The
Grammar
Logs
# 190

QUESTION
Please let me know the difference between these two words,"amiable" and amicable". Actually, this is not a grammar question, but I don't have anyone to ask help. Thank you in advance.
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Somewhere, South Korea Monday, June 29, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
Those words are listed as a Notorious Confusable.

QUESTION
How please do I distinguish between ENquiry and INquiry? Is there a flexible usage?

By the way I am really amazed at this service. I live on these islands (population 10 on my island here; we speak English but most here have Irish as a first language. One of the few places in Ireland where this is found now.

any thanks and best wishes

SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Capeclear Islands, West Cork, Ireland
Tuesday, August 25, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
Those words are interchangeable variants of the same word. You would want to be consistent with their spelling, of course. I have a feeling that "inquiry" is much more common than "enquiry" on this side of the Atlantic, but I have no evidence of that.

QUESTION
I know a lot about grammar, I took Advanced Grammar in high school, but one thing always leave me puzzled. The main thing that leaves me puzzled in grammar is the words lie, laid, lying, and laying. Those words always leave me confused. I know very little about the words. Miss. Grammar, can you please explain those words to me and teach me to understand them all?
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Savannah, Georgia Tuesday, August 25, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
The differences between to lie (to recline) and to lay (to put down) are addressed as a Notorious Confusable. You should look at that and then take the quiz devoted to lie/lay. (See the Quiz List. I think it's #52.) If you still have questions, please get back to us.

QUESTION
I was looking at a example of a cleft sentence: "It was the program of recruiting players from foreign countries that Coach Calhoun came up with."

Maybe, I am seeing things. But does this cleft sentence contain expletive constructions? And do all cleft sentences have expletive constructions?

Thanks

SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Unknown Tuesday, August 25, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
Yes, they do. That's not a particularly good sentence you've chosen (I have to say, even though I wrote it), but you get the idea. A cleft sentence is a way of drawing the reader's focus to a particular part of the sentence. "It was biology that most interested him." -- instead of "Biology interested him." A cleft sentence can be useful, but it can also very easily slip into a lazy and very tired construction -- and that's when we call it an expletive construction. It's sort of like the passive voice; we try to avoid it, but it does have its uses and it would be a mistake to banish it altogether.

QUESTION
I have a Cost Analyis Report to write. This report required college level writing skills (post-secondary level education). I'd like to know whether I am using the right form of verb tense. (were, was, is, are)

example:

The consultant proposed an overhead of 181%. The prime consulted with the subcontractor before negotiation was discussed and agreed that 152% is/was fair and reasonable. The overhead rate of 152% were/was agreed and accepted by both parties.
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Washington, D.C. Tuesday, August 25, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
Your question is really about Subject-Verb Agreement, not tense. Since the 152% is being regarded as a sum, the singular "is" and "was" would be appropriate. It's rather rare, isn't it, to say that "negotiation was discussed"? Is that really what you mean? or do you mean "before negotations"?

QUESTION
What is the posessive form of "wife?" Wife's or wive's.

How do you find this info in a dictionary? style manual?

SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Charleston, South Carolina Tuesday, August 25, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
The possessive of the singular wife is "wife's": your wife's car. If you had more than one wife (rather unlikely) you would have "wives" and if they had more than one car it would be "your wives' cars."

Possessives are usually not shown in the dictionary, but plurals are, especially when they are irregularly formed. A style manual will usually show you how to create possessives out of singular and plural forms. See, also, Plurals and Possessives in this guide.


QUESTION
Which is correct? Friends is all we'll ever be or Friends are all we'll ever be?
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Washington, D.C. Wednesday, August 26, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
That's a good question. I think "friends," in this case, refers to the idea of being friends; I think it's singular, so we want "is." [E-Mail Icon]I wouldn't bet the farm on it, though, and I'll leave an e-mail icon here in case someone else has a better idea.

QUESTION
Dear Grammar, Which sentence is correct?
  • This gift shows our appreciation of your support as we move forward.
    OR
  • This gift shows our appreciation for your support as we move forward.
They sound the same to me! Are they both correct? Thank you
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
San Francisco, California Wednesday, August 26, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
I think you can go either way with that expression. It's sort of like recognition of and gratitude for mixed into one word. Personally, I prefer for, but I think of would do fine.

QUESTION
1.All you have to do is subscribe now.
2.All you have to do is to subscribe now.

Which of the two sentences is correct? Explain grammatically,please.

SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Bangkok, Thailand Wednesday, August 26, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
Your impulse to put the infinitive, "to subscribe," in that sentence is not entirely wrong. It is quite normal and correct, however, to drop the "to" in this construction. I don't know how to explain other than to say it's a matter of usage.

QUESTION
Please, Grammar, explain to me your take on convince vs. persuade. Is it like imply vs. infer, in the sense of "After you persuaded me, I was convinced that you were correct"? Persuade, then, would the giver; convince would be the receiver. Thanks in advance for your light and wisdom.
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Seattle, Washington Wednesday, August 26, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
No, it's not the same as the difference between imply and infer. Think of convince in terms of someone's convictions: I will convince you that something is true. Think of persuade in terms of what you will do, now, on the basis of these convictions: I will persuade you to join a cult. The differences are not all that great, really, but if you think of persuade in terms of action, convince in terms of mind-set, you'll do OK.

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