The Grammar Logs -- Number One Hundred, Twenty

The
Grammar
Logs
# 120

Question When using the possessive of "it", should it be its or it's... as in "New York and (its)/(it's) citizens"?
Source & Date
of Question Pelham, New York
7 May 1998
Grammar's
Response "its citizens" It's means "it is" or "it has." "Its" (without the apostrophe) is the possessive of it.

Question A co-worker and I are in disagreement about sentence construction using commas versus semi-colons. This is the sentence:
"By giving us this information, you will become eligible for a warranty, a 60-day money-back guarantee, and a year of technical support."
He says the first comma, after "information", should be a semi-colon. I say it's right the way it is.
Who is right, and why?
Source & Date
of Question Jacksonville, Florida
7 May 1998
Grammar's
Response There's no reason to use a semicolon in that sentence. You need a comma to set off the first introductory phrase, and then you use commas to set off the elements of the list.

Question What are you looking at? Ending a sentence with "at" is not correct grammar. How would you rephrase this question?
Source & Date
of Question Unknown
7 May 1998
Grammar's
Response You could say "At what are you looking?" But I wouldn't rephrase the sentence at all. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

Question I am having problems learning about diagrams in my English class. My teacher does not have time to give me the one one one help I need.
Source & Date
of Question McCleary, Washington
7 May 1998
Grammar's
Response I'm sorry, but I make a point of not getting into diagramming. First, I'm not very good at it. Second, it's very hard to show in e-mail or on a web-page without getting into graphic representations.
Go to the main page and click on Grammar's Bookshelf and, if you can find Kolln's book in your library, she has a whole section on diagramming that would be a huge help to you.

Question Tenses, difference between Past Simple and Present Perfect.
Source & Date
of Question Somewhere, Ukraine
7 May 1998
Grammar's
Response The simple past -- I walked -- indicates that an action happened at some time in the past. The past perfect -- I have walked -- indicates that an action was completed at some point in the past. I have walked downtown many times before. I have walked all the way to Santa Fe. I have walked all day today (and I'm still walking).

Question How to use "One".
I know it is correct to say: "I want a flim. Where can I buy one?"
Am I correct to say :" I want some stamps. Where can I buy one?"
Or is it correct to say: " Where can I buy ones?"
Source & Date
of Question Hong Kong
7 May 1998
Grammar's
Response I'm not sure what a "flim" is, but if you can buy one, fine. Instead of saying "ones," we would say "some."

Question I know I'm supposed to use a comma after things like 'He said' and 'She said," but what about when the introductory pharse is an instruction? For example:

Just say "Make me a milkshake."
Just say, "Make me a milkshake."
or
Just say: "Make me a milkshake."

Source & Date
of Question Broomall, Pennsylvania
7 May 1998
Grammar's
Response I think you've found one of those situations where you don't want any punctuation between the quoted langauge (which isn't really quoted language here, is it?) and the rest of the sentence.

Question What is the sentence "I love you"? Is it a run-on sentence? Or is it correct the way it is?
Source & Date
of Question Raleigh, North Carolina
7 May 1998
Grammar's
Response "I love you." I'm wondering why anyone would think this is a run-on sentence. It's got a subject, a verb, and an object. It looks like a really happy sentence to me.

Question I am confused about using 'make' and 'makes'. In my resume I need to use the following sentences. Can you tell me the correct usage?
I believe that my considerable experience in the multimedia industry make(s){?} me an attractive candidate.
Thank you very much for your help,
Source & Date
of Question Ancaster, Ontario, Canada
7 May 1998
Grammar's
Response The subject of that verb is "experience," which is singular, so you want a singular verb: "makes," in this case.

Question Which is correct?

Jack and I will be going to South America soon.....
Jack and me will be going to Sou..........
Me and Jack will be going to ........

Source & Date
of Question Atlanta, Georgia
7 May 1998
Grammar's
Response Jack and I will be going. . . .
You would say "I will be going," right? When you "compound" (add) the pronoun to something else -- Jack, in this case -- don't change the form of the pronoun.

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Question	A co-worker and I are in disagreement about sentence construction using commas versus semi-colons. This is the sentence: "By giving us this information, you will become eligible for a warranty, a 60-day money-back guarantee, and a year of technical support." He says the first comma, after "information", should be a semi-colon. I say it's right the way it is. Who is right, and why?
Source & Date of Question	Jacksonville, Florida 7 May 1998
Grammar's Response	There's no reason to use a semicolon in that sentence. You need a comma to set off the first introductory phrase, and then you use commas to set off the elements of the list.

Question	I am having problems learning about diagrams in my English class. My teacher does not have time to give me the one one one help I need.
Source & Date of Question	McCleary, Washington 7 May 1998
Grammar's Response	I'm sorry, but I make a point of not getting into diagramming. First, I'm not very good at it. Second, it's very hard to show in e-mail or on a web-page without getting into graphic representations. Go to the main page and click on Grammar's Bookshelf and, if you can find Kolln's book in your library, she has a whole section on diagramming that would be a huge help to you.

Question	How to use "One". I know it is correct to say: "I want a flim. Where can I buy one?" Am I correct to say :" I want some stamps. Where can I buy one?" Or is it correct to say: " Where can I buy ones?"
Source & Date of Question	Hong Kong 7 May 1998
Grammar's Response	I'm not sure what a "flim" is, but if you can buy one, fine. Instead of saying "ones," we would say "some."

Question	I know I'm supposed to use a comma after things like 'He said' and 'She said," but what about when the introductory pharse is an instruction? For example: Just say "Make me a milkshake." Just say, "Make me a milkshake." or Just say: "Make me a milkshake."
Source & Date of Question	Broomall, Pennsylvania 7 May 1998
Grammar's Response	I think you've found one of those situations where you don't want any punctuation between the quoted langauge (which isn't really quoted language here, is it?) and the rest of the sentence.

Question	I am confused about using 'make' and 'makes'. In my resume I need to use the following sentences. Can you tell me the correct usage? I believe that my considerable experience in the multimedia industry make(s){?} me an attractive candidate. Thank you very much for your help,
Source & Date of Question	Ancaster, Ontario, Canada 7 May 1998
Grammar's Response	The subject of that verb is "experience," which is singular, so you want a singular verb: "makes," in this case.

Question	When using the possessive of "it", should it be its or it's... as in "New York and (its)/(it's) citizens"?
Source & Date of Question	Pelham, New York 7 May 1998
Grammar's Response	"its citizens" It's means "it is" or "it has." "Its" (without the apostrophe) is the possessive of it.

Question	What are you looking at? Ending a sentence with "at" is not correct grammar. How would you rephrase this question?
Source & Date of Question	Unknown 7 May 1998
Grammar's Response	You could say "At what are you looking?" But I wouldn't rephrase the sentence at all. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

Question	Tenses, difference between Past Simple and Present Perfect.
Source & Date of Question	Somewhere, Ukraine 7 May 1998
Grammar's Response	The simple past -- I walked -- indicates that an action happened at some time in the past. The past perfect -- I have walked -- indicates that an action was completed at some point in the past. I have walked downtown many times before. I have walked all the way to Santa Fe. I have walked all day today (and I'm still walking).

Question	What is the sentence "I love you"? Is it a run-on sentence? Or is it correct the way it is?
Source & Date of Question	Raleigh, North Carolina 7 May 1998
Grammar's Response	"I love you." I'm wondering why anyone would think this is a run-on sentence. It's got a subject, a verb, and an object. It looks like a really happy sentence to me.

Question	Which is correct? Jack and I will be going to South America soon..... Jack and me will be going to Sou.......... Me and Jack will be going to ........
Source & Date of Question	Atlanta, Georgia 7 May 1998
Grammar's Response	Jack and I will be going. . . . You would say "I will be going," right? When you "compound" (add) the pronoun to something else -- Jack, in this case -- don't change the form of the pronoun.