| QUESTION |
| I am just going into fourth grade and my teacher said to write a story and that we were required to write in cursive and my third grade teacher did not teach me much cursive so I did not know how to write my story.
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| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
Coeur d' Alene, Idaho  Thursday, September 3, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| I think you need to talk to your new teacher -- or have your parents call your teacher. My elementary schoolteacher friends tell me that learning to write cursive well is terribly important -- for reasons besides the production of legible text, but that's something your school will have to think about. It's not too late for you to learn. On the other hand, if you're really getting good at writing your text on a keyboard, maybe your teacher would prefer reading that -- if you asked.
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| QUESTION |
Dear Grammar,
Example: Due to use of these applications, together with continuous process- and technology development, the energy, production, and maintenance efficiency of Rautaruukki Steel's processes developed from the normal European average level in the seventies to be among the best in the world today.
I know this is a long sentence, but my actual question is only this: should
I hyphenate the first part of the compound expression "process- and technology development" or shouldn't I?
I do not mind any other help on this sentence, if you can spare the time.
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| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Oulu, Finland Thursday, September 3, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
If you're going to insist on both process development and technology development like that, then yes, you're going to need two hyphens: process- and technology-development. But that sentence is a bit of a mouthful, isn't it? May I suggest something like the following:
These applications, along with continuous development in the areas of technology and process [whatever that means], have enhanced our energy, production and maintenance efficiency. The processes of Rautaruukki Steel, average among European countries [manufacturers?] in the seventies, are now among the best in the world.
I don't know what the words "process" and "processes" mean in these sentences, but the sentence needs to be broken down one way or the other for most readers to survive.
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| QUESTION |
| I am confused between some prepositions and specially between `"in"and "at."
For example, I don't know if I should say I worked in the Central bank or I worked at the Central bank.
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| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Montreal, Quebec, Canada Thursday, September 3, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| You could probably say either. You could also say you worked "for" the Central Bank. Usually, the "at" is more specific than "in": I live in Hartford, at 61 Woodland Street, for example. Generally, though, we work "at" a certain place. (I could say I work at Capital Community College, but I would say I work in the community college system.) Does that help, or just confuse you more?
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| QUESTION |
| Can you please tell me if 'social insurance number' needs to be capitalized when it is simply referred to in a sentence?
(ex. Please be sure to include your child's social insurance number so that we can apply for the educational grant on your behalf.)
Thanks
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| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Toronto, Canada Thursday, September 3, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| I assume we can make an analogy between Canada's social insurance and the U.S.A.'s social security. The Chicago Manual of Style says we can go either with it. As long as we're consistent within our document, we can write either Social Security number or social security number. I imagine it's the same with social insurance numbers. The trend in journalism, at least, is not to capitalize such words.
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| QUESTION |
| I am wondering about why "were" (rather than "was") is used in the following passage: "Whatever she took up became in her warm, sensitive grasp a tool. If it was a rolling-pin, she made perfect pastry. If it was a carving knife, perfect slices fell from the leg of mutton. If it *were* a pen, words peeled off, some broken, some suspended in mid-air, but all far more expressive than the tappings of the professional typewriter."
Thanks
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| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Seoul, Korea Thursday, September 3, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| Apparently the writer of that piece wanted that particular clause to sound more hypothetical, more like a wish, than the similar clauses that use "was." Thus the use of the Subjunctive. I think the use of the subjunctive is justified in that clause; I also think it's a bit odd not to use the subjunctive in those other clauses -- for the sake of consistency and parallel form.
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| QUESTION |
| I recently passed an examination which enabled me to become a licensed professional engineer. Now I able able to add the letters PE to my name - i.e. John Q. Smith, PE. If I was to fill out a form that asks for last name first, would I write down "Smith PE, John Q." or "Smith, John Q., PE"?
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| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Milan, Italy Thursday, September 3, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
Congratulations! The style manuals I have speak to alphabetizing names with letters such as PE, Ph.D., etc. attached, and they say simply to leave off such titles. But you're talking about filling out a form, which is another matter. ![[E-Mail Icon]](../gif/email.gif) I can't find anything in the manuals that speak to this, but I find your first means of doing it much more reasonable: Smith PE, John Q. I'll leave an e-mail icon here in case someone else has a better idea.
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