The Grammar Logs -- Number Forty-Nine

The
Grammar
Logs
# 49

Question How do you write mice as a plural possessive noun?
Source & Date
of Question Eatontown, New Jersey
7 December 1997
Grammar's
Response mice's. Sounds and looks weird, but that's how it's done. See our section on Possessives.

Question Could you please provide me with definitions and examples of "subject", "predicate", "bare subject" and "bare predicate"? Thank you.
Source & Date
of Question Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
7 December 1997
Grammar's
Response I would have to guess about "bare subject" and "bare predicate" because I've never heard those terms before. A subject is the be-er or do-er of a sentence. In the sentence, "The egomaniacal man with the beautiful hair gladly tried to shoot his fleet-footed uncle," the subject is the word man. That is, that's the simple subject, stripped of all the modifiers that go along with it. That's probably what's meant by a "bare subject." The predicate of a sentence is everything else that sentence does. A "bare predicate" is probably the verb or verb phrase of the sentence -- here, "tried." The complete predicate would be everything other than the subject (beginning with "gladly").
I hope this is right and that it helps.

Question My problem is that I do not understand the differences in noun, adjective, and adverb clauses at all. I am in dire straits, please help as quick as possible.
Source & Date
of Question Centerville, Ohio
7 December 1997
Grammar's
Response Have you looked at our section on clauses (especially, dependent clauses).
If you look at that and still have questions, please write back.

Question Do you know how to teach passive sentences effectively? Give me some examples.
Source & Date
of Question Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
8 December 1997
Grammar's
Response We have a small section on the passive voice. There's also a computer-graded quiz there on recognizing and changing passive constructions.
If that's not enough, in the way of examples, you might try the link from there to the University of Minnesota's page on the passive voice. And if that's not enough, you might send your query to Dave's ESL Cafe.

Question
In the following sentence is "only" an adjective or an adverb?
I like planes because they take only a few hours to travel.

Source & Date
of Question New York City, New York
10 December 1997
Grammar's
Response In this sentence, only is functioning as an adverb, modifying the adjective few. The word only can act as either an adjective or an adverb, as in "The way they spoil their only child will only make you sick."

Question
Which of the following sentences is correct? Why?
1) "I am taller than she."
2) "I am taller than her."

Source & Date
of Question Reston, Virginia
10 December 1997
Grammar's
Response "I am taller than she" is correct because the word "than" is actually introducing a clause, the verb of which is understood, "than she is tall." However, some writers will argue that the word "than" functions as a preposition here and they want the object of a preposition, "her." You can join their camp if you wish, but you must be prepared for lots of other writers (especially English teachers) to say you're wrong and then you'll have spend your days bickering over grammar.

Question I need help with my home work! I have to add prefix and/or suffix to spelling words. Where can I find a list of prefix and suffix on the internet that I can use.
Source & Date
of Question Albemarle, North Carolina
11 December 1997
Grammar's
Response You didn't look quite far enough. Go to the Vocabulary section of the Guide for a number of prefixes and suffixes you could work with.

Question Can I send my written works for proofreading?
Source & Date
of Question Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
11 December 1997
Grammar's
Response Not to me, you can't. There are such services -- paid services -- on the World Wide Web, and some of them are probably legitimate services. I highly recommend you learn to proofread your own works. Is there a school nearby that might have a helpful writing center?

Question
How are you? It's my first time sending mail to you. I hope you can help me answer some of my questions about the English grammar. Can you analyse the below sentences for me and can you tell me the difference between each sentence.
*I check the computer.
*I have check the computer.
*I have checked the computer.
*I had checked the computer.
If you find any wrong sentence or concept. Please tell me detail because my English is not good enough to communicate and I still confuse of grammar concept. I don't know how to fully understand the grammar concept. Please tell me the method of that.
Thank you very much!

Source & Date
of Question Hong Kong
11 December 1997
Grammar's
Response The first sentence is simple present tense; it says you are doing that action right now. The second sentence is incorrrect; with the auxiliary verb "have," you must use the past participle, which is what you have in the third sentence. The third sentence is in the present perfect tense, which means that the action is finished (thus "perfect") as of now. The fourth sentence, in what is called the past perfect tense, means that the action was finished at some point in the past.

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Question	Could you please provide me with definitions and examples of "subject", "predicate", "bare subject" and "bare predicate"? Thank you.
Source & Date of Question	Mississauga, Ontario, Canada 7 December 1997
Grammar's Response	I would have to guess about "bare subject" and "bare predicate" because I've never heard those terms before. A subject is the be-er or do-er of a sentence. In the sentence, "The egomaniacal man with the beautiful hair gladly tried to shoot his fleet-footed uncle," the subject is the word man. That is, that's the simple subject, stripped of all the modifiers that go along with it. That's probably what's meant by a "bare subject." The predicate of a sentence is everything else that sentence does. A "bare predicate" is probably the verb or verb phrase of the sentence -- here, "tried." The complete predicate would be everything other than the subject (beginning with "gladly"). I hope this is right and that it helps.

Question	My problem is that I do not understand the differences in noun, adjective, and adverb clauses at all. I am in dire straits, please help as quick as possible.
Source & Date of Question	Centerville, Ohio 7 December 1997
Grammar's Response	Have you looked at our section on clauses (especially, dependent clauses). If you look at that and still have questions, please write back.

Question	Do you know how to teach passive sentences effectively? Give me some examples.
Source & Date of Question	Nagoya, Aichi, Japan 8 December 1997
Grammar's Response	We have a small section on the passive voice. There's also a computer-graded quiz there on recognizing and changing passive constructions. If that's not enough, in the way of examples, you might try the link from there to the University of Minnesota's page on the passive voice. And if that's not enough, you might send your query to Dave's ESL Cafe.

Question	In the following sentence is "only" an adjective or an adverb? I like planes because they take only a few hours to travel.
Source & Date of Question	New York City, New York 10 December 1997
Grammar's Response	In this sentence, only is functioning as an adverb, modifying the adjective few. The word only can act as either an adjective or an adverb, as in "The way they spoil their only child will only make you sick."

Question	Which of the following sentences is correct? Why? 1) "I am taller than she." 2) "I am taller than her."
Source & Date of Question	Reston, Virginia 10 December 1997
Grammar's Response	"I am taller than she" is correct because the word "than" is actually introducing a clause, the verb of which is understood, "than she is tall." However, some writers will argue that the word "than" functions as a preposition here and they want the object of a preposition, "her." You can join their camp if you wish, but you must be prepared for lots of other writers (especially English teachers) to say you're wrong and then you'll have spend your days bickering over grammar.

Question	How do you write mice as a plural possessive noun?
Source & Date of Question	Eatontown, New Jersey 7 December 1997
Grammar's Response	mice's. Sounds and looks weird, but that's how it's done. See our section on Possessives.

Question	I need help with my home work! I have to add prefix and/or suffix to spelling words. Where can I find a list of prefix and suffix on the internet that I can use.
Source & Date of Question	Albemarle, North Carolina 11 December 1997
Grammar's Response	You didn't look quite far enough. Go to the Vocabulary section of the Guide for a number of prefixes and suffixes you could work with.

Question	Can I send my written works for proofreading?
Source & Date of Question	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 11 December 1997
Grammar's Response	Not to me, you can't. There are such services -- paid services -- on the World Wide Web, and some of them are probably legitimate services. I highly recommend you learn to proofread your own works. Is there a school nearby that might have a helpful writing center?

Question	How are you? It's my first time sending mail to you. I hope you can help me answer some of my questions about the English grammar. Can you analyse the below sentences for me and can you tell me the difference between each sentence. I check the computer. I have check the computer. I have checked the computer. I had checked the computer. If you find any wrong sentence or concept. Please tell me detail because my English is not good enough to communicate and I still confuse of grammar concept. I don't know how to fully understand the grammar concept. Please tell me the method of that. Thank you very much!
Source & Date of Question	Hong Kong 11 December 1997
Grammar's Response	The first sentence is simple present tense; it says you are doing that action right now. The second sentence is incorrrect; with the auxiliary verb "have," you must use the past participle, which is what you have in the third sentence. The third sentence is in the present perfect tense, which means that the action is finished (thus "perfect") as of now. The fourth sentence, in what is called the past perfect tense, means that the action was finished at some point in the past.