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August 2022

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two specific friends

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a. I don't know if two of my friends are secret agents. Could I say that if I am thinking of two specific friends? I might know that I have other friends who are secret agents. b.Tom didn't know that I had talked to two of his friends. Could that sentence be used if Tom didn't know about my talking to two specific friends of his? Maybe I had talked to other friends of his and he knew about that. Many thanksRead More...
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Can I say "discuss how"?

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Are the three sentences below semantically identical ? (1) "The article discusses how conspiracism isn't marginal." (2) "The article discusses that conspiracism isn't marginal." (3) "The article discusses the fact that conspiracism isn't marginal."Read More...
Andrew Van Wagner
Perfect! Thanks so much! I greatly appreciate this help!Read More...
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Function of a non-restrictive relative clause

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Hello, everyone, The distance I'm going to ask about: 1. He think I was lying, which is apparently not the case. Do you think the relative clause is within the object clause: He think [I was lying, which is apparently not the case.] I don't think so, because the idea " which is apparently not the case" is not part of what he thought. How do you parse the function of the relative clause then? Thanks.Read More...
Robby zhu
Yes, that was a mistake. I intended to say "sentence." This is a bad sentence, I get it. Thank you, David.Read More...
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Questions in simple present

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Can we change the habit and sense of a simple present question by adding time. Do you go? Don't yo go? Do you go, today? Don't you go, today? Can we say like thisRead More...
David, Moderator
Hello, Sree, and welcome to the Grammar Exchange. Yes, there is a difference in meaning between "Do/Don't you go?" and "Do/Don't you go today?" You shouldn't use a comma before "today." "Do/Don't you go?" means "Are you in the habit of going?," though it is possible for the sentence to have at least other meanings special contexts. "Do/Don't you go today?" means "Are you scheduled to go today?" or "Is it arranged that you will go today?"Read More...
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Correlation of subjects and predicates

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"Usually, they say 'I am flattered' when they feel like you were trying to compliment them or admit your attraction." https://grammarhow.com/i-am-flattered-meaning/ In some languages verbs conjugate in a more complex way than in English, according to the person, gender, number, tense, voice and mood. In Georgian the verb 'admit' would change its form and enable the reader to see which of the two subject pronouns it correlates to. I, as a native Georgian speaker, have a difficulty...Read More...
Gustavo, Co-Moderator
Hi, David, The correct interpretation is (4). Within the adverbial clause, the subject "they" takes two main verbs, "feel like" and "admit." If "they" say they are flattered, being similar to "acknowledge" and therefore a verb of mental process "admit" needs to refer to "they."Read More...
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Use "will" and "be going to" in an if-cluase

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Are the following sentences acceptable? I have read that if the verb in the if-clause takes place after that in the main clause, then "will" or "be going to" can be used in the if-clause (the future verb in the if-clause is considered to be happening). A. To be honest, if our product will/is going to fall under the anti-dumping regulations, then the prices we give to you won’t be competitive enough. B. If these products will/are going to be examined by the customs, I will change the label...Read More...
Gustavo, Co-Moderator
Hello, JayLu, and welcome to G.E. Yes, your interpretation is correct. "If it will make me feel better" is similar to saying "if it is true that it will make me feel better."Read More...
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need an urgent help

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Dear Sir, plz have a look on the attached photo and check the highlighted question which is “ what does he say is our responsibility?” . I’m totally confused what the meaning of this question is and what does the writer mean with using such form? Please explain it for me.Read More...
Mahmoud Jamea
Dear Sir, really appreciate your help and I do apologize as it’s my first time to post here. thanks a lotRead More...
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Could "historical" be interpreted as applying to "culture"?

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Worried about potential ambiguity regarding the two bold words: https://join.substack.com/p/that-moment Empathy doesn’t mean that you agree with what a hostile country is doing or that you sympathize with what a hostile country is doing—it simply means that you understand the psychology and worldview and historical experience and culture of countries and leaders you don’t agree with.Read More...
Andrew Van Wagner
Thanks so much! I appreciate this help!Read More...
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Hyphenation issue.

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See the two bold things: One factor is that America has always been off-the-charts in terms of religious fundamentalism. Indeed, Alex Jones may never speak at a Republican convention or become a part of the Fox News primetime lineup. But he doesn’t have to. His conspiratorial thinking, rhetoric and style are now well-integrated in the Republican Party, a legacy not only of the Trump years but of decades of conspiratorial politics. In each of these two instances there's an "in..."...Read More...
Andrew Van Wagner
Got it! I understand, yes! Thanks!Read More...
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For your response or for you to respond

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Which of the below sentence is grammatically correct? Bearing in mind that the request for further information contains many questions. a. Thank you for providing the relevant information and please find attached the request for further information entitled RFI_09082022 for your response. b. Thank you for providing the relevant information and please find attached the request for further information entitled RFI_09082022 for you to respond. Thanks!Read More...
David, Moderator
Hi, Tony—Neither option works. Sentence (b) is ungrammatical. You can speak of a form for someone to respond to , but not of a form for somebody to respond . But (a) doesn't work, either. Is the form for a pre-existing response? No. You mean to say that the form requires the person's response. And that's what I think you should indicate. I think you should also use two sentences. Thank you for providing the relevant information. Please also respond to the attached request for further...Read More...
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someone in my group

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A. They told me every group had to have a doctor. I didn't know if someone in my group was a doctor. I had to go ask. B. They told me every group had to have a doctor. I didn't know if one person in my group was a doctor. I had to go ask. C. They told me every group had to have a doctor. I didn't know if a person in my group was a doctor. I had to go ask. D. I didn't know if someone in my group was a doctor. That was John. I knew what everyone else did and I know Pete and Harry were doctors.Read More...
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Conditional

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"The court has already decided my case but hasn't notified me about the decision yet. If it is negative, I will have to appeal to a higher Court." "The court hasn't yet decided my case. If it is negative, I will have to appeal to a higher Court." In the first case, the speaker knows for sure that the decision has been made, but he doesn't know wether it is negative or positive. So using Present Tense in the if clause of the conditional sentence is logical. In the second case, however, the...Read More...
Gustavo, Co-Moderator
Hi, David, No. You cannot say *If it will be negative . "If it is negative" can refer to the present or to the future. If you want to make clearer that the decision has not been made yet by increasing the sense of futurity, you can say things like "If it happens to be negative" or "If it turns out to be negative."Read More...
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On "well-integrated" do you hyphenate?

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https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/03/opinions/alex-jones-sandy-hook-conspiracies-gop-hemmer/index.html Indeed, Alex Jones may never speak at a Republican convention or become a part of the Fox News primetime lineup. But he doesn’t have to. His conspiratorial thinking, rhetoric and style are now well-integrated in the Republican Party, a legacy not only of the Trump years but of decades of conspiratorial politics.Read More...
Andrew Van Wagner
Thanks! My issue on this one is that there's the following construction attached to the bold: "in the Republican Party, a legacy not only of the Trump years but of decades of conspiratorial politics". So is there any reason why that might change the calculus regarding hyphenation?Read More...
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‘a reduced relative clause in a cleft sentence’

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Hello, everyone, 1. It was he that(who) signed autographs for the fans after the show. 2. It was him that(who) signed autographs for the fans after the show. (acceptable in informal style) 3. It was him signing autographs for the fans after the show. While I understand the ‘ him ’ in no.2 above is acceptable in an informal style of a cleft sentence, I’ve heard a few local persons here insist that no.3 is also acceptable, since ‘the subjective relative plus a verb’ could be reduced into...Read More...
deepcosmos
Hi, David, really appreciate your explanations. Yes, exactly. I didn't know this construction with a reduced form is longstanding and acceptable in both registers. Noted with thanks. This is an unexpected information extended far beyond my imagination.Read More...
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Hyphen needed on "up close"?

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1: Hyphen needed on the bold? "I got a chance to study foreign cultures and languages up close ." 2: Any danger of the bold being seen as a square-bracketed unit? "Many journalists seem to be ready to simply pick up Washington’s official line on events as a substitute for in-depth analysis. " https://join.substack.com/p/that-moment 3: Could "historical" be interpreted as applying to "culture"? I could reorder the items to eliminate ambiguity but I'm not sure if a different order would be...Read More...
Andrew Van Wagner
Sorry about that; I'll be more careful to adhere to the guidelines!Read More...
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What does "But" relate to here?

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1: What does the bold word "But" modify? The whole paragraph? Only the preceding sentence? https://join.substack.com/p/that-moment Regarding the countries that are on America’s sanctions list , there’s nothing but a constant barrage of negative information and there’s a general lack of in-depth and balanced reporting. I’d like to see neutral and interesting coverage about how Russia works and about how Iran works—I’d like to see a serious and balanced look at how China works. But even the...Read More...
Andrew Van Wagner
Got it!Read More...
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Which answer is correct and why?

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Dear sir, I came across this sentence: I am firmly convinced ........... the exam. ( that I have passed - to have passed - to pass) I think the correct answer is " to have passed " but I don't know an accurate reason . Thanks a lot in advance.Read More...
David, Moderator
Hello, Basant—The only answer that works is "that I have passed," which functions as the complement of "convinced" (here an adjective). I am firmly convinced that I have passed the exam. "To have passed" would be possible in a different context, without a first-person subject and with a modal verb like "must": He must be firmly convinced to have passed the exam. There, "to have passed the exam" functions as a sentence adjunct, not as the complement of "convinced." It presupposes that he...Read More...
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The letter is addressed to them both

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Hello! Please look at the following sentence: The letter is addressed to them both. My questions: a) Is "both" there a pronoun or a determiner? b) Can I change "them" to the+noun ? For example, "The letter is addressed to the children both." c) According to this cite https://www.eltconcourse... : Only all and both can follow the noun or pronoun they determine: the ladies all arrived late the children both cried They all complained As I learned, "both" can be either a main determiner ("both...Read More...
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