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"from way back" as an adverbial

Hi, I'm curious about the tense-aspect issues surrounding the adverbial "from way back." Are the following sentences okay? If only one is correct, how do we rule out the other? a. They live here from way back . b. John and I know each other from way back . I'd appreciate your help.Read More...
No. Again, you have shown that you have no problem blundering deliberately with the expression. I don't have a comprehensive instructional guide to offer you for using "from way back," but you have demonstrated that you are capable of using it except when you are deliberately creating bad examples. Whenever I offer you example types, you find ways to mess them up.Read More...
Last Reply By David, Moderator · First Unread Post

Is the comma placed correctly?

In source 1, we see an experiment done by Sylvan Learning Systems Inc. on 5th graders that assess children's different learning styles , the results state, "The responses indicate a preference for one of three primary learning styles” Is the comma placed correctly in the sentence "..learning styles , the results state.."? Would this be grammatically incorrect?Read More...
I'm afraid you are mistaken. Do you not see that the sentence is a run-on with a comma-splice error, an agreement error in the relative clause, and no period at the end? That you would assert that the sentence is free of grammar errors shows that you are difficient in your understanding of grammar. The part of the sentence preceding the highlighted comma is a complete independent clause, and the part of the sentence following the highlighted comma is a complete independent clause. These...Read More...
Last Reply By David, Moderator · First Unread Post

Backshifted Past Perfect

Hi, 1. He claimed that he had been badly treated when he was shopping. Is it possible to say 2 or 3, ie to backshift the verb in the subordinate clause: 2. He claimed that he had been badly treated when he had been shopping. 3. He claimed that when he had been shopping, he was badly treated.Read More...
Ok, thanks again, I understand.Read More...
Last Reply By Robby zhu · First Unread Post

so little

Essam Nasr
Choose the correct answer: Don't shout at so little ....... He will hate you. a. child b. a child I see both are wrong as so is not used before an adjective + noun. In addition, the sentence should be reworded like this: Don't shout at this little child. Don't shout at any little child. Am I right?Read More...
Hi, Essam Nasr—I agree with Ahmed that (b) ("a child") is correct. (The other answer is totally ungrammatical.) My explanation for its correctness is a bit different. I understand there to be an omitted "as"-clause of comparison in such examples. I see the sentence as being equivalent to the following: (a) Don't shout at so little a child [as this one (is)] . Consider what happens in a passive sentence: " So little a child [as this one (is)] should not be shouted at." Of course, when the...Read More...
Last Reply By David, Moderator · First Unread Post

light assumption of words

The following quote is from Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser: In the past he had always commanded a certain amount of respect, which was a compound of appreciation and awe. The familiarity which in part still existed between himself and his daughter he had courted. As it was, it did not go beyond the light assumption of words. The TONE was always modest. Whatever had been, however, had lacked affection, and now he saw that he was losing track of their doings. I'd like to know the aptest...Read More...
Thank you, David, for your conclusive post. Here we are at last. Our discussion has finally evolved into a climax, your paraphrase: " the superficial veneer of words." which apparently reflects the familiarity between the father and the daughter. The father behaved in such a way as to have obliterated the division between them as a father and daughter, and the daughter treated him, specifically, talking to him, with the easy familiarity of an equal.Read More...
Last Reply By f6pafd · First Unread Post

If you wish ... you should have kept ...

Hello, Is the following conditional sentence okay? It's different from the kinds discussed in a textbook. If you wish you hadn't offended her, you should have kept your opinions to yourself. I'd appreciate your help.Read More...
Exactly: If you happen to be hungry, know there is a sandwich on the table.Read More...
Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post

Subject auxiliary inversion

Hello Grammar Exchange members! I happened to read an academic paper about inversion and ran into the following sentences. a. Only in that election did Leslie run for public office. b. * Only in that election Leslie ran for public offcie. c. Only Leslie ran for public offcie. d. * Only Leslie did run for public office. First of all, I understand a, b, and c. But the problem is d. Why is d grammatically incorrect? I think "did" in d is inserted there for emphasis as in this exmple sentence,...Read More...
Good point, David!Read More...
Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post

there will...

Are these sentences correct: 1) One day came a man into her life. 2) One day there came a man into her life. 3) She will finish her studies. Then will come a man into her life. 4) She will finish her studies. Then there will come a man into her life. Are they archaic? Gratefully, NaviRead More...
Thank you very much, Gustavo, for all your replies, This was very helpful. I loved your 'Correct, they are'! Brilliant.Read More...
Last Reply By navi · First Unread Post

Does "arguably" apply to both of the bold verbs?

See below: If the remarks do indeed represent the administration’s aims, there is a separate question of whether it was sensible to declare them so bluntly. It arguably weakens the incentive to withdraw, reinforces the narrative that someone is waging a proxy war in Ancient Rome aimed at weakening Ancient Rome and even regime change, deepening Caesar's paranoia.Read More...
I agree with the comment that the sentence without "and" is not well constructed. Even so, "arguably" seems to refer to both verbs—I insist that, if it didn't, there would be a more or less assertive adverb before "reinforces."Read More...
Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post

"To raise the arm horizontal(ly) to the floor"

I came across the following instructions for a shoulder-strengthening exercise: "Limit the height that you raise the arm horizontal to the floor." I cannot decide whether "horizontal to the floor" is correct. Would it be wrong to use "horizontally" instead?Read More...
Thank you for your kind words, MlleSim. As the saying states, sometimes an image says more than a thousand wordsRead More...
Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post

would have been/conditional

Which are correct: 1) It would have been possible for Tom to enter the building. I don't know if he did or not. 2) It would be possible for Tom to enter the building. I don't know if he did or not. 3) It was possible for Tom to enter the building. I don't know if he did or not. Gratefully, NaviRead More...
Hi, Navi. I'd like to share my thoughts with you: This sounds to me as a counterfactual (it would have been possible for him, but he didn´t). However, if I compare it with: 1a) Tom could have entered the building. it might be the case that he did or not depending on whether there is no condition or there is one: 1a1) A. Did he enter the building? // B. He could have. (50% certainty, or less, according to Chart 10.6 Degrees of Certainty: Past Time on page 196 of Azar & Hagen's...Read More...
Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post

I've only seen that animal in a zoo, never in the wild.

Hi, How does the boldfaced part relate to the rest of the sentence, in grammatical terms? I've only seen that animal in a zoo, never in the wild . I'd appreciate your help.Read More...
That is more convincing, David. "Not" does not require "and" after the comma.Read More...
Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post

"Whatever" in coordination

Hi, Could you tell me if the bracketed part is in coordination with "do" and "eat"? 1. There’s always something different to do or eat or [whatever it happens to be] ( The Cambridge grammar of the English language, p. 1076)Read More...
I went back to check again to see if I had copied it wrong, but the conclusion is that I haven't. However, since you said it's not quite correct, I'll just leave it beRead More...
Last Reply By Robby zhu · First Unread Post

Most of 'the/my' time

What's the difference? 1- I spend most of the time sleeping. 2- I spend most of my time sleeping.Read More...
Hi, Subhajit—"I spend most of my time sleeping" refers to all of "my time," i.e., to all of the hours of the day as lived by me. "I spend most of the time sleeping" can mean the same thing, or it can refer to the time I spend somewhere. For example, when flying in a jet, many people like to spend most of the time sleeping; that is to say, they like to be sleeping during most of the time that they are in the jet.Read More...
Last Reply By David, Moderator · First Unread Post

"A" vs "the"

Which one is correct? 1- America is 'the' country with most billionaires. 2-America is 'a' country with most billionaires.Read More...
Hi, Subhajit—Both sentences are wrong because you did not use "the" before "most." If you had, only (1) would work. There can only be one country with the most of anything. You can't speak of a country with the most of that thing.Read More...
Last Reply By David, Moderator · First Unread Post

The impersonal passive, when referring to the same time as the impersonal verb

Hello there, I've encountered two examples where the impersonal passive was used in its infinitive form [To +infinitive] and in its perfect infinitive form [To+ have+infinitive]. Example A: A. People thought he was a hero. A1. He was thought to be a hero. Example B: B. His colleagues thought that he was on holiday. B1. He was thought to have been on holiday. Why in example (A) they have used to be, and in example (B) to have been. While in both sentences the impersonal verbs (thought) and...Read More...
Hey, f6pafd , I totally agree with you. Thank you so much for your answer.Read More...
Last Reply By Meriem · First Unread Post

'I want you to come to my party'

Hello, everyone, 1) " I want you to come to my party ." For this sentence natives say the verb - " want " belongs to "catenative verbs" and the " you " as the semantic (understood) subject of the infinitival clause has been raised to become the object/complement of the main clause. Then am I plausible to say that the verb - " want " is a montransitive verb, so it needs inevitably a 'to infinitive clause' as an alternative in order to take a direct object? 2) " He taught me to drive ." If my...Read More...

Used to and would

I have read this in a website : When the order of “when I was a student” and the rest of the sentence is reversed, using “would” is not appropriate because it would likely be misunderstood as the conditional: correct I used to go to a lot of parties when I was a student. unnatural I would go to a lot of parties when I was a student. And I have also read this in another website: 'BUT I would always be shy when I met new people when I was a young boy. (In this case 'would always' is describing...Read More...
Hi, Izzat Hannah, The answer to this question would take me back to a very old thread in which I was lucky enough to participate. You can find the answer to your question in the last comment by our late moderator 'Rachel'. Here's the link: https://thegrammarexchange.inf.../topic/used-to-would Rachel says: "Let's amend the part: "'would' to refer to a past habitual situation does not appear at the beginning of a sentence or a dialog or a narration." Not true. It certainly can if the past...Read More...
Last Reply By ahmed_btm · First Unread Post

Should I rephrase this "It's X to have to Y" construction?

See (1) vs. (2). I think that (2) is my intended meaning and that (1) isn't; I'm not sure, though. (1) These points are completely obvious and uncontroversial—that’s why it’s demeaning to have to say them over and over. (2) These points are completely obvious and uncontroversial—that’s why it’s demeaning to make people say them over and over. Regarding (2), though, there isn't necessarily any actual agent making people say the points; it's just the atmosphere (mostly) that causes people to...Read More...
How about this? By rehearsing the points, one has one's readers rehearse them. (3) These points are completely obvious and uncontroversial—that's why it's demeaning to keep rehearsing them .Read More...
Last Reply By David, Moderator · First Unread Post

What versus Where

Which of the below sentence is grammatically correct? 1. What will be venue of the meeting? or 2. Where will be the venue of the meetingRead More...
A similar noun is, I think, "address": What is your address? / My address is 123 Pitt St LA. Sorry about that. I guess what led me to think "will be" could remain together was the possibility of "what" being the subject, as in: The LA Hotel will be the venue of the meeting.Read More...
Last Reply By Gustavo, Co-Moderator · First Unread Post

"A" vs "the"

Which one should I use? 1- This place is a ruin of many poor people. 2- This place is the ruin of many poor people.Read More...
Hi, Subhajit—The answer depends on what you want your sentence to mean. If you want it to mean that the place brings about the ruin (destruction or demise) or many poor people, use "the." If you want it to mean that many poor people haunt a ruin (perhaps there is a homeless encampment on an architectural ruin), you can use "a." I'm guessing that you want the meaning with "the."Read More...
Last Reply By David, Moderator · First Unread Post

as

In this paragraph: (1) The twenty-first centrury is the age of information and knowledge It is a century that is characterized by knowledge as the important resource that gains competitive advantage for companies. source from : Year 2020 June Mock Test for KSAT #22 (full paragraph is in the attachment) Q. I'm not quite sure what is the meaning for the red highlighted, especially because of 'as the important resource.' First, because it is in 'It that emphasis' phrase and passive voice, which...Read More...
Thank you so much!!!Read More...
Last Reply By vegnlove · First Unread Post

On lend or on lent

Should I use on lend or on lent in the below sentence? 1. Monies are advanced to the individual beneficiaries and on lent/on lend to the proposed investment trust. 2. Can you give me an example where we can use the word "on lend" (present form)?Read More...
Hi, Tony C, Grammatically speaking, you should use 'on-lent'. 'On-lent' is the past participle here because the whole sentence is in the passive voice. 'Monies are advanced to ... and are on-lent to ...' https://dictionary.cambridge.o...nary/english/on-lendRead More...
Last Reply By ahmed_btm · First Unread Post

Used to and the past simple tense.

Hi What is the difference between used to and the past simple tense in these two examples? 1- I used to have a cat. 2- I had a cat. ThanksRead More...
Hi, Izzat Hannah, I would add 'once' to 2: 'I once had a cat'. I see that both refer to a past state and mostly have the same meaning. However 'used to' sounds to indicate a longer state . If you changed the subject, there could be another subtle difference. - He used to have a cat. = He no longer has that cat. - I met John last year. He had a cat and said ..... (It is not clear whether he still has that cat or not).Read More...
Last Reply By ahmed_btm · First Unread Post

would, used to

Hello Moderators. Could you please help me choose the correct answer? - Which of the following is a correctly structured sentence about a past state? a. I used to be a fitness trainer. b. I would be a fitness trainer. c. a & b Thank you.Read More...
Hello, Ahmed Imam Attia—As Gustavo explained above, "would [verb phrase]" requires a past-time reference point or context in order to express a past habit. The same holds true with your new example. Only (a), with "used to," can be used to talk about doing fitness training as a past habit—unless there is a context in which a past-time reference point is presupposed: A: What would you do when they were at soccer practice? B: I would do fitness training. Since it would be unfair for a...Read More...
Last Reply By David, Moderator · First Unread Post
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