The Grammar Logs -- Number Twelve

The
Grammar
Logs
# 12

Question Although I've scored 9 out of 9 for your subject-verb agreement quiz, I still find myself handicapped with English grammar. For example, which of the following is correct?

The boxes are heavier than the bag.
The boxes is heavier than the bag.
(Note that we are talking about the boxes "as a whole")
(E.g.: We ask, "Which is heavier, the bag or the boxes?", and not, "Which are heavier,.....?")
Please reply, thanks!
Source & Date
of Question Singapore
25 May 1997
Grammar's
Response Sorry, but you can't talk about boxes "as a whole" when you use "The boxes" as your subject -- not without some phrase that takes over as a collective subject: "This pile of boxes," "this group of boxes," something like that. If your subject is simply "the boxes," you have to use a plural verb, period.
In your second example, when the interrogative pronoun which is the subject, we treat it as singular, whether it's referring to something singular or plural. If I want to find out which games were more popular in the 1950s, basketball games or football games, I would ask: "Which was more popular?" (If the which is allowed to modify games, however, the verb becomes plural: "Which games were more popular?")

Question My papers always show run-on sentences! Is there any way that I could prevent this from happening?
Source & Date
of Question Russellville, Arkansas
27 May 1997
Grammar's
Response First, you have to become an expert on the causes of run-on sentences. Remember the basic definition of a run-on: that it involves two independent clauses that have been incorrectly connected or smooshed together without proper coordination. Let me suggest that you simplify your prose for a while, even at the risk, temporarily, of writing what we call primer style. Use sentences that are briefer, simpler. Then practice the way you connect those ideas, using techniques of subordination (creating dependent clauses that are attached to your independent clause) and coordination (connecting independent clauses using a comma and a little conjunction (and, but, for, nor, yet, or, so). That is, take a step backward and then take little steps forward, gaining confidence along the way. First, though, review the section on run-on sentences and the section on "what can happen between two independent clauses" and take the QUIZ on recognizing run-on sentences and the QUIZ on repairing run-ons at the end of the section on run-ons.

Question Is "by" always a preposition?
Source & Date
of Question Sunderland, Massachusetts
28 May 1997
Grammar's
Response Well, almost always. Sometimes it can function as an adverb, as when you say "Stand by" (and it modifies or tells you where to stand) or "The train passed by" (telling you where it passed -- thus modifying the verb).

Question Can an infinitive be used as a predicate nominative?
Example: Another time-saving method is to copy information from one location to another.

Source & Date
of Question Dallas, Texas
28 May 1997
Grammar's
Response An infinitive can act as a a noun and it can do anything that a noun can do -- including, of course, being a predicate nominative: To know her is to love her.

Question Which of the following is correct or should I just be consistent in my usage throughout my document?

Mark or Joe's computer
--OR--
Mark's or Joe's computer

Source & Date
of Question Socorro, New Mexico
28 May 1997
Grammar's
Response When you compound nouns this way, you have to be sure that you're not mixing apples and oranges -- or Mark (himself) and Joe's computer. The possessive form for both words will assure your reader that you're talking about things that are owned by two different people: Mark's (with computer understood) or Joe's computer. The first possibility you list simply won't do the job.

Question I want to include a doctoral thesis reference in my WORKS CITED page. How should I format this entry?
Thank You!!!!
Source & Date
of Question Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
29 May 1997
Grammar's
Response That information has just been added to our Guide to Writing Research Papers. Thanks for telling us it would be a good idea to add it.

Question Should a word ending in "Z" have an apostrophe-S when making it possessive (e.g. Rosie Perez's house) or just the apostrophe (Perez')?
I think it's the apostrophe-S, but I would like to make sure.
Source & Date
of Question Indianapolis, Indiana
29 May 1997
Grammar's
Response Yes, use the 's after such words!

Question What comes after (a) through (z)? Should it be (aa), (bb), (cc), etc. or (aa), (ab), (ac),...(ba), (bb), (bc)?
Source & Date
of Question Redstone Arsenal, Alabama
29 May 1997
Grammar's
Response As far as the manuals and textbooks on my shelf are concerned, you're in uncharted territory here. Personally, I would do two things: (a) try to reconfigure my list so I used arabic numerals 1 through a zillion for a list that's going to exceed the 26 letters of the alphabet, and if that doesn't work, (b) use the aa, bb, cc, dd arrangement, because the other possibility you suggest looks awfully confusing to me. That's how they do it in auditoriums and theaters where row Z is right in front of row AA, BB, etc.. I say go for it!

Question I would like to know the usages of the active and the passive voice, why & when we should use them.
Source & Date
of Question Caracas, Venezuela
29 May 1997
Grammar's
Response Have you looked at the brief section on passive verbs and done the exercise on recognizing and repairing passive constructions at the end of that section? Also, there's a hyperlink there to a web-page on passive constructions at the University of Minnesota's Online Writing Center. (That page, too, has quizzes that will prove useful, I think.)
The passive voice is useful when the person or thing doing the acting within a sentence is either unknown or not important. "Charlie's car was destroyed during the garage fire." (The fact that the flames did the destroying is not as important as the fact that the car is no longer useable by poor Charlie.)
Authority: The Little, Brown Handbook by H. Ramsay Fowler and Jane E. Aaron, & Kay Limburg. 6th ed. HarperCollins: New York. 1995. By permission of Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers Inc.

Question I have doubts about the Present Perfect: HAVE DONE, HAVE BEEN, HAVE GONE, etc. I don't know where I should use this tense when I talk.
Source & Date
of Question Londrina, Pr, Brazil
29 May 1997
Grammar's
Response Is there any comfort in knowing you're not alone? There is a substantial web-page on just this subject, however, maintained by Colin Mahoney, at http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/2527/presentperfect.html.
When you've finished Colin's page, you'll be an expert on the subject!

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Question	Can an infinitive be used as a predicate nominative? Example: Another time-saving method is to copy information from one location to another.
Source & Date of Question	Dallas, Texas 28 May 1997
Grammar's Response	An infinitive can act as a a noun and it can do anything that a noun can do -- including, of course, being a predicate nominative: To know her is to love her.

Question	Which of the following is correct or should I just be consistent in my usage throughout my document? Mark or Joe's computer --OR-- Mark's or Joe's computer
Source & Date of Question	Socorro, New Mexico 28 May 1997
Grammar's Response	When you compound nouns this way, you have to be sure that you're not mixing apples and oranges -- or Mark (himself) and Joe's computer. The possessive form for both words will assure your reader that you're talking about things that are owned by two different people: Mark's (with computer understood) or Joe's computer. The first possibility you list simply won't do the job.

Question	I want to include a doctoral thesis reference in my WORKS CITED page. How should I format this entry? Thank You!!!!
Source & Date of Question	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 29 May 1997
Grammar's Response	That information has just been added to our Guide to Writing Research Papers. Thanks for telling us it would be a good idea to add it.

Question	Should a word ending in "Z" have an apostrophe-S when making it possessive (e.g. Rosie Perez's house) or just the apostrophe (Perez')? I think it's the apostrophe-S, but I would like to make sure.
Source & Date of Question	Indianapolis, Indiana 29 May 1997
Grammar's Response	Yes, use the 's after such words!

Question	I have doubts about the Present Perfect: HAVE DONE, HAVE BEEN, HAVE GONE, etc. I don't know where I should use this tense when I talk.
Source & Date of Question	Londrina, Pr, Brazil 29 May 1997
Grammar's Response	Is there any comfort in knowing you're not alone? There is a substantial web-page on just this subject, however, maintained by Colin Mahoney, at http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/2527/presentperfect.html. When you've finished Colin's page, you'll be an expert on the subject!

Question	My papers always show run-on sentences! Is there any way that I could prevent this from happening?
Source & Date of Question	Russellville, Arkansas 27 May 1997
Grammar's Response	First, you have to become an expert on the causes of run-on sentences. Remember the basic definition of a run-on: that it involves two independent clauses that have been incorrectly connected or smooshed together without proper coordination. Let me suggest that you simplify your prose for a while, even at the risk, temporarily, of writing what we call primer style. Use sentences that are briefer, simpler. Then practice the way you connect those ideas, using techniques of subordination (creating dependent clauses that are attached to your independent clause) and coordination (connecting independent clauses using a comma and a little conjunction (and, but, for, nor, yet, or, so). That is, take a step backward and then take little steps forward, gaining confidence along the way. First, though, review the section on run-on sentences and the section on "what can happen between two independent clauses" and take the QUIZ on recognizing run-on sentences and the QUIZ on repairing run-ons at the end of the section on run-ons.

Question	Is "by" always a preposition?
Source & Date of Question	Sunderland, Massachusetts 28 May 1997
Grammar's Response	Well, almost always. Sometimes it can function as an adverb, as when you say "Stand by" (and it modifies or tells you where to stand) or "The train passed by" (telling you where it passed -- thus modifying the verb).

Question	What comes after (a) through (z)? Should it be (aa), (bb), (cc), etc. or (aa), (ab), (ac),...(ba), (bb), (bc)?
Source & Date of Question	Redstone Arsenal, Alabama 29 May 1997
Grammar's Response	As far as the manuals and textbooks on my shelf are concerned, you're in uncharted territory here. Personally, I would do two things: (a) try to reconfigure my list so I used arabic numerals 1 through a zillion for a list that's going to exceed the 26 letters of the alphabet, and if that doesn't work, (b) use the aa, bb, cc, dd arrangement, because the other possibility you suggest looks awfully confusing to me. That's how they do it in auditoriums and theaters where row Z is right in front of row AA, BB, etc.. I say go for it!