The Grammar Logs -- Number Forty-Seven

The
Grammar
Logs
# 47

Question About passive voice: how to use? when?
Source & Date
of Question Thailand
2 December 1997
Grammar's
Response I just added a brief section to our handout on verbs about when it is appropriate to use the passive voice. I hope you find it helpful.

Question
Thank you very much for your advice on my query (Reference no.: Log 46 #4: "Rises as a general truth", I now have a further question as follows:
Mary told Peter yesterday that she now works for her father.
OR
Mary told Peter yesterday that she now worked for her father.
Which one should be used? Again this is reported speech. Although the sub-ordinate clause is not a general truth such as "the sun rises in the east", yet it is also a fact which is true at present. Could you elaborate the point in more detail further?
Thank you so much for your advice.
Source & Date
of Question Sydney, Australia
2 December 1997
Grammar's
Response I think there must be two circumstances in which the past tense in the main clause can be followed by a present tense in the dependent clause:

when the dependent clause expresses a "general truth" ("that the sun "rises") and
when the main clause involves telling or reporting ("The President told reporters last night that he agrees with congressional leaders.").
A friend and colleague of mine puts it this way: "The writer has a choice when the fact is not an eternal verity but still happens to be true at the time that the reported event is being reported. The choice to use the past tense conforms to the general rule and is comfortable, unobtrusive, and correct. The choice to use the present tense claims the status of exception and therefore emphasizes the continuing truth of the fact."
Authority: Evelyn Farbman, Professor of English at Capital Community College and author of Sentence Sense: A Writer's Guide.

Question In the sentence: Our services must conform with requirements set by our customers... Is there a rule that would apply to "conform"? Is it conform with or conform to? I've run this by quite a few people and though we all agree that we hear "conform to" more in spoken language, we feel that "conform with" is the proper usage. HELPPPPPPPP!!! Thanks a bunch!
Source & Date
of Question Indianapolis, Indiana
3 December 1997
Grammar's
Response I personally prefer "conform to," but there's nothing in the definitions I find that excludes the use of "conform with." It seems that either is quite acceptable.

Question I need to show a "project" in my English Course! What subject do you think I could do it? It's a Grammar Course.
Source & Date
of Question Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
3 December 1997
Grammar's
Response Why don't you do a project on how we show the future tense in English? There are no inflected forms (such as the final -ed for past tense or the final -s for some present tense forms), and, oddly enough, we have several present tense forms to show the future (e.g., "The bus leaves in twenty minutes."). That could be interesting, and I'd like to see it when you're done if you write up something on it.

Question Is it the greater of (a) or (b) or the greater of (a) and (b)?
Source & Date
of Question Palo Alto, California
3 December 1997
Grammar's
Response The preposition of works algebraically here, I think. You have to add the two items before you make the comparison. Use and. Without the of, you'd say, "Which is greater, a or b?"
I have friends who tell me this is wrong, that it should be "Which is the greater of a and b?" I'm still looking for an authoritative source to give a well reasoned answer on this one. Mathematicians are no help at all, incidentally. (12/29/97)

Question I'm looking for the proper standard form for both the business and personal letters.
Source & Date
of Question Miami, Florida
3 December 1997
Grammar's
Response We don't have anything here on this Guide that will help you, but for the business forms, at least, you might try going to the Purdue University Writing Lab.
Letter forms are something we should add, though, in the near future.

Question Dear Dr. Grammar, I am a 42 year old mother who recently renewed my career as an English teacher after being at home for 15 years. Needless to say, I have encountered some situations that tax my memory. I have two questions (at the moment). Is there ever an occasion that it is okay to end a sentence with a preposition? Also, is it correct to use the word through as a synonym for finished? For example, is it correct to say "I am through with my homework"? Thanks for your help. I consulted you earlier this year on another question.
Source & Date
of Question Troy, Alabama
3 December 1997
Grammar's
Response It's a good idea to avoid ending a sentence with a preposition if only because so many people will pick up on it and regard it as the worse thing in the world. It isn't; in fact, many great writers habitually have ended a sentence with a preposition. Remember Churchill's "That is nonsense up with which I shall not put." Or the child's "Why did you bring that book I don't want to be read to out of up for?"
As for being "through," well, we all are. No one would ever say "I am through my exams." We'd say "I am through with my exams." So we've created a double phrasal verb (I guess), where "finished" or "completed" would do the job just fine. In the sense of putting something behind you because you're "through with all that," I don't see an adequate substitute for it. It's a matter of informal usage. In writing, I would try to avoid the "through with." (Now you've done it! You made me end a sentence with a double preposition.)

Question Please explain the correct usage of the work "cannot" as opposed to "can not" as two words.
Source & Date
of Question Reston, Virginia
4 December 1997
Grammar's
Response Almost always the word will be spelled as one word: cannot. There's probably a reason for this, historically, but I don't know what it is. If, however, you are emphasizing the negative, you will use two words. I'll put the second word in ALL CAPS to help make my point: "Damn it! You can NOT do that!"

Question Hello!
There are some words called "False Friends" like : sensible vs sensitive. Could you help me to find a source where I can learn more about them?
Thank you very much!
Source & Date
of Question Manchester, England
4 December 1997
Grammar's
Response We have our own section of words like that. It's called The Notorious Confusables, but I'm not sure we're talking about the same thing. I haven't included "sensitive" and "sensible" because I'm not aware of people actually confusing those two words in meaning. If "false friends" means something else, please let us know. Just about every manual of English usage has at least a brief section dedicated to such duplicitous words.

Question
I understand that if two subjects are linked by the conjunction "or", the verb agrees with the number of the closer subject. Examples:
1) Mary or the boys are coming to the party.
2) Is Mary or the boys coming to the party?
Would it also be correct to say:
1) Either he or I am going to the party.
2) Is he or you going to the party?
In these cases, number is not exactly the key factor since all of these pronouns are singular.

Source & Date
of Question San Jose, California
4 December 1997
Grammar's
Response You're right. When you're using either or by itself or as part of the either/or conjunction, the verb will agree in number with the subject closer to it. So all your sentences are correct. However, fewer eyebrows would be raised if we said something like "Either he is going to the party or I am."

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Question	Is it the greater of (a) or (b) or the greater of (a) and (b)?
Source & Date of Question	Palo Alto, California 3 December 1997
Grammar's Response	The preposition of works algebraically here, I think. You have to add the two items before you make the comparison. Use and. Without the of, you'd say, "Which is greater, a or b?" I have friends who tell me this is wrong, that it should be "Which is the greater of a and b?" I'm still looking for an authoritative source to give a well reasoned answer on this one. Mathematicians are no help at all, incidentally. (12/29/97)

Question	I'm looking for the proper standard form for both the business and personal letters.
Source & Date of Question	Miami, Florida 3 December 1997
Grammar's Response	We don't have anything here on this Guide that will help you, but for the business forms, at least, you might try going to the Purdue University Writing Lab. Letter forms are something we should add, though, in the near future.

Question	Dear Dr. Grammar, I am a 42 year old mother who recently renewed my career as an English teacher after being at home for 15 years. Needless to say, I have encountered some situations that tax my memory. I have two questions (at the moment). Is there ever an occasion that it is okay to end a sentence with a preposition? Also, is it correct to use the word through as a synonym for finished? For example, is it correct to say "I am through with my homework"? Thanks for your help. I consulted you earlier this year on another question.
Source & Date of Question	Troy, Alabama 3 December 1997
Grammar's Response	It's a good idea to avoid ending a sentence with a preposition if only because so many people will pick up on it and regard it as the worse thing in the world. It isn't; in fact, many great writers habitually have ended a sentence with a preposition. Remember Churchill's "That is nonsense up with which I shall not put." Or the child's "Why did you bring that book I don't want to be read to out of up for?" As for being "through," well, we all are. No one would ever say "I am through my exams." We'd say "I am through with my exams." So we've created a double phrasal verb (I guess), where "finished" or "completed" would do the job just fine. In the sense of putting something behind you because you're "through with all that," I don't see an adequate substitute for it. It's a matter of informal usage. In writing, I would try to avoid the "through with." (Now you've done it! You made me end a sentence with a double preposition.)

Question	Hello! There are some words called "False Friends" like : sensible vs sensitive. Could you help me to find a source where I can learn more about them? Thank you very much!
Source & Date of Question	Manchester, England 4 December 1997
Grammar's Response	We have our own section of words like that. It's called The Notorious Confusables, but I'm not sure we're talking about the same thing. I haven't included "sensitive" and "sensible" because I'm not aware of people actually confusing those two words in meaning. If "false friends" means something else, please let us know. Just about every manual of English usage has at least a brief section dedicated to such duplicitous words.

Question	I understand that if two subjects are linked by the conjunction "or", the verb agrees with the number of the closer subject. Examples: 1) Mary or the boys are coming to the party. 2) Is Mary or the boys coming to the party? Would it also be correct to say: 1) Either he or I am going to the party. 2) Is he or you going to the party? In these cases, number is not exactly the key factor since all of these pronouns are singular.
Source & Date of Question	San Jose, California 4 December 1997
Grammar's Response	You're right. When you're using either or by itself or as part of the either/or conjunction, the verb will agree in number with the subject closer to it. So all your sentences are correct. However, fewer eyebrows would be raised if we said something like "Either he is going to the party or I am."

Question	About passive voice: how to use? when?
Source & Date of Question	Thailand 2 December 1997
Grammar's Response	I just added a brief section to our handout on verbs about when it is appropriate to use the passive voice. I hope you find it helpful.

Question	In the sentence: Our services must conform with requirements set by our customers... Is there a rule that would apply to "conform"? Is it conform with or conform to? I've run this by quite a few people and though we all agree that we hear "conform to" more in spoken language, we feel that "conform with" is the proper usage. HELPPPPPPPP!!! Thanks a bunch!
Source & Date of Question	Indianapolis, Indiana 3 December 1997
Grammar's Response	I personally prefer "conform to," but there's nothing in the definitions I find that excludes the use of "conform with." It seems that either is quite acceptable.

Question	I need to show a "project" in my English Course! What subject do you think I could do it? It's a Grammar Course.
Source & Date of Question	Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil 3 December 1997
Grammar's Response	Why don't you do a project on how we show the future tense in English? There are no inflected forms (such as the final -ed for past tense or the final -s for some present tense forms), and, oddly enough, we have several present tense forms to show the future (e.g., "The bus leaves in twenty minutes."). That could be interesting, and I'd like to see it when you're done if you write up something on it.

Question	Please explain the correct usage of the work "cannot" as opposed to "can not" as two words.
Source & Date of Question	Reston, Virginia 4 December 1997
Grammar's Response	Almost always the word will be spelled as one word: cannot. There's probably a reason for this, historically, but I don't know what it is. If, however, you are emphasizing the negative, you will use two words. I'll put the second word in ALL CAPS to help make my point: "Damn it! You can NOT do that!"