The Grammar Logs -- Number Twenty-Two

The
Grammar
Logs
# 22

Question Why do I say:
" Anybody here from Salvador?"
and not "Anybody here is from Salvador?"

Source & Date
of Question Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
12 July 1997
Grammar's
Response In the first sentence you're simply leaving out the linking verb is, and, hopefully, your listeners will understand what you mean. (Usually, they will, so you can sometimes get away with this kind of shortcut in informal speech or even in informal writing.) In that second sentence, you should put the verb at the beginning of the sentence: "Is anybody here from Salvador"

Question Tell the differences below two sentences.

Do you think who he is?
Who do you think he is?
Thank you.
Source & Date
of Question Sunchun Chullanamdo South Korea
13 July 1997
Grammar's
Response The second sentence is asking me if I know the name of the person you've pointed out to me (or if I can identify him in any way). The first sentence doesn't make any sense to me.

Question how to start a title page?
Source & Date
of Question Pensacola, Florida
15 July 1997
Grammar's
Response Go to our Guide for Writing Research Papers and click on Formatting the Paper. If you prefer (or are required to use) the APA format, click on the APA-style Guide and go to the question regarding format.

Question When a set of initials appear at the end of a question, does it look like this:

"Who has the initials, D.S.?"
Or like this:
"Who has the initials, D.S?"

Source & Date
of Question Orlando, Florida
15 July 1997
Grammar's
Response In a statement, when the period after an abbreviation (or initials, in this case) ends a sentence, you don't add another period to end the sentence. In a question (or with an exclamation), on the other hand, end the abbreviation, or initials, with its period and then add the appropriate end-mark. (I don't know why you'd want to put a comma in that sentence . . . )
Authority: Quick Access: Reference for Writers by Lynn Quitman Troyka. Simon & Schuster: New York. 1995. Used with permission.

Question The following sentence is an example of parallelism taken from Strunk's Elements of Style. What is the difference between these two sentences and can one ignore the word "both"?

The ceremony was both long and tedious.
The ceremony was long and tedious.
To me, "both" is understood because only two adjectives -- long and tediuos -- are stated.
Source & Date
of Question San Antonio, Texas
15 July 1997
Grammar's
Response You can leave it out if you want to, but you can't ignore it. There is a slight difference in meaning here. Your version, leaving out the both, says there are two characteristics of this thing: it is long and it is tedious. Strunk's version says that there are two characteristics of this thing and these characteristics are to be considered separately (for some reason): it is long, on one hand, and it is also, on the other hand, tedious. The greater the difference between the two qualities, the more you can feel the difference between the two structures: "He is short and ugly" is quite different, I think, from "He is both short and ugly." It's a matter of differentiating between the qualities named. It's not terribly important, I suppose, but it remains a useful construction.

Question
Capitalization:

middle of sentence capitalize (father, mother, grandmother, grandfather)
Title-Gig Harbor Cemetery (is cemetery capitalized)
Member of the Episcopal Church (is member & church capitalized)

Sentence

The young Englishmen put old heritage (or should it be heritages) behind them and came to the heart of Maryland.
Thank you very much for your help!
Source & Date
of Question Loma Linda, California
15 July 1997
Grammar's
Response 1. Capitization Questions
Capitalize such words when they serve as substitutes for someone's name (i.e., We're going to Mother's house.), but not when they're modified in any way (i.e., We're going to my mother's house.).
Yes.
Yes and No. Capitalize Episcopalian Church, but not member.
2. As for heritage/heritages, I don't see the plural in any of my dictionaries, but it's conceivable that you can have a heritage and I can have a heritage and so we can speak of our very different heritages. If it's something they hold in common, however (and so it seems within the context of your sentence), then heritage should certainly suffice.

Question Difference between: Can could should would may might, in present tense and perfect tense.
Can you explain for me ? Thank you very much
Source & Date
of Question Brea, California
16 July 1997
Grammar's
Response This question regarding modal auxiliaries is a good one, but it touches upon what is surely one of the most problematical areas of English Grammar. Martha Kolln points out the differences in some of these verb choices:

Would you lend me ten dollars?
Will you lend me ten dollars?
Could you lend me ten dollars?
Can you lend me ten dollars?
The verbs express subtle differences, Kolln says, "in the degree of politeness, in the extent of the speaker's expectation of getting the money or the hesitation in asking, in the perception of the ability of the person addressed to lend the money." And that's just four of them!
I suggest you visit Anthony Hughes' Edunet site on modal auxiliaries and start there. Hughes is quite helpful on the problem of tenses with these verbs.
Authority: Understanding English Grammar by Martha Kolln. 4rth Edition. MacMillan Publishing Company: New York. 1994.

Question Is it grammatically correct to put a comma before such as? For example, We sell several solutions that are fully integrated, such as kiosk, call center, and platform. Can the comma be omitted?
Source & Date
of Question Spokane, Washington
16 July 1997
Grammar's
Response I think you want the comma in that sentence because the information introduced by such as is parenthetical (i.e., tacked on, added information). It would not always be so, however. In this sentence, for instance -- Words such as blah, blah, blah are essential for blah, blah. -- the phrase introduced is essential and you wouldn't have a comma before the such as.

Question How do I punctuate PhD and MS when referring to an individual's earned degrees? For example, "Professor Smith earned a MS at the University of Chicago and a PhD at Templeton University". Should it be Ph.D. and M.S. or PhD and MS? While I'm on the topic, should it be "a" or "an" MS? How about "a" or "an" EdD?
Source & Date
of Question Milwuakee, Wisconsin
16 July 1997
Grammar's
Response You'll find two schools of thought about the periods in such abbreviations. The MLA Handbook leaves them out: PhD, DDS, and the like. Other manuals will list them with periods; Ph.D., M.S., D.D.S., etc. I guess that means it's a matter of personal preference. I've taken to leaving out the periods myself, but I can't say why. Consistency is nice.
You'd say an M.S. (or MS) because the "m" starts with an "em" (vowel-like) sound, and, of course, so does the Ed.D. (or EdD).

Question Is it necessary to set off a date in a sentence with a comma? (Does a comma need to be added after the year?)
Example: We are proud to announce that on July 1, 1997 we became a new entity.

Source & Date
of Question Annville, Pennsylvania
18 July 1997
Grammar's
Response Yes, put a comma after the year: "July 1, 1997, we became. . . . " Note that if you used the other date format: 1 July 1997, you wouldn't use a comma at all (but that format is not always acceptable in the United States). Also, if you didn't have the date itself in there, you wouldn't have a comma:
". . . in July 1997 we became. . . ."

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Question	Why do I say: " Anybody here from Salvador?" and not "Anybody here is from Salvador?"
Source & Date of Question	Salvador, Bahia, Brazil 12 July 1997
Grammar's Response	In the first sentence you're simply leaving out the linking verb is, and, hopefully, your listeners will understand what you mean. (Usually, they will, so you can sometimes get away with this kind of shortcut in informal speech or even in informal writing.) In that second sentence, you should put the verb at the beginning of the sentence: "Is anybody here from Salvador"

Question	Tell the differences below two sentences. Do you think who he is? Who do you think he is? Thank you.
Source & Date of Question	Sunchun Chullanamdo South Korea 13 July 1997
Grammar's Response	The second sentence is asking me if I know the name of the person you've pointed out to me (or if I can identify him in any way). The first sentence doesn't make any sense to me.

Question	The following sentence is an example of parallelism taken from Strunk's Elements of Style. What is the difference between these two sentences and can one ignore the word "both"? The ceremony was both long and tedious. The ceremony was long and tedious. To me, "both" is understood because only two adjectives -- long and tediuos -- are stated.
Source & Date of Question	San Antonio, Texas 15 July 1997
Grammar's Response	You can leave it out if you want to, but you can't ignore it. There is a slight difference in meaning here. Your version, leaving out the both, says there are two characteristics of this thing: it is long and it is tedious. Strunk's version says that there are two characteristics of this thing and these characteristics are to be considered separately (for some reason): it is long, on one hand, and it is also, on the other hand, tedious. The greater the difference between the two qualities, the more you can feel the difference between the two structures: "He is short and ugly" is quite different, I think, from "He is both short and ugly." It's a matter of differentiating between the qualities named. It's not terribly important, I suppose, but it remains a useful construction.

Question	Capitalization: middle of sentence capitalize (father, mother, grandmother, grandfather) Title-Gig Harbor Cemetery (is cemetery capitalized) Member of the Episcopal Church (is member & church capitalized) Sentence The young Englishmen put old heritage (or should it be heritages) behind them and came to the heart of Maryland. Thank you very much for your help!
Source & Date of Question	Loma Linda, California 15 July 1997
Grammar's Response	1. Capitization Questions Capitalize such words when they serve as substitutes for someone's name (i.e., We're going to Mother's house.), but not when they're modified in any way (i.e., We're going to my mother's house.). Yes. Yes and No. Capitalize Episcopalian Church, but not member. 2. As for heritage/heritages, I don't see the plural in any of my dictionaries, but it's conceivable that you can have a heritage and I can have a heritage and so we can speak of our very different heritages. If it's something they hold in common, however (and so it seems within the context of your sentence), then heritage should certainly suffice.

Question	How do I punctuate PhD and MS when referring to an individual's earned degrees? For example, "Professor Smith earned a MS at the University of Chicago and a PhD at Templeton University". Should it be Ph.D. and M.S. or PhD and MS? While I'm on the topic, should it be "a" or "an" MS? How about "a" or "an" EdD?
Source & Date of Question	Milwuakee, Wisconsin 16 July 1997
Grammar's Response	You'll find two schools of thought about the periods in such abbreviations. The MLA Handbook leaves them out: PhD, DDS, and the like. Other manuals will list them with periods; Ph.D., M.S., D.D.S., etc. I guess that means it's a matter of personal preference. I've taken to leaving out the periods myself, but I can't say why. Consistency is nice. You'd say an M.S. (or MS) because the "m" starts with an "em" (vowel-like) sound, and, of course, so does the Ed.D. (or EdD).

Question	how to start a title page?
Source & Date of Question	Pensacola, Florida 15 July 1997
Grammar's Response	Go to our Guide for Writing Research Papers and click on Formatting the Paper. If you prefer (or are required to use) the APA format, click on the APA-style Guide and go to the question regarding format.

Question	Is it grammatically correct to put a comma before such as? For example, We sell several solutions that are fully integrated, such as kiosk, call center, and platform. Can the comma be omitted?
Source & Date of Question	Spokane, Washington 16 July 1997
Grammar's Response	I think you want the comma in that sentence because the information introduced by such as is parenthetical (i.e., tacked on, added information). It would not always be so, however. In this sentence, for instance -- Words such as blah, blah, blah are essential for blah, blah. -- the phrase introduced is essential and you wouldn't have a comma before the such as.

Question	Is it necessary to set off a date in a sentence with a comma? (Does a comma need to be added after the year?) Example: We are proud to announce that on July 1, 1997 we became a new entity.
Source & Date of Question	Annville, Pennsylvania 18 July 1997
Grammar's Response	Yes, put a comma after the year: "July 1, 1997, we became. . . . " Note that if you used the other date format: 1 July 1997, you wouldn't use a comma at all (but that format is not always acceptable in the United States). Also, if you didn't have the date itself in there, you wouldn't have a comma: ". . . in July 1997 we became. . . ."