The Grammar Logs -- Number One Hundred, Nine

The
Grammar
Logs
# 109

Question A question from a Korean English teacher:
Can "most of all" be used instead of "above all"?

Source & Date
of Question Tong-Young, Kyungsangnam-do, South Korea
22 April 1998
Grammar's
Response In most situations, they would be reasonable substitutes for one another, although "most of all" is not quite as elegant.

Question About commas again. Here is the the sentence I quoted from a book of which name is "Paper Wing", written by Mary Swick. It goes:
To me, the public world was part of our household, a sort of light show emanating from our Magnavox console sitting in the corner of the family room, backdrop to our daily lives.
In the sentence after the second comma, is it still talking about the public world or trying to explain what their household is like? To me, that's about both of them and they both seem to belong in there. That's the point i was asking you to tell me the last time. What kind of things can the sentence after the comma describe? How about the one which is going like "backdrop to our daily lives." ? i think, the third sentence is talking about the public world with the details of the inside of their house. I'm really confused. Also I want you to tell me if you've found anything in my explanation written in the wrong way. Thank you very much.
Source & Date
of Question Sunray, Texas
22 April 1998
Grammar's
Response The "light show" is the public world, as is "backdrop." The light show emanates from the television set. The light show that portrays this public world, of course, defines the household. I've fixed some spelling in your note.

Question Is timeline one or two words?
Source & Date
of Question Spokane, Washington
22 April 1998
Grammar's
Response Good question. My dictionary says: time line, usually timeline. I guess that means it's still up to you, but most people nowadays spell it as one word.

Question When listing a number of items such as corn, sugar, and flour. Is there a comma before the and last item? How do I correctly write and punctuate these sentences in specific as well as the comma before the final item.
Thank you very much. I appreciate your time and interest.
Source & Date
of Question San Diego, California
22 April 1998
Grammar's
Response Yes. It's not wrong to skip that last comma, but sometimes your last two items will tend to glom together when you do that. I'd use it. (Unless you're writing for a newspaper, and then you never do. Don't ask why.)

Question Can you reference or give a simple set of rules for the proper use of reflexive pronouns? For example, is it acceptable to use "myself" as a synonym for "I" in a sentence such as, "Jane and I are going to the store"? I have noticed a great increase in the frequency of use of the reflexive pronouns and most of the uses seem incorrect. However, I can't find a good set of rules for their use. Please help me.
Source & Date
of Question Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California
22 April 1998
Grammar's
Response In a peculiar effort to sound formal or elegant, people try to use the reflexive form of the pronoun when the plain ol' pronoun would do just fine. The reflexive form should be reserved for when the subject and object in a sentence refer to the same person or thing. (Charlie could only blame himself.) As an intensifier, the __self form is another story: I did it myself.
Authority: The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers by Maxine Hairston and John J. Ruszkiewicz. 4th ed. HarperCollins: New York. 1996.

Question What is the rule for what I think is called the subjunctive, e.g., "if he were president, he would surely make sure all the hungry were fed." Usually, it's "he was," but when it's imagining something that is not reality, don't you use "were"? I've looked in grammar books and cannot find this rule!! Thanks for your help.
Source & Date
of Question Encinitas, California
22 April 1998
Grammar's
Response The Guide has some suggestions about the use of the Subjunctive Check out that section and if you still have questions, please write again.

Question Which one is correct? And why?

My favourite food is ice cream, chocolate and sweets.
My favourite food are ice cream, chocolate and sweets.

Source & Date
of Question Hong Kong
23 April 1998
Grammar's
Response I don't know why you're not talking about your favorite foods in any case: My favorite foods are ice cream, chocolate, and sweets. But I think your question is about the possibility of a singular subject "equalling" a plural predicate, and the answer is yes, it is possible, as in "My favorite food combination is ice cream, chocolate, and whipped cream."

Question I would like to know how to remember the eight ways of Parts Of Speech.
Source & Date
of Question Bend, Oregon
23 April 1998
Grammar's
Response I don't know what the "Eight Way of Parts of Speech" are, nor do I know why you would want to memorize them. But once you have a list and you have to memorize it, I imagine you have to do so the same way you memorize the names of Santa's reindeer or Snow White's dwarfs. Maybe make up a catchy sentence that has all eight things in it? Put it to a tune?

Question Is it correct to write "I'm taller than May and Sue?"
Source & Date
of Question Hong Kong
23 April 1998
Grammar's
Response That would be ok in casual speech, certainly. In writing, the conjunction "or" might be somewhat better than "and." Or the correlative conjunction either-or: "I'm taller than either May or Sue."

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Question	A question from a Korean English teacher: Can "most of all" be used instead of "above all"?
Source & Date of Question	Tong-Young, Kyungsangnam-do, South Korea 22 April 1998
Grammar's Response	In most situations, they would be reasonable substitutes for one another, although "most of all" is not quite as elegant.

Question	About commas again. Here is the the sentence I quoted from a book of which name is "Paper Wing", written by Mary Swick. It goes: To me, the public world was part of our household, a sort of light show emanating from our Magnavox console sitting in the corner of the family room, backdrop to our daily lives. In the sentence after the second comma, is it still talking about the public world or trying to explain what their household is like? To me, that's about both of them and they both seem to belong in there. That's the point i was asking you to tell me the last time. What kind of things can the sentence after the comma describe? How about the one which is going like "backdrop to our daily lives." ? i think, the third sentence is talking about the public world with the details of the inside of their house. I'm really confused. Also I want you to tell me if you've found anything in my explanation written in the wrong way. Thank you very much.
Source & Date of Question	Sunray, Texas 22 April 1998
Grammar's Response	The "light show" is the public world, as is "backdrop." The light show emanates from the television set. The light show that portrays this public world, of course, defines the household. I've fixed some spelling in your note.

Question	When listing a number of items such as corn, sugar, and flour. Is there a comma before the and last item? How do I correctly write and punctuate these sentences in specific as well as the comma before the final item. Thank you very much. I appreciate your time and interest.
Source & Date of Question	San Diego, California 22 April 1998
Grammar's Response	Yes. It's not wrong to skip that last comma, but sometimes your last two items will tend to glom together when you do that. I'd use it. (Unless you're writing for a newspaper, and then you never do. Don't ask why.)

Question	Which one is correct? And why? My favourite food is ice cream, chocolate and sweets. My favourite food are ice cream, chocolate and sweets.
Source & Date of Question	Hong Kong 23 April 1998
Grammar's Response	I don't know why you're not talking about your favorite foods in any case: My favorite foods are ice cream, chocolate, and sweets. But I think your question is about the possibility of a singular subject "equalling" a plural predicate, and the answer is yes, it is possible, as in "My favorite food combination is ice cream, chocolate, and whipped cream."

Question	Is timeline one or two words?
Source & Date of Question	Spokane, Washington 22 April 1998
Grammar's Response	Good question. My dictionary says: time line, usually timeline. I guess that means it's still up to you, but most people nowadays spell it as one word.

Question	What is the rule for what I think is called the subjunctive, e.g., "if he were president, he would surely make sure all the hungry were fed." Usually, it's "he was," but when it's imagining something that is not reality, don't you use "were"? I've looked in grammar books and cannot find this rule!! Thanks for your help.
Source & Date of Question	Encinitas, California 22 April 1998
Grammar's Response	The Guide has some suggestions about the use of the Subjunctive Check out that section and if you still have questions, please write again.

Question	I would like to know how to remember the eight ways of Parts Of Speech.
Source & Date of Question	Bend, Oregon 23 April 1998
Grammar's Response	I don't know what the "Eight Way of Parts of Speech" are, nor do I know why you would want to memorize them. But once you have a list and you have to memorize it, I imagine you have to do so the same way you memorize the names of Santa's reindeer or Snow White's dwarfs. Maybe make up a catchy sentence that has all eight things in it? Put it to a tune?

Question	Is it correct to write "I'm taller than May and Sue?"
Source & Date of Question	Hong Kong 23 April 1998
Grammar's Response	That would be ok in casual speech, certainly. In writing, the conjunction "or" might be somewhat better than "and." Or the correlative conjunction either-or: "I'm taller than either May or Sue."