The Grammar Logs -- Number Thirty-Seven

The
Grammar
Logs
# 37

Question What does form-class words mean?
Source & Date
of Question Edinburg, Mississippi
28 October 1997
Grammar's
Response Good question! There are two kinds of words: form-class words (a category which includes nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs) and structure words (such as prepositions, determiners, expletives, pronouns, conjunctions, auxiliary verbs, qualifiers, etc.). One difference is that we are constantly adding to our list of form-class words: our technological world daily requires more and more nouns and teenagers are always adding to our list of adjectives. But what's the last time you heard of a new conjunction or pronoun? Also, the structure words don't change much over time: the conjunctions Shakespeare used are the same that we use today.
Form-class words, furthermore, are capable of changing form. Verbs can change with tense and number, nouns change with number and gender (sometimes), adjectives change when they become comparative or superlative. Structure words don't change.
One last difference: it's fairly easy to define what we mean by a noun or a verb. Try defining the word but, however. It doesn't really mean anything; rather, it performs a function, establishes a relationship between ideas.
Enough?
Authority: Understanding English Grammar by Martha Kolln. 4rth Edition. MacMillan Publishing Company: New York. 1994.

Question Agreed upon? Agreed to?
Source & Date
of Question Newport News, Virginia
28 October 1997
Grammar's
Response
These phrasal verbs are similar in meaning, but not quite synomymous. "Agree upon" is close to "concur," meaning "to come into or be in harmony regarding a matter of opinion."
We have agreed upon the major points of the contract.
"Agree to" is closer to "giving assent to."
We have agreed to his argument regarding arbitration.
But there are probably contexts in which these phrases are virtually identical.

Question
John told me that the soup was still hot. (Is the soup is till hot in the present, can I replace "was" to "is" in the above sentence.)
How do you define general truth? Newton said that the apple drops due to gravity. Should I use dropped instead?
John told me that Mary was coming to see me now. Mary is actually still on her way to see me; Should I replace 'was' to is in the above sentence?

Source & Date
of Question Boston, Massachusetts
28 October 1997
Grammar's
Response In that order:

No, it creates logical difficulties when you say that John did something in the past about what is true in the present.
That's close enough (to being a "general truth"). Yes, you can use drops in this case.
Yes, but not the words european and asian.
Your sentence is fine until we get to now. We can't say that Mary "was coming" now, can we?

Question For the MLA format, do I indent paragraphs?
Source & Date
of Question Georgia
28 October 1997
Grammar's
Response Yes. See our Guide to Writing Research Papers and click on formatting the paper.

Question I have questions about the following example, please correct it and explain why.

Students tried tacitly during their class period.
or
Students are tacitly during their class period.
Also please give me an example (use in a sentence)for the following words: assimilation, innate, secular, hiatus, and repertory.
Thanks very much.
Source & Date
of Question Fargo, North Dakota
28 October 1997
Grammar's
Response No offense intended, but I get the impression I'm doing a homework assignment. We can't use the word tacitly that way, not in either sentence, I'm afraid. As for your vocabulary work, there, I hope these will do, but I also hope we don't have to do the rest of the dictionary:

The eastern Europeans were noted for their assimilation into our society.
They seemed to have an innate sense of how to succeed.
The secular concerns of the pilgrims were greatly overshadowed by sacred issues.
Summer vacation marked a long hiatus in her studies.
She played an impressive repertory of romantic songs.

Question
Is many or much acceptable i formal/normal affirmative sentences like:
I have got many friends.
I also have much money.
I saw many deer.
I have met with much trouble. ?
Which alternatives are recommended?
a good/great many ?
a large number of ?
a great deal of ?

Source & Date
of Question Støvring, Denmark
30 October 1997
Grammar's
Response All of your sentences use acceptable idiomatic expressions, although I would get rid of the got in "I have got many friends." Also, "great/good many" is probably, in either case, a redundancy that can be avoided, especially in formal prose.

Question I work in a hospital in the managed health care office. I have to distribute a direct mail letter to over 400 senior citizens who have provide me with their name and address. My problem is deciding how to address the first line of the letter for this group of people. Specifically, I am uncertain whether many of the females calling in are married, widowed, or single. Therefore I don't know if I should address them as Dear Ms. Smith, which I know many seniors find insulting and may be offensive if they are indeed married; Dear Mary, which seems too informal and almost disrespectful, or Dear Mary Smith which seems most logical to me, but still doesn't sound great. Any rules about this situation? I've read one rule that says for individuals, such as Chris, that you are unsure of their gender, you should address them Dear Chris Smith. My material is time sensitive and must be sent very soon. I would really appreciate a timely response. Thanks for your help!
Source & Date
of Question Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
30 October 1997
Grammar's
Response Go with the full name, Dear Chris Smith, by all means, whether gender is clear or not. It avoids the gender problem and is the best combination of being businesslike and personal, for your purposes.

Question
Is the comma properly placed after the word Gazoo in the following sentence?
Coming from a guy who calls himself "The Great Gazoo," I'm somehow not that offended.
Can you explain the rule of grammar which applies and if possible, could you site an existing source for the rule that can be found on the web.
Many Thanks,
Source & Date
of Question Unknown
30 October 1997
Grammar's
Response Yes, the comma's in the right place, after the introductory element and inside the quotation mark. The problem with this sentence is that it creates a dangling modifier, making it sound as if the speaker of the sentence, the "I," is "coming from a guy who calls himself. . . ."
Check out the sections in our Guide to Grammar to Grammar and Writing on Comma Usage and Modifiers.

Question What are directional verbs?
Source & Date
of Question Unknown
30 October 1997
Grammar's
Response
The short and accurate answer is: I don't know. But that never stopped me before. I'm guessing that a directional verb is one that accompanies directional adjuncts (such as prepositional phrases and adverbs that indicate direction).
The mark is spiralling downward.
They're moving up in the world.
But I wouldn't bet the farm on it.

Question What is a predicate nominative and a predicate adjective?
Source & Date
of Question Lincoln, Rhode Island
30 October 1997
Grammar's
Response
Once you find the subject of the sentence, it's easy to find the predicate: it's the part of the sentence that tells you something about the subject or what the subject did. If it's a noun, it's a predicate noun (nominative); if it's an adjective, it's a predicate adjective (in that order):
That teacher is a brilliant fellow.
That teacher is brilliant.

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Question	Agreed upon? Agreed to?
Source & Date of Question	Newport News, Virginia 28 October 1997
Grammar's Response	These phrasal verbs are similar in meaning, but not quite synomymous. "Agree upon" is close to "concur," meaning "to come into or be in harmony regarding a matter of opinion." We have agreed upon the major points of the contract. "Agree to" is closer to "giving assent to." We have agreed to his argument regarding arbitration. But there are probably contexts in which these phrases are virtually identical.

Question	John told me that the soup was still hot. (Is the soup is till hot in the present, can I replace "was" to "is" in the above sentence.) How do you define general truth? Newton said that the apple drops due to gravity. Should I use dropped instead? John told me that Mary was coming to see me now. Mary is actually still on her way to see me; Should I replace 'was' to is in the above sentence?
Source & Date of Question	Boston, Massachusetts 28 October 1997
Grammar's Response	In that order: No, it creates logical difficulties when you say that John did something in the past about what is true in the present. That's close enough (to being a "general truth"). Yes, you can use drops in this case. Yes, but not the words european and asian. Your sentence is fine until we get to now. We can't say that Mary "was coming" now, can we?

Question	I have questions about the following example, please correct it and explain why. Students tried tacitly during their class period. or Students are tacitly during their class period. Also please give me an example (use in a sentence)for the following words: assimilation, innate, secular, hiatus, and repertory. Thanks very much.
Source & Date of Question	Fargo, North Dakota 28 October 1997
Grammar's Response	No offense intended, but I get the impression I'm doing a homework assignment. We can't use the word tacitly that way, not in either sentence, I'm afraid. As for your vocabulary work, there, I hope these will do, but I also hope we don't have to do the rest of the dictionary: The eastern Europeans were noted for their assimilation into our society. They seemed to have an innate sense of how to succeed. The secular concerns of the pilgrims were greatly overshadowed by sacred issues. Summer vacation marked a long hiatus in her studies. She played an impressive repertory of romantic songs.

Question	Is many or much acceptable i formal/normal affirmative sentences like: I have got many friends. I also have much money. I saw many deer. I have met with much trouble. ? Which alternatives are recommended? a good/great many ? a large number of ? a great deal of ?
Source & Date of Question	Støvring, Denmark 30 October 1997
Grammar's Response	All of your sentences use acceptable idiomatic expressions, although I would get rid of the got in "I have got many friends." Also, "great/good many" is probably, in either case, a redundancy that can be avoided, especially in formal prose.

Question	Is the comma properly placed after the word Gazoo in the following sentence? Coming from a guy who calls himself "The Great Gazoo," I'm somehow not that offended. Can you explain the rule of grammar which applies and if possible, could you site an existing source for the rule that can be found on the web. Many Thanks,
Source & Date of Question	Unknown 30 October 1997
Grammar's Response	Yes, the comma's in the right place, after the introductory element and inside the quotation mark. The problem with this sentence is that it creates a dangling modifier, making it sound as if the speaker of the sentence, the "I," is "coming from a guy who calls himself. . . ." Check out the sections in our Guide to Grammar to Grammar and Writing on Comma Usage and Modifiers.

Question	For the MLA format, do I indent paragraphs?
Source & Date of Question	Georgia 28 October 1997
Grammar's Response	Yes. See our Guide to Writing Research Papers and click on formatting the paper.

Question	I work in a hospital in the managed health care office. I have to distribute a direct mail letter to over 400 senior citizens who have provide me with their name and address. My problem is deciding how to address the first line of the letter for this group of people. Specifically, I am uncertain whether many of the females calling in are married, widowed, or single. Therefore I don't know if I should address them as Dear Ms. Smith, which I know many seniors find insulting and may be offensive if they are indeed married; Dear Mary, which seems too informal and almost disrespectful, or Dear Mary Smith which seems most logical to me, but still doesn't sound great. Any rules about this situation? I've read one rule that says for individuals, such as Chris, that you are unsure of their gender, you should address them Dear Chris Smith. My material is time sensitive and must be sent very soon. I would really appreciate a timely response. Thanks for your help!
Source & Date of Question	Lewisburg, Pennsylvania 30 October 1997
Grammar's Response	Go with the full name, Dear Chris Smith, by all means, whether gender is clear or not. It avoids the gender problem and is the best combination of being businesslike and personal, for your purposes.

Question	What are directional verbs?
Source & Date of Question	Unknown 30 October 1997
Grammar's Response	The short and accurate answer is: I don't know. But that never stopped me before. I'm guessing that a directional verb is one that accompanies directional adjuncts (such as prepositional phrases and adverbs that indicate direction). The mark is spiralling downward. They're moving up in the world. But I wouldn't bet the farm on it.

Question	What is a predicate nominative and a predicate adjective?
Source & Date of Question	Lincoln, Rhode Island 30 October 1997
Grammar's Response	Once you find the subject of the sentence, it's easy to find the predicate: it's the part of the sentence that tells you something about the subject or what the subject did. If it's a noun, it's a predicate noun (nominative); if it's an adjective, it's a predicate adjective (in that order): That teacher is a brilliant fellow. That teacher is brilliant.