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The Grammar Logs # 145 |
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| QUESTION |
Can you please tell me if this is correct English:
.....for the duration commencing June 1998 until May 1999.Is just 'until' enough or should it read 'and lasting until'? Thank you very much for solving this dilemma. |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
Tokyo, Japan  Tuesday, June 16, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| If you must, I would use "lasting until"; however, wouldn't your meaning be conveyed much more efficiently with "from June 1998 to May 1999"? or "from June 1988 until/through May 1999"? |
| QUESTION |
| Close Reading of The Great Gatsby That is my title. How is it underlined or italicized? Thank you |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Northridge, California Tuesday, June 16, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| I would put "A" in front of it and then I would italicize only The Great Gatsby. I must, however, warn you that some instructors don't like italics and you might be better off underlining the title unless your instructor has specifically said you can use italics. Are you sure this is what your paper does, by the way? That could be a very long essay. |
| QUESTION |
| Hallo What is a difference between hire and rent. I am not the owner of a car but I want to use it. F.e. I want to hire a big car orWhich of these sentences is correct ? |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Helsinki, Finland Tuesday, June 16, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| In the United States, you would definitely rent the big car. In England, however, you might very well hire it. The words are used somewhat differently on each side of the Atlantic. I don't think "hire" is wrong, but to American ears it sounds funny because Americans tend to hire people and rent things (and apartments). |
| QUESTION |
| Dear Grammar: Would you please help me to clarify the use of which and that; I mean I get all kinds of dry answers in the books, but they fail to clearly explain the way to tell when to use "which" only, when "that " only, and when both can be used interchangeably. Thanks a lot for your time. |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Petrozavodsk, Karelia, Russia Tuesday, June 16, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| It's not that easy. We have a "Notorious Confusables" section devoted to Which and That, but it, too, might be rather dry. Which usually introduces a clause containing information that is not essential, that can be removed from the sentence without changing its meaning, and so "which clauses" are usually set off with a comma or pair of commas. Not so with that, which tends to introduce subordinate clauses that are essential to a sentence's meaning and are not set off with a comma. I suggest you read our section on "which and that" (hyperlink above) and read, also, Quinion's article (hyperlinked from there). And then please write back if you still have a question. You might also take some of the quizzes on punctuation, because they, too, will help clarify when to use commas before these words. |
| QUESTION |
| 1) Is it correct to say
"This sentence is grammatically correct." My Thai teacher said that the word 'grammatically' should be deleted. 2) My teacher also said that English teacher means only that the teacher whose nationality is of English native speaking country. She told me that I sould say 'Teacher of English' not 'English Teacher' when referring to the Thai teacher who lectures in English language. |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Bangkok, Thailand Tuesday, June 16, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| First, remember that your teacher is always right, no matter what I say. Second, it is possible, I think, for sentences to be incorrect in other ways -- logically, comes to mind -- I think being "grammatically correct" is not entirely a redundancy. Probably within the context of a grammar discussion, the word is unnecessary, though. To resist calling the Teacher of English an English Teacher is a battle not at all worth fighting. If I can call my Teacher of Geometry a Geometry Teacher, then I can do the same with an English Teacher. I get your teacher's point; maybe it's more important in another country? |
| QUESTION |
Which is correct, has or have, in the following sentence:
The majority of studies of silica systems have/has involved investigations of silica gels dispersed in bulk solvents. |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| State College, Pennsylvania Tuesday, June 16, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| The word majority in this sentence is referring to a countable number (of studies, in this case) and therefore is plural, so you want to use "have." If you were talking about the majority of something noncountable, it would be singular: "The majority of the voting public is silent on this matter." |
| QUESTION |
Without changing the structure of the sentence, punctuate the following sentences accordingly:
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| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Sausalito, California Tuesday, June 16, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
I'm not sure what you mean by "accordingly" in your question -- according to what? Here, though, are some stabs at punctuating these sentences:
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| QUESTION |
| Dear Grammar: Although I have several dictionaries of English I didn't manage to find the meaning of the letters "W.O." when in a game one player wins because his opponent gives up and doesn't attend the game. So, we say "He won by W.O." Thanks a lot for answering me. |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Sao Paulo, Brazil Tuesday, June 16, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| Well, my answer is I don't know, so you don't have to thank me. Could it mean "without opposition"? You probably need a Hoyle's Rules or some such book to help you out here. I have no such book myself, as I'm not a card player. Maybe somebody who knows will read this and send us a note. Nick, an alert reader, informs us that "W.O." means "Walk Over," said to happen when the opposition doesn't show up and you win by default. |
| QUESTION |
| Is it generally necessary to use a comma after "e.g." or "i.e.?" I have a collegue who consistently refuses to take my edits when I insert one. Thanks! |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Washington, D.C. Tuesday, June 16, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| If we used the English equivalents of those abbreviations -- for example and that is -- we would invaribly be using them as introductory phrases and, as such, they would be set off with a comma. That's why we almost invariably see these abbreviations followed by commas. (I'm sure there are exceptions, but I can't think of any.) |
| QUESTION |
| In your quiz, #2 asks for the correct verb to begin the sentence,"_____my boss or my sisters...going...?" In normal order the sentence would read, "My boss or my sisters (is/are) going to win..." The correct verb choice, then, should be are. Right? |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| N. Augusta, South Carolina Tuesday, June 16, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| In the "normal" order (the non-question order), you're right, but the sentence in the quiz is formed as a question, so inverted order will prevail. When subjects are compounded by "or," the subject closer to the verb will determine the number of the verb, and since "my boss" is closer to the verb, we need the singular "is." (I'm not sure if you're asking if the quiz is correct or if your reversal is correct -- they both are.) |
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