems to be that the Office of Internal...Read More...
navi
Thank you both very much, I think we are getting different links or something. Something funny seems to be going on, or I am so exhausted my mind is playing tricks on me. The article I see has two sentences about the same thing. The mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut, announced Monday that the police department's handling of the investigation into the death of a 23-year-old Black woman found unresponsive in her apartment in December by a man she had met on a Bumble date has been referred to...Read More...
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function of ‘diminishing’

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Hello, everyone, “In the workplace, automation’s focus on enhancing speed and efficiency — a focus determined by the profit motive rather than by any particular concern for people’s well-being — often has the effect of removing complexity from jobs, diminishing the challenge they present and hence the engagement they promote.” For the function of underlined ‘diminishing’ above which will be proper parsing below?; 1) present participle leading the participle clause meaning RESULT, 2) present...Read More...
deepcosmos
Hello, David and Gustavo, What a wonderful pleasure in my life to be a member in this forum and continue to find invaluable treasure full of explanations from such excellent experts !Read More...
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he thinks it is fun

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a. He thinks dancing is fun. I think that could mean 1. He has fun when he dances. or 2. He thinks people have fun when they are dancing. Could it have any other meaning? Could it mean that he thinks watching people dance is fun? b. He thinks animals fighting for their lives is fun. What does b mean? Many thanksRead More...
David, Moderator
Hi, Azz—No, I don't think that "He thinks dancing is fun" can mean that "He thinks watching people dance is fun." For that meaning, you could say: He has fun watching people dance. He finds it fun to watch people dance. To me, "is fun" does not work in that sentence, which needs a different predicate in the clause complementing "think." For example: He thinks animals fighting for their lives is a shame. That sentence means that he thinks that it is a shame when animals (have to) fight for...Read More...
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any +singular or plural

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Hello, 1.Any doctor will say that smoking is not good for the health. In sentence 1 above, "doctor" should be singular. 2. Grammar Exchange can answer any English question. In sentence 2, can you say "any English questions"? AppleRead More...
Gustavo, Co-Moderator
Hi, Apple, Sentence (1) does not contain "any." I would use the singular with "any": 1a. Customers can buy this product at any shop at the airport. And I'd also use the singular in sentence (2): 2a. You can ask any doctor about your health problems. The use of "any" with a plural noun in the affirmative is not so usual because, as I said in my first reply, there must be some need to express plurality for the plural noun to be justified, and in the sentences above each customer will go to one...Read More...
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Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post
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Sentence constituents question.

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A student I have been volunteering with wrote the following sentence: Some people may be encouraged to spend less on gas. I am trying to break this down for him using the main sentence constituents. Is the following correct? subject = some people verb phrase = may be subject complement = encouraged to spend less on gas. I would appreciate your guidance as I find this difficult Thank you.Read More...
Gustavo, Co-Moderator
Hi, Mrchuffie, Actually, "may be encouraged" is a verb phrase in the passive voice coming from: - You may encourage some people to spend less on gas. "To spend less on gas" is an infinitival clause having "some people" as its subject.Read More...
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Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post
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Which is more strong?

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A. To survey the oil and marine markets , a marketing manage is needed. b. A marketing manager is needed to look over the oil and marine markets. also it would be great if you could change my wording! thanksRead More...
Gustavo, Co-Moderator
Hello, Yejitheyeti, and welcome to the Grammar Exchange. According to our Guidelines, we are not a proofreading service. I can only tell you that the position of the infinitival clause depends on the context. Placed at the beginning, it seems to me that the markets were mentioned before. Placed at the end, the focus lies on the reason for requiring a marketing manager.Read More...
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Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post
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When abbreviating "three-dimensional", is there any rhyme or reason to whether to use "3D" or "3-D"?

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I search the New York Times and I found in the past year 111 results for "3D" and 903 results for "3-D". But I'm not sure if there's any rhyme or reason to whether that newspaper uses one or the other; they say "3D-printed", but that's a special case that's not relevant to my own situation because I'm just saying "the normal 3-D arrangement" and "the antler rack’s 3-D structure". 1: Do you guys see any pattern, or is it just random? 2: And should I just go with "3-D"? That's what I've done...Read More...
Yejitheyeti
So it can differ from person to person but, personally I use 3D more often and more people prob use it more because it is faster to write 3D than 3-D. Frankly it doesnt matter cause people will understand itRead More...
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Last Reply By Yejitheyeti · First Unread Post
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What is the full sentence?

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Hello! I’d love to hear your valued opinions.. Different from the ancient Greeks, who saw leisure as an opportunity for well-rounded development, Romans perceived leisure to be primarily rest from work. Considering that the Romans were almost constantly involved in wars to dominate foreign cultures, this viewpoint was necessary and allowed recuperation before the next war. Different from the ancient Greeks, who saw leisure as an opportunity for well-rounded development, Romans perceived...Read More...
Gustavo, Co-Moderator
Hi, Linguamama, I think the best paraphrase is #1: The problem with #2: lies in the fact that the difference lay in their conception of leisure , and the way #2 is expressed (apart from the convoluted succession of two who -clauses) points to Romans and Greeks being different in general rather than in their vision of leisure, which is what the original text conveys. A good alternative would be: - Unlike the ancient Greeks, who saw leisure as an opportunity for well-rounded development,...Read More...
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Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post
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Besides with 'also'

0 likes · 83 views
Is 'also' needed in the following sentences? 1- Beside working as a doctor, he 'also' write novels in spare time.Read More...
Gustavo, Co-Moderator
Hi, Subhajit, Actually, there are several serious mistakes in the sentence above. I wouldn't use "also" mainly because it might be understood that he also works as a doctor in his spare time : 2- Beside s working as a doctor, he write s novels in his spare time.Read More...
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Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post
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the meaning of ‘modeling’

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Hello, Gustavo, “. . . Parents who face life’s challenges honestly and openly and who attempt to cope with difficulties instead of avoiding them thereby expose their children early to a pro-self-esteem problem-solving strategy. Those who avoid dealing with difficulties reveal a negative route for handling the challenges and problems of life. Either way, it is important to remember that modeling helps set the stage for healthy self-esteem or problems with it .” *source;...Read More...
deepcosmos
Hi, Gustavo, Well noted. Such word is really difficult to EFL learner, indeed. Thanks very much, Gustavo.Read More...
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Parenthetical elements - when is something not critical.

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Hello there, Having some trouble identifying when a parenthetical element is required in the following sentence: "He resigned with effect from today" or "He resigned, with effect from today" The statement "He resigned" can function as an independent sentence, but I believe the timing of the resignation is also quite critical, which has led me to try and understand if its a grammar or style choice. Thanks!Read More...
Gustavo, Co-Moderator
Hi, Dogtree, and welcome to the Grammar Exchange. I don't think it's a question of grammar or style, but one of meaning. In the first sentence the focus lies on both pieces of information: the resignation and its effective date. In the second sentence, the main point is the resignation, and the date is provided as additional, secondary information.Read More...
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Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post
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omission of ‘that’ leading an extra-posed subjective clause

0 likes · 72 views
Hello, everyone, “Is it any wonder we love automation? By offering to reduce the amount of work we have to do, by promising to fill our lives with greater ease, comfort, and convenience, computers and other labor-saving technologies appeal to our eager but misguided desire for release from what we perceive as toil.“ *source;...Read More...
David, Moderator
Hi, Deepcosmos—Yes, "Is it any wonder we love automation?" can be parsed as containing a deleted "that": "Is it any wonder [that] we love automation?" Compare: It is no wonder [that] we love automation. = That we love automation is no wonder. The sentence may be paraphrased like this: "Is it to be wondered at that we love automation?" It is a rhetorical question, implying that it is not to be wondered at that we love automation. It does not make sense to try to parse the underlying structure...Read More...
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Last Reply By David, Moderator · First Unread Post
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discuss

0 likes · 70 views
Hello, 1. We discussed our new project yesterday. We don't need "about" after "discuss". But what about sentence 2? 2. What we discussed about our new project yesterday needs to be further developed. Is this sentence grammatical without "about"? If not, why do you need "about" in sentence 2 ? AppleRead More...
apple
Thank you, David, for illustrating the point clearly. AppleRead More...
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'There remains...' vs. 'There remain...'

0 likes · 239 views
Is the sentence below grammatical? 'There remains substantial further time, thought and effort required.' 'There remain...' does not sound correct to me in this context.Read More...
Gustavo, Co-Moderator
Hi, Language Lover, In my opinion, what does not sound right in the sentence above is the participle "required." Perhaps you are trying to say: - Substantial further time, thought and effort is / are required. I think both "is" and "are" are correct in the sentence above depending on whether we think of time, thought and effort as forming part of a whole or as different elements. With anticipatory "there," it is true that the singular sounds better because of the phenomenon known as "number...Read More...
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Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post
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Can something 'suggest' that something else is 'certainly the case'?

0 likes · 51 views
My apologies, as this is more of a semantics question, but I would appreciate the thoughts of others on this. Is a sentence such as the one below semantically acceptable? I appreciate it is not ideal but what I am asking is if it is acceptable. 'Events suggest that this is certainly a period of change.' Thanks.Read More...
Language Lover
Thanks!Read More...
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Last Reply By Language Lover · First Unread Post
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if it looks as if it’s going to be very windy

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weather Man: If it looks like snow or if it looks as if we’re going to get lots and lots of rain or if it looks as if it’s going to be very windy, we all need to know what the weather is going to be like. What does “ if ” mean in this dialogue ? Does it mean “ Whether ”? like this: Man: Whether it looks like snow or Whether it looks as if we’re going to get lots and lots of rain or Whether it looks as if it’s going to be very windy, we all need to know what the weather is going to be like.Read More...
Posted
New2 replies

Present participle

0 likes · 61 views
1. ............. a hotel,we looked for somewhere to have dinner. A Finding B . We found C . Having found. D.We found 2.......my friend's telephone number, I contacted him. A .Finding. B.Having found C.After founding. D.We found The answer key is ( having found), but i think both (having found )and (Finding ) are Ok ...what do you think of that?Read More...
Ihab Darwish
Thank you so much .Really so usefulRead More...
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Date or Dated

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I am confused whether I should use date or dated at the bottom part of the letter. For example: Content of the letter Signed as a true and correct record on behalf of XYZ Limited _______________________________________ Obama Lam (Chairman) Dated or Date: 1 th Day of June 2021Read More...
Gustavo, Co-Moderator
Hi, Tony, You can say: Date : June 1, 2021 or Dated (on) June 1, 2021Read More...
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Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post
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