The Grammar Logs -- Number One Hundred, Fifteen

The
Grammar
Logs
# 115

Question Which is the better form of the following sentence?

I spoke with Katie last week. I will be meeting with she and her counterparts next week.
I spoke with Katie last week. I will be meeting with her and her counterparts next week.
Thanks for your help.
Source & Date
of Question Trenton, New Jersey
28 April 1998
Grammar's
Response The second sentence is correct. No contest. You would say "I will be meeting with her," and when you add someone else to the mix, you don't change the form of the Pronoun. Can you find another word besides "counterparts"? It reminds me of picking up something at the meat department. "Colleagues," maybe?

Question Dear friends:
I am not sure if using the objective pronouns as the object of a comparison is correct.
I heard this once:
"You are a better man than I"
In this sentence a nominative pronoun is used.
try this one:
"You are more beautiful than her"
In this sentence an objective pronoun is used.
Are there some exceptions in the use of these pronouns in comparisons?

I wrote to Linda, a nice lady that has helped me other times and she replied:
One easy way to determine which pronoun to use is to expand the comparison into a complete clause: You are a better man *than I am*. You are more beautiful *than she is.*
However, some sentences may be expanded in two ways:
Politics does not interest me as much as (she/her?).
Politics does not interest me as much as it interests her.
Politics does not interest me as much as she does.
So you have to know which meaning you want in order to know which pronoun to choose.

But I'm still confused. Is there a way of being accurate when it comes to the use of these pronouns?
Source & Date
of Question Tijuana, B.C., Mexico.
29 April 1998
Grammar's
Response Chances are, the word "as" or "than" is introducing an elliptical clause (a clause with an understood subject-verb relationship). That's why we say, "You are a better man than I [am]." Some thoughtful writers say that the word "than" functions as a preposition (much in the same way that "like" works: "He is tall like me.") and so should be followed by the objective form. They would write "You are a better man than me." It's hard to argue with that, frankly, but I still would use the nominative form in formal, academic prose. Linda seems to have given you good advice. Did you take the quizzes on pronoun form from the Qiuz List? That should help.

Question I have heard many times the construction, "interested to...," as in "I will be interested to learn your reaction...," rather than "interested in...,"as in "I will be interested in learning your reaction." The former grates in my ear, and I believe it is incorrect.
I am interested in learning your reaction to the this question: Which is correct, or, if both are correct, which is more correct?
Thank you.
p.s. This CCTC web site is *the* best grammar web site I have seen on the Internet.
Source & Date
of Question Littleton, Colorado
29 April 1998
Grammar's
Response I have no idea where this construction comes from, but it needs to be stomped out.We have an interest in (not to) something, we are interested in (not to) something, we are interested in doing (not to do) something. To me, it's simply a matter of idiomatic consistency. The "interested to do" sounds as if it could be a translation of another language's construction. Not that there's anything wrong with that; that's how languages evolve over time. But it seems to me that it misuses the participle form, interested, and I certainly don't see the point of using it.

Question I know something is wrong with following sentence:
The web is linked together in various ways, available twenty-four hours a day, and a safe place to get lost.
I also know that the problem is with the verb; "is" is functioning both as a linking verb (the web *is* a safe place) and as an auxiliary (?) to "linked" (the web *is linked* together in various ways). Would you provide a more coherent analysis of the problem (using the proper terminology--i don't think i used "auxiliary" correctly)?
Thanks very much
Source & Date
of Question Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
29 April 1998
Grammar's
Response Yes, you've pointed out a subtle problem in Parallelism, and there is nothing wrong with your use of the word "auxiliary" there. We need to find three similar ways of modifying "the web": The web is available, safe, and (another adjective that says what "linked together in various ways" means). Either that or put that first item ("linked") into its own independent clause.

Question In studying the point of view in writing, is there such a thing as "second person" point of view?
Source & Date
of Question Medford, Massachusetts
29 April 1998
Grammar's
Response There certainly are many instances, especially in modern verse, of second-person point of view in poetry, where the "you" becomes the actor and the point of view of the poem. I suppose it's an attempt to engage the reader more intimately. Frankly, it's bothersome and most poets avoid it. It's irritating and tiresome (and maybe not even true) to have these things said of "you," the reader, that "you" feel this way, you see things this way, etc. I don't know if I've ever read a piece of fiction that uses it, and I don't know if I would ever want to.

Question I am preparing a research paper. I need some basics on APA formatting. I have a copy of the APA manual, but it is cumbersome to get to and find just what I need. Particularly need information on reference citations for on-line materials. Just some all purpose basics. My reference list will come from journal sources and on-line materials.
Thanks
Source & Date
of Question Dawson, Georgia
29 April 1998
Grammar's
Response Try our apa-style Guide to Writing Research Papers.

Question My surname is Perez. I've been wanting to ask this question for a LONG, LONG TIME! Question: How to pluralize my surname. For example, when I sign a card from my whole family. Is it Love from the "Perez's" or "Perez'"??? Both look odd to me. I usually end up signing Love from the Perez Family! Ha!
Source & Date
of Question Highland Village, Texas
29 April 1998
Grammar's
Response You would write the plural of your name the same way you'd say it, without any apostrophe: "We're going to the Perezes for dinner." Your "love from the Perez family" is a happy solution to the problem if it sounds funny to you.
Authority: New York Public Library Writer's Guide to Style and Usage HarperCollins: New York. 1994. Cited with permission.

Question Is there a rule or custom for acronym use? What I learned, at some point, is to enclose the acronym in parentheses immediately after the first usage -- North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and subsequently use just the acronym -- NATO. How are names such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) and John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK) treated?
Source & Date
of Question Princeton, New Jersey
29 April 1998
Grammar's
Response Your usage for organizations seems to conform to what I see in most of my reference books. (You're quite right, too, not to use periods in such acronyms and abbreviations, with some exceptions such as U.S.A. and U.K.) Sometimes an acronym is more commonly understood than the words it stands for, and there's no real reason to provide the full name first (e.g., IBM, 3M, NCAA).
Authority: The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers by Chris M. Anson and Robert A. Schwegler. Addison Wesley Longman, Inc.: New York. 1997. 546.
I can't find anything about the use of acronyms for people's names, though, except that it seems to be all right to use commonly accepted abbreviations such as FDR, LBJ, MLK, and of course, JFK. I don't see anything about having to use the person's full name first, though, and I do wonder if it's always appropriate to use acronyms in formal, academic text (as opposed, say, to using the last name only).

Question Dear Grammar Maven,
I am copy editing text--
Question: what is the proper way to spell out a specific century. Is it: 20th century, 20th Century, twentieth century, or Twentieth Century? (i.e. The end of the 1800's marked the beginning of the 20th century.)
Does the same usage apply to both published or unpublished scholarly works?
I have looked in many writers' guides and the solution is never clear. Help! I'm on a tight deadline.
Source & Date
of Question New York City, New York
29 April 1998
Grammar's
Response The Chicago Manual of Style says we should spell out, in lowercase letters, references to particular centuries. Decades may be either spelled out or expressed in numerals with apostrophes, as in

the twentieth century
the fifth century
during the eighties and nineties
the '80s and '90s
Notice there is no apostrophe between the zero and the "s" whether you're referring to a decade or a century. The Chicago manual makes no distinction between formal and informal writing. In informal settings, you're pretty much on your own anyway, aren't you?
Authority: Chicago Manual of Style 14th ed. U of Chicago P: Chicago. 1993. 303.

Question Is there a correct way to abbreviate "I could" ? Would it be "I'd", or does "I'd" only mean "I would" ?
Source & Date
of Question Chicago, Illinois
30 April 1998
Grammar's
Response "I'd" can be a contraction for either "I had" or "I would." Some dictionaries list "I'd" as a contraction for "I should," but I can't imagine how that would work. I'd never thought of this before, but I guess there is no contraction for "could." Weird. You should invent one.

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Question	Which is the better form of the following sentence? I spoke with Katie last week. I will be meeting with she and her counterparts next week. I spoke with Katie last week. I will be meeting with her and her counterparts next week. Thanks for your help.
Source & Date of Question	Trenton, New Jersey 28 April 1998
Grammar's Response	The second sentence is correct. No contest. You would say "I will be meeting with her," and when you add someone else to the mix, you don't change the form of the Pronoun. Can you find another word besides "counterparts"? It reminds me of picking up something at the meat department. "Colleagues," maybe?

Question	Dear friends: I am not sure if using the objective pronouns as the object of a comparison is correct. I heard this once: "You are a better man than I" In this sentence a nominative pronoun is used. try this one: "You are more beautiful than her" In this sentence an objective pronoun is used. Are there some exceptions in the use of these pronouns in comparisons? I wrote to Linda, a nice lady that has helped me other times and she replied: One easy way to determine which pronoun to use is to expand the comparison into a complete clause: You are a better man than I am. You are more beautiful than she is. However, some sentences may be expanded in two ways: Politics does not interest me as much as (she/her?). Politics does not interest me as much as it interests her. Politics does not interest me as much as she does. So you have to know which meaning you want in order to know which pronoun to choose. But I'm still confused. Is there a way of being accurate when it comes to the use of these pronouns?
Source & Date of Question	Tijuana, B.C., Mexico. 29 April 1998
Grammar's Response	Chances are, the word "as" or "than" is introducing an elliptical clause (a clause with an understood subject-verb relationship). That's why we say, "You are a better man than I [am]." Some thoughtful writers say that the word "than" functions as a preposition (much in the same way that "like" works: "He is tall like me.") and so should be followed by the objective form. They would write "You are a better man than me." It's hard to argue with that, frankly, but I still would use the nominative form in formal, academic prose. Linda seems to have given you good advice. Did you take the quizzes on pronoun form from the Qiuz List? That should help.

Question	I have heard many times the construction, "interested to...," as in "I will be interested to learn your reaction...," rather than "interested in...,"as in "I will be interested in learning your reaction." The former grates in my ear, and I believe it is incorrect. I am interested in learning your reaction to the this question: Which is correct, or, if both are correct, which is more correct? Thank you. p.s. This CCTC web site is the best grammar web site I have seen on the Internet.
Source & Date of Question	Littleton, Colorado 29 April 1998
Grammar's Response	I have no idea where this construction comes from, but it needs to be stomped out.We have an interest in (not to) something, we are interested in (not to) something, we are interested in doing (not to do) something. To me, it's simply a matter of idiomatic consistency. The "interested to do" sounds as if it could be a translation of another language's construction. Not that there's anything wrong with that; that's how languages evolve over time. But it seems to me that it misuses the participle form, interested, and I certainly don't see the point of using it.

Question	I know something is wrong with following sentence: The web is linked together in various ways, available twenty-four hours a day, and a safe place to get lost. I also know that the problem is with the verb; "is" is functioning both as a linking verb (the web is a safe place) and as an auxiliary (?) to "linked" (the web is linked together in various ways). Would you provide a more coherent analysis of the problem (using the proper terminology--i don't think i used "auxiliary" correctly)? Thanks very much
Source & Date of Question	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 29 April 1998
Grammar's Response	Yes, you've pointed out a subtle problem in Parallelism, and there is nothing wrong with your use of the word "auxiliary" there. We need to find three similar ways of modifying "the web": The web is available, safe, and (another adjective that says what "linked together in various ways" means). Either that or put that first item ("linked") into its own independent clause.

Question	I am preparing a research paper. I need some basics on APA formatting. I have a copy of the APA manual, but it is cumbersome to get to and find just what I need. Particularly need information on reference citations for on-line materials. Just some all purpose basics. My reference list will come from journal sources and on-line materials. Thanks
Source & Date of Question	Dawson, Georgia 29 April 1998
Grammar's Response	Try our apa-style Guide to Writing Research Papers.

Question	In studying the point of view in writing, is there such a thing as "second person" point of view?
Source & Date of Question	Medford, Massachusetts 29 April 1998
Grammar's Response	There certainly are many instances, especially in modern verse, of second-person point of view in poetry, where the "you" becomes the actor and the point of view of the poem. I suppose it's an attempt to engage the reader more intimately. Frankly, it's bothersome and most poets avoid it. It's irritating and tiresome (and maybe not even true) to have these things said of "you," the reader, that "you" feel this way, you see things this way, etc. I don't know if I've ever read a piece of fiction that uses it, and I don't know if I would ever want to.

Question	Is there a correct way to abbreviate "I could" ? Would it be "I'd", or does "I'd" only mean "I would" ?
Source & Date of Question	Chicago, Illinois 30 April 1998
Grammar's Response	"I'd" can be a contraction for either "I had" or "I would." Some dictionaries list "I'd" as a contraction for "I should," but I can't imagine how that would work. I'd never thought of this before, but I guess there is no contraction for "could." Weird. You should invent one.