May 2019

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The difference between absolute phrase and participle clause?

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Hi, 1. They have two friends, both of them killed in an accident. 2. They have two friends, both of whom killed in an accident. 3. They have two friends, both of whom have been killed in an accident. Which one is correct? Which one is an absolute phrase? How can I distinguish between an absolute phrase and a participle clause? Thanks.Read More...
quangco123
ThanksRead More...
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To Submit/Submitted

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ahmad
Hello, everyone, Do the following mean the same? 1. It is to submit that the report is baseless. 2. It is submitted that the report is baseless. Thanks.Read More...
ahmad
Hi, David, Sir, you helped me to grasp the difference. Thanks. PS: However, the intervening period has given rise to a further question which I will be posing soon.Read More...
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2 Synonyms in 1 Sentence/ A comma before "and"

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Hi everyone, I’m wondering whether it looks well-written and, most importantly, grammatically correct to use 2 synonyms at once in my following sentence: If it looks well-written and is grammatically correct when the audience read it, do you recommend me using a ‘comma’ after ‘muscle cells’ to prevent it from sounding too long for a sentence? Original Quote: Thank you!Read More...
Gustavo, Contributor
Hello, Blue_Delta_47, Please note that you should refer to relative clauses as being restrictive or non-restrictive . Both types of clauses, restrictive and non-restrictive (or defining and non-defining) are relative or adjectival. I liked your examples about the lions. You main question seems to revolve around this: The answer is yes (provided we understand that you refer to "non-restrictive" clauses, that is, those set off by commas). They do add extra information, and that extra...Read More...
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Is this sentence correct?

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Hello, I have never seen such a beautiful beach like this. This is the most beautiful beach I have ever seen, No other beach is as beautiful as this (one). I have never seen anything like this beautiful beach. I think sentences 1,2,3, mean about the same, but what about 4? Is 4 correct in the first place? If not, what's wrong with it? If correct, does it mean the same as the other three sentences? AppleRead More...
apple
Thank you, David, always. appleRead More...
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Reported

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I was told that my friend ………………. a terrible accident while he was driving to Mansoura. a had had b had c was having d is having I think that 'b' is the correct answer. If I am right, would 'a' be wrong because backshift is not possible here as backshift wasn't used with 'was driving' ?Read More...
David, Moderator
Yes, Rasha, that is not only possible but perfectly correct and normal. What would be unusual, though also correct, would be to do what you thought was needed but isn't: "I was told that my friend had had a terrible accident while he had been driving to Mansoura." In that sentence, there are two relative tenses, "had had" and "had been driving" each being located prior to the past time of "was told." But that is totally unnecessary, because the "while"-clause is part of the reported-speech...Read More...
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Tenses

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I knew that a new secondary school …………… in our village recently. a has built b has been built c had been built d had built My first guess when I read the sentence is that 'c' is the answer. Then, I started thinking of why 'b' is not correct. I think that because 'knew' is past and the present perfect shows a relation between what happened ' the building' and the present. Am I right? I really appreciate what you do and which really helps A LOT.Read More...
Rasha Assem
Hi, Ahmed_btm I really appreciate what you do which really helps a lot. I didn't intend to add the 'and'. Thanks for your kind remark.Read More...
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equipment, one

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Hello, I understand that "equipment" is an uncountable noun. So, it cannot be replaced with "one". The following sentence is wrong. Ken replaced the broken equipment with new one. Am I correct ? AppleRead More...
apple
You explained it so well that I think I got the difference between clouds and cloud. Thank you for the interesting discussion. AppleRead More...
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In case vs Alternatives of if

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……….passing the driving test is a must, you have to train well for the test. a In case b Unless c As long as d Should I think that 'c' is the answer and that 'a' is not correct. Am I right?Read More...
David, Moderator
Hello, Rasha, Yes, you are right on both counts: (c) is the answer and (a) is incorrect. In speaking of what the addressee has to do, the sentence is talking about a necessity. Thus, it must be known to the speaker that passing the driving test is a must. Given that he knows that it is a must, he would not use "in case," which has conditional meaning. "As long as" is the only answer that makes sense. As for the other two choices, (d) is ungrammatical and (b) is absurd.Read More...
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Scheduled actions

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We need to go. Our plane(leaves_is going to_will leave_is leaving)soon. This sentence is in an outside book. It is controversial.Read More...
David, Moderator
Hello again, Wael, Please pay attention to your spelling, and note that "a lot" is two words. Your question " How 'soon' makes a difference? " is ungrammatical. You need "do"-support: "How does 'soon' make a difference?" "Soon" enables "leaves" and "will leave" to work. By themselves, those phrases don't indicate when the leaving will happen. "Our plane will leave" is hopelessly vague. "Our plane leaves" seems to refer absurdly to the plane's habits.Read More...
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their hobby; their hobbies

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a. Their hobby is collecting stamps. b. Their hobbies are collecting stamps. Are they both correct and natural? If so, do they have the same meaning? Thanks!Read More...
Gustavo, Contributor
Hi, Kis, They share the same hobby , which is collecting stamps, so only (a) is correct. "are" would only be possible if more than one hobby were listed: c. His/Her/Their hobbies are collecting stamps and gardening.Read More...
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Future forms

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Wash your hands.your meal .......ready in 5 minutes (will be-is going to be-is)Read More...
David, Moderator
Hi, Ahmed55, Both "will be" and "is going to be" are possible here, but I find "will be" to be the more natural choice. "Is" is incorrect. Please note that we capitalize the first letter of a new sentence. We also use a space between one sentence and the next.Read More...
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Asking for Permission

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May I use your calculator? – Of course, you ……… ; I don’t need it now. a may b can’t c can d may not The answer given is 'c'. I would like to know why 'a' isn't correct? I know that 'May' and 'Can' can be used to ask for permission. However, 'may' is more formal. Could it be because the subject 'you' makes 'may' not acceptable as it used only with 'I' or 'we' when used to ask for/give permission? I've heard of the famous response, 'Yes, you can but you may not,' that demonstrates the...Read More...
Rasha Assem
Thanks again, David, for the video. It was REALLY useful. I really appreciate any recommendation that helps enrich my knowledge of the language.Read More...
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Reported Speech

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1- My friend told me that he ………. the visa to the USA until he had paid for it. a doesn’t take b won’t take c hadn’t taken d didn’t take I think that 'c' is the correct answer as the verb was 'didn't take' which when reported will change into 'hadn't taken', but then one teacher told me that 'd' is the correct answer. So can anyone here help me with this sentence. 2- She told me that I ………………. due care to my work. I actually appreciate her advice. a needn’t have given b could have given c...Read More...
Rasha Assem
Thank you, both, very much.Read More...
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Tense in news reporting

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Hi there, Can I use present perfect tense in the following news reporting in my first paragraph and then use simple past? I want to do so because I want to present it as hot news though it occured yesterday . I know when no past time frame is mentioned we can present perfect. I want your opinions. Please note that I have written the report just a day after the incident took place. New Delhi, 24 May : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has clean swept the country and this time with a bigger...Read More...
David, Moderator
Hi, Subhajit, The text of your example can be Googled. Do you really claim to have written it yourself? If it was really you who wrote it, then you write for India Today . If not, then you are plagiarizing by claiming you wrote it. Please answer the question. There are many grammatical errors in the passage, but the tenses are OK. Again, the biggest problem is that you seem to be trying to pass off somebody else's writing as your own, which is not only against GE policy but unethical and ...Read More...
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To feed through

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Hello everybody The below sentence is discussing about a demographic subject. "A bulge in child-bearing-age women takes a while to feed through the system." I have an ambiguity with "to feed through the system". What does the sentence want to say exactly? Thanks a lot. M.hobRead More...
David, Moderator
Hi, M.hob, Please review our policy about the use of quotations. What have you taken this sentence from? What is the surrounding context? What is the system under discussion through which such data is fed?Read More...
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Present perfect or present perfect continuous

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I(have watched/have been watching) English movies all evening and now I'm going to bedRead More...
Gustavo, Contributor
Hi, Ahmed55, The duration of the action as reinforced by the presence of the adverbial "all evening" makes the present perfect continuous the better choice in this case: - I have been watching English movies all evening and now I'm going to bed.Read More...
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kindhearted as she seems

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a. Kindhearted as she seems in the public eye, you should see how kindhearted she is in private. (meaning: She seems kindhearted in the public eye, but she is even more kindhearted in private.) b. Kindhearted as she is as a public figure, you should see how kindhearted she is in private. (meaning: She is kindhearted as a public figure, but she is more kindhearted in private.) c. Amazing as the characters he plays on screen are, you should see how really amazing he is in real life. (meaning:...Read More...
Gustavo, Contributor
Hi, Azz, The structure "adjective/adverb + as... " is concessive, and my first impression was that an opposite adjective was to be expected in the main clause: a1. Kindhearted as she seems in the public eye, you should see how mean she is in private. b1. Kindhearted as she is as a public figure, you should see how cruel she is in private. c1. Amazing as the characters he plays on screen are, you should see how dull he is in real life. I then realized that the contrast lay in the pairs...Read More...
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It's high time for s.o. to do sthg

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Is it possible to use It's high time for s.o. to do sthg or do we stick to the rule: a. It's high time s.o. did sthg (Subjunctive, criticism) b. It is time for s.o. to do sthg (for to Inf, neutral)Read More...
David, Moderator
Hello, Tanski, and welcome to the Grammar Exchange! You seem to have already found a thread here that deals with your question quite extensively. After reviewing the thread again, please let us know if you have any further questions about the topic. Otherwise, we look forward to questions you might ask about other topics. Again, welcome to the forum. https://thegrammarexchange.inf...opic/it-is-high-timeRead More...
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causative

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The following sentence was written twice in our textbook, once with an infinitive and another with a P.P. They had ten students moved into a house with a mobile phone mast in the garden. They had ten students move into a house with a mobile phone mast in the garden. I do understand that the first sentence with the P.P means that they were moved by someone, but does the second imply that 'move' there is used an intranstive verb? The sentence is from New Hello, Third Secondary, Longman 2018,...Read More...
Rasha Assem
Thank you very much, David.Read More...
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