The Grammar Logs -- Number Seventy-Two

The
Grammar
Logs
# 72

Question What is the correct past tense of "to fit"? I am used to and comfortable with "fitted" as in "the dress fitted her perfectly", but I continually come across "the dress fit her perfectly". Is either in more common use, or more modern than the other?
Source & Date
of Question London, UK
17 February 1998
Grammar's
Response I don't have the proper kinds of resources to say which is more modern, but my two dictionaries list "fitted" first and "fit" second as the past tense of this verb. I would probably guess that "fit" has more currency now, but "fitted" is the first correct version of this verb's past tense.

Question What is the copula "be"?
What are the implication of education for EFL learners?
Source & Date
of Question Haifa, Israel
17 February 1998
Grammar's
Response A copula is a linking verb, and the verb to be is, of course, by far the most common of the linking verbs. Whenever the subject is linked to its complement by a linking verb, the verb has acted as a copula. "He is tall" would be the simplest example. Other verbs can act as copulas: "The docks smell bad" and "The situation grew ugly."
Authority: A University Grammar of English by Randolph Quirk and Sidney Greenbaum. Longman Group: Essex, England. 1993.
As far as the implication of education for EFL is concerned, I guess I don't understand the question. Could you please be more specific?

Question Where on your website would I need to look to learn when to use 'too' instead of 'to'?
Thanks.
Source & Date
of Question Hot Springs, Arkansas
17 February 1998
Grammar's
Response Take a look in the Notorious Confusables. It doesn't merit much more than a mention, but what you need is a good model sentence that you keep in front of you when you're writing until you get the difference drilled into your head. You could try hooking yourself up to a car battery and zap yourself whenever you use the words incorrectly, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Question First Question:
What is the rule about using everyone versus everybody, anyone versus anybody, no one versus nobody, someone versus somebody, etc.?
Example:
Everyone likes to be appreciated.
Everybody likes to be appreciated.
Does it matter which pronoun is used?
Second Question: The rule I have always followed regarding commas in a series is to use a single comma to separate three or more items in a series.
Example (from Gregg Reference Manual):
Study the rules for the use of the comma, the semicolon, and the colon.
However, I see the comma omitted before the conjunction over and over again in printed material, newspapers, books, etc. Is this the trend in today's business world and is it acceptable?
Thanks!
Source & Date
of Question Fenton, Missouri
17 February 1998
Grammar's
Response The choice within these pairs of indefinite pronouns is a coin-flip. In fact, most dictionaries will use one of the words as a definition for the other, which is really not terribly helpful, is it? Choose whichever of the two sounds better to you.
As for the final comma in a series (between the last two elements of the series), most manuals will say that the final comma is a good idea, use it and you can't go wrong. However, in much journalistic writing, especially for newspapers, the comma between the last two items is left out. Don't go by what you read in the papers.

Question Grammar, is it correct to use the word "Of" in the beginning of a sentence?
Example -- There were sixty cows in the pasture. Of the sixty cows, ten were spotted.

Source & Date
of Question Gaithersburg, Maryland
17 February 1998
Grammar's
Response That is a sometimes elegant way to begin a sentence -- even when you're talking about spotted cows.

Question Is the following sentence correct?
Give me the best possible result regardless which method to use.
Thank you for your help.
Source & Date
of Question Hong Kong
19 February 1998
Grammar's
Response I think I would have written, "Regardless of which method you use, I want you to give me the the best possible result." At any rate, "regardless which method" does not work.

Question "The company was a trendsetter with 'its' category management program."
I'd like to know if I ought to use "its" or "it's" in this sentence.
Thank you.
Source & Date
of Question Baltimore, Maryland
19 February 1998
Grammar's
Response Remember that "it's" means "it is." You want the possessive form there, and the personal pronouns -- like his, whose, its -- do not take apostrophes to form the possessive. Use "its." Check out the Notorious Confusables: this is #1.

Question I recently ran across a part of speech known as a "janus." I believe it has something to do with words which mean one thing in one part of speech, and something else in another part of speech. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find any information about this on the web, nor can I find any examples of a janus. Any help you can offer on this would be greatly, greatly appreciated.
Source & Date
of Question Los Angeles, California
19 February 1998
Grammar's
Response I've looked in my old Unabridged and in the indexes of half-a-dozen books and I don't see "janus" listed. That doesn't mean that someone hasn't claimed the word for this idea, just that it isn't in those indexes. It's a clever idea, and I'll post this response, which isn't worth much, in the hopes that someone will read it who knows the answer. You might try the alt.english.usage newsgroup; it sounds like something they'd be interested in (not that I'm not -- just that I don't know the answer). I suppose it means a word like "rain" that could be either a verb or a noun (there must be hundreds)? Or maybe it means a word like "friendly," which looks like an adverb but is an adjective?

Question Do you use "affected" or "effected" in the following sentence:
The agreement should remain silent on this issue, because the issue is a private matter involving access to a private road and should be resolved between the (affected or effected) parties.

Source & Date
of Question Riverside, California
19 February 1998
Grammar's
Response "Affected" in the sense of "influenced." "Effect" would be the noun in this situation. What "effect" did this resolution have on the parties?
See the Notorious Confusables.

Question I have to write a comparison contrast paper for my Honors Speech class - we are allowed to choose any topic we wish - I cannot seem to come up with one to write about - I know that I have many choices but I can't seem to pick one - is there a place I can go to maybe give me some ideas to stimulate my brain!?
Source & Date
of Question Somewhere, Maryland
19 February 1998
Grammar's
Response How about writing a comp/contrast between the experience of shopping in an old-fashioned downtown and a new mall? Or the difference between an HMO and an old-fashioned doctor's office? Or the kind of vacation your parents used to take and the kind of vacation that people take nowadays? Or the difference between a really good novel and a really bad movie that someone made from that novel (or vice-versa).
Try the website called "Where the Wild Things Are," from St. Ambrose University, which not only has a nice listing of controversial topics, but hyperlinks to resources for those topics.

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Question	Where on your website would I need to look to learn when to use 'too' instead of 'to'? Thanks.
Source & Date of Question	Hot Springs, Arkansas 17 February 1998
Grammar's Response	Take a look in the Notorious Confusables. It doesn't merit much more than a mention, but what you need is a good model sentence that you keep in front of you when you're writing until you get the difference drilled into your head. You could try hooking yourself up to a car battery and zap yourself whenever you use the words incorrectly, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Question	First Question: What is the rule about using everyone versus everybody, anyone versus anybody, no one versus nobody, someone versus somebody, etc.? Example: Everyone likes to be appreciated. Everybody likes to be appreciated. Does it matter which pronoun is used? Second Question: The rule I have always followed regarding commas in a series is to use a single comma to separate three or more items in a series. Example (from Gregg Reference Manual): Study the rules for the use of the comma, the semicolon, and the colon. However, I see the comma omitted before the conjunction over and over again in printed material, newspapers, books, etc. Is this the trend in today's business world and is it acceptable? Thanks!
Source & Date of Question	Fenton, Missouri 17 February 1998
Grammar's Response	The choice within these pairs of indefinite pronouns is a coin-flip. In fact, most dictionaries will use one of the words as a definition for the other, which is really not terribly helpful, is it? Choose whichever of the two sounds better to you. As for the final comma in a series (between the last two elements of the series), most manuals will say that the final comma is a good idea, use it and you can't go wrong. However, in much journalistic writing, especially for newspapers, the comma between the last two items is left out. Don't go by what you read in the papers.

Question	Grammar, is it correct to use the word "Of" in the beginning of a sentence? Example -- There were sixty cows in the pasture. Of the sixty cows, ten were spotted.
Source & Date of Question	Gaithersburg, Maryland 17 February 1998
Grammar's Response	That is a sometimes elegant way to begin a sentence -- even when you're talking about spotted cows.

Question	Is the following sentence correct? Give me the best possible result regardless which method to use. Thank you for your help.
Source & Date of Question	Hong Kong 19 February 1998
Grammar's Response	I think I would have written, "Regardless of which method you use, I want you to give me the the best possible result." At any rate, "regardless which method" does not work.

Question	"The company was a trendsetter with 'its' category management program." I'd like to know if I ought to use "its" or "it's" in this sentence. Thank you.
Source & Date of Question	Baltimore, Maryland 19 February 1998
Grammar's Response	Remember that "it's" means "it is." You want the possessive form there, and the personal pronouns -- like his, whose, its -- do not take apostrophes to form the possessive. Use "its." Check out the Notorious Confusables: this is #1.

Question	What is the correct past tense of "to fit"? I am used to and comfortable with "fitted" as in "the dress fitted her perfectly", but I continually come across "the dress fit her perfectly". Is either in more common use, or more modern than the other?
Source & Date of Question	London, UK 17 February 1998
Grammar's Response	I don't have the proper kinds of resources to say which is more modern, but my two dictionaries list "fitted" first and "fit" second as the past tense of this verb. I would probably guess that "fit" has more currency now, but "fitted" is the first correct version of this verb's past tense.

Question	I recently ran across a part of speech known as a "janus." I believe it has something to do with words which mean one thing in one part of speech, and something else in another part of speech. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find any information about this on the web, nor can I find any examples of a janus. Any help you can offer on this would be greatly, greatly appreciated.
Source & Date of Question	Los Angeles, California 19 February 1998
Grammar's Response	I've looked in my old Unabridged and in the indexes of half-a-dozen books and I don't see "janus" listed. That doesn't mean that someone hasn't claimed the word for this idea, just that it isn't in those indexes. It's a clever idea, and I'll post this response, which isn't worth much, in the hopes that someone will read it who knows the answer. You might try the alt.english.usage newsgroup; it sounds like something they'd be interested in (not that I'm not -- just that I don't know the answer). I suppose it means a word like "rain" that could be either a verb or a noun (there must be hundreds)? Or maybe it means a word like "friendly," which looks like an adverb but is an adjective?

Question	Do you use "affected" or "effected" in the following sentence: The agreement should remain silent on this issue, because the issue is a private matter involving access to a private road and should be resolved between the (affected or effected) parties.
Source & Date of Question	Riverside, California 19 February 1998
Grammar's Response	"Affected" in the sense of "influenced." "Effect" would be the noun in this situation. What "effect" did this resolution have on the parties? See the Notorious Confusables.

Question	I have to write a comparison contrast paper for my Honors Speech class - we are allowed to choose any topic we wish - I cannot seem to come up with one to write about - I know that I have many choices but I can't seem to pick one - is there a place I can go to maybe give me some ideas to stimulate my brain!?
Source & Date of Question	Somewhere, Maryland 19 February 1998
Grammar's Response	How about writing a comp/contrast between the experience of shopping in an old-fashioned downtown and a new mall? Or the difference between an HMO and an old-fashioned doctor's office? Or the kind of vacation your parents used to take and the kind of vacation that people take nowadays? Or the difference between a really good novel and a really bad movie that someone made from that novel (or vice-versa). Try the website called "Where the Wild Things Are," from St. Ambrose University, which not only has a nice listing of controversial topics, but hyperlinks to resources for those topics.