The Grammar Logs -- Number One Hundred, Twenty-Three

The
Grammar
Logs
# 123

Question Is this the correct way to capitalize and punctuate "Master's degree"?
e.g. Kent earned his Master's degree last summer, but he still doesn't know the correct way to capitalize or punctuate his degree's title.
How would you correctly list this degree on a resume?
Is there a rule to follow regarding degrees, from bachelor's to doctoral?
Source & Date
of Question Waverly, Iowa
11 May 1998
Grammar's
Response You earned your master's degree after you earned your bachelor's degree and before you can earn your doctor's degree. (Don't capitalize the words when used that way -- or the word doctorate.) On a resume, I imagine you'd write it as an M.A. in Histrionics (or whatever is more appropriate), and a B.S. in Cryology. Your diploma should be of some help. (Make sure it's a B.A. and not an A.B., for instance, even though there is no real difference.)
Authority: Chicago Manual of Style 14th ed. U of Chicago P: Chicago. 1993. 244.

Question How, can I use trasition words in writing an APA style paper. To change to one paragraph to another.
Source & Date
of Question Somewhere, Arizona
11 May 1998
Grammar's
Response I don't think the APA has anything to do with your use of transitions. Is that what you meant? There is a section in the guide about Transitions and coherence. I hope that proves helpful.

Question When there is a quote within a quote how do you end it? Quotes start and end with "Ö" and if there's a quote in that I would put a 'Ö right? So would I end it like this --> Ö'"?
Source & Date
of Question San Pedro, California
12 May 1998
Grammar's
Response Yes, but don't forget the period, which goes inside both the single quote mark and the double quote mark.

Authority: The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers by Chris M. Anson and Robert A. Schwegler. Addison Wesley Longman, Inc.: New York. 1997.

Question succeed in
Is it possible to use succeed without any preposition?
For example: We succeeded to get a table by the window.

Source & Date
of Question Reykjavik, Iceland
12 May 1998
Grammar's
Response You can't use the verb that way. We would say, "We succeeded in getting a table by the window." You could, however, say something like, "We tried to get a table by the window and we succeeded." (But I suppose "succeeded in getting a table by the window" is only understood in that sentence.) In its other sense, of course, there is no preposition: "Charles will probably succeed Elizabeth II as the monarch of England."

Question Which is correct, Statement 1 or Statement 2:

None of the apples IS green.
None of the apples ARE green.

Source & Date
of Question Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
12 May 1998
Grammar's
Response Most writers use "none" as if it meant "not a single one," and they look for a singular verb. In truth, "none" can be plural, depending on the context within the sentence. If you said "None of the apples ___ green on their branches." the "their" would cause us to use a plural verb, "are." Either of the choices you give us is correct.

Question In writing a business letter that needs to be carbon copied to another party, do you use Cc: or cc: as the proper punctuation and capitalization?
Source & Date
of Question Swiftwater, Pennsylvania
12 May 1998
Grammar's
Response I thought carbon copy went the way of the pterodactyl and the last of the Underwoods. According to one source I found, you would write this cc: and then list the names to which you are sending copies in a vertical, hanging-indent style. Another resource I found uses copies: instead. I notice my e-mail software used Cc: and Bcc: (for "blind carbon copy," I guess), but I wouldn't let that influence me one way or the other.
Authority: The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers by Maxine Hairston and John J. Ruszkiewicz. 4th ed. HarperCollins: New York. 1996. 731.

Question Is it necessary to capitalize the word "state" in the following example:
"XYZ Corporation is organized pursuant to the laws of the state of California."
Thanks!
Source & Date
of Question San Francisco, California
13 May 1998
Grammar's
Response No. In fact, don't.
Authority: Chicago Manual of Style 14th ed. U of Chicago P: Chicago. 1993. 250.

Question Professor...
I am a university student in S.Korea. One day I watched TV -Wheel of Fortune- and I stumbled upon a phrase I have never seen before. I have a US native friend but he doesn't know,either...
The THEME was "before and after" and answer is "KEEP IT SIMPLE SIMON"
I can't even get a clue of it...
I am afraid this question is far from what you want to give us in your Web site... However.... You know... Curiosity makes one crazy... Please... Could you notify me answer for it...
Source & Date
of Question Somewhere, South Korea
13 May 1998
Grammar's
Response I'm no expert on Wheel of Fortune, but I've watched enough to know that the "before and after" clues include a word in the middle of a word-string that would end one common phrase and begin another. In your example, the word "simple" ends the phrase, "Keep it simple" and begins another, "Simple Simon." (Simple Simon is a character of children's rhymes: "Simple Simon met a pieman, going to the fair, etc." "Keep it simple" is kind of a cliché among people in management.) Another example would be "Stop the World Series," where the word "world" would end the phrase, "Stop the world," and begin the phrase "World Series." (That's not a good example, but it's an example.)

Question Dear Grammar,
I read a post on an internet site wherein the author stated that the children in her class was objecting to some language used in the book, Bridge to Terabithia by Katharine Paterson.
I wanted to know what the objectionable language was...so I posted back..."To what language are you referring?" Someone posted that I should have used this phrasing..."To which language are you referring," and it was in a very haughty tone, I might add...ok ...which is correct...thank you for your help!
Source & Date
of Question Gainesville, Georgia
13 May 1998
Grammar's
Response As interrogative pronouns, which and what are nearly, but not quite, synonymous. The person who suggested "which" instead of "what" was probably right, but certainly had no reason to become supercilious about it. In a sentence such as "What languages does he speak?" you could easily substitute "Which," and the sentence would mean virtually the same thing. These words (along with whose) are sometimes called interrogative adjectives because they act as determiners. (What modifies "languages" in the sentence above. In "Whose bike is that?" whose modifies "bike.")
Now the question is which of the interrogative adjectives, which or what, do you want in your sentence. The difference between the two is often one of specificity. If I ask "What books do you prefer?", I'm asking what kind of books do you like to read. If I ask "Which books do you prefer?", that probably means that we're looking at a pile of books and I'm asking you which ones, specifically (not what kind), you want to take home with you. The Haughty One is probably correct in thinking that you want the more specific modifier in your question: Which language (i.e., which words, exactly) was objectionable? I hope that makes sense. (But notice that in that parenthetical element I could have said "What words, exactly" and it would have meant exactly the same thing.)
Authority: Understanding English Grammar by Martha Kolln. 4rth Edition. MacMillan Publishing Company: New York. 1994. 341
Authority: A University Grammar of English by Randolph Quirk and Sidney Greenbaum. Longman Group: Essex, England. 1993. Used with permission. 106-7.

Question I was told that you need a comma after the month and date in a sentence (without a year). For example, "This is in response to your May 12, memo."
True or False.
Source & Date
of Question Springfield, Virginia
13 May 1998
Grammar's
Response I've looked in about eight books for far and can find no evidence that the comma there is called for. For one thing, you wouldn't say "twelve" as you read that memo; you'd say "twelfth," and that certainly doesn't sound like you ought to have a comma after it; it's a simple adjective. If it bothers your friends to see that sentence without the comma, you could write such sentences "This is in response to your memo of May 12." Or you could throw the year in there, and then you would (as you point out) use the comma: "This is in response to your May 12, 1998, memo." (But not in "This is in response to your 12 May 1998 memo.") I guess my first sentence was enough, wasn't it?

Previous Grammar Log
Next Grammar Log
Index of Grammar Logs
Guide to Grammar and Writing

Question	succeed in Is it possible to use succeed without any preposition? For example: We succeeded to get a table by the window.
Source & Date of Question	Reykjavik, Iceland 12 May 1998
Grammar's Response	You can't use the verb that way. We would say, "We succeeded in getting a table by the window." You could, however, say something like, "We tried to get a table by the window and we succeeded." (But I suppose "succeeded in getting a table by the window" is only understood in that sentence.) In its other sense, of course, there is no preposition: "Charles will probably succeed Elizabeth II as the monarch of England."

Question	Which is correct, Statement 1 or Statement 2: None of the apples IS green. None of the apples ARE green.
Source & Date of Question	Waterloo, Ontario, Canada 12 May 1998
Grammar's Response	Most writers use "none" as if it meant "not a single one," and they look for a singular verb. In truth, "none" can be plural, depending on the context within the sentence. If you said "None of the apples ___ green on their branches." the "their" would cause us to use a plural verb, "are." Either of the choices you give us is correct.

Question	Professor... I am a university student in S.Korea. One day I watched TV -Wheel of Fortune- and I stumbled upon a phrase I have never seen before. I have a US native friend but he doesn't know,either... The THEME was "before and after" and answer is "KEEP IT SIMPLE SIMON" I can't even get a clue of it... I am afraid this question is far from what you want to give us in your Web site... However.... You know... Curiosity makes one crazy... Please... Could you notify me answer for it...
Source & Date of Question	Somewhere, South Korea 13 May 1998
Grammar's Response	I'm no expert on Wheel of Fortune, but I've watched enough to know that the "before and after" clues include a word in the middle of a word-string that would end one common phrase and begin another. In your example, the word "simple" ends the phrase, "Keep it simple" and begins another, "Simple Simon." (Simple Simon is a character of children's rhymes: "Simple Simon met a pieman, going to the fair, etc." "Keep it simple" is kind of a cliché among people in management.) Another example would be "Stop the World Series," where the word "world" would end the phrase, "Stop the world," and begin the phrase "World Series." (That's not a good example, but it's an example.)

Question	I was told that you need a comma after the month and date in a sentence (without a year). For example, "This is in response to your May 12, memo." True or False.
Source & Date of Question	Springfield, Virginia 13 May 1998
Grammar's Response	I've looked in about eight books for far and can find no evidence that the comma there is called for. For one thing, you wouldn't say "twelve" as you read that memo; you'd say "twelfth," and that certainly doesn't sound like you ought to have a comma after it; it's a simple adjective. If it bothers your friends to see that sentence without the comma, you could write such sentences "This is in response to your memo of May 12." Or you could throw the year in there, and then you would (as you point out) use the comma: "This is in response to your May 12, 1998, memo." (But not in "This is in response to your 12 May 1998 memo.") I guess my first sentence was enough, wasn't it?

Question	How, can I use trasition words in writing an APA style paper. To change to one paragraph to another.
Source & Date of Question	Somewhere, Arizona 11 May 1998
Grammar's Response	I don't think the APA has anything to do with your use of transitions. Is that what you meant? There is a section in the guide about Transitions and coherence. I hope that proves helpful.