The Grammar Logs -- Number Seventy-Six

The
Grammar
Logs
# 76

Question Which is correct?:
"If there were a way to do this faster, I could meet my objectives".
or
"If there was a way to do this, I could meet my objectives".

Source & Date
of Question San Leandro, California
25 February 1998
Grammar's
Response We would use the subjunctive mood to express this. "If there _were_, etc."
See the section on the subjunctive in the handout on Verbs.

Question What are the main differences between MLA and APA?
Source & Date
of Question Lawrence, Kansas
26 February 1998
Grammar's
Response You're asking someone whose dislike for the APA guidelines is all out of proportion. I suggest you go to their respective publications and see, objectively, for yourself. Or visit our online manuals at mla-style and apa-style and draw your own conclusions.

Question Can you recommend to me a good, comprehensive grammar guide which will delineate the various nominal declensions and the rules for appropriate use of such declensions? Thank you very much.
Source & Date
of Question Sacramento, California
26 February 1998
Grammar's
Response The short answer is no, I can't. The nominal functions are discussed thoroughly and helpfully in Kolln's book, but I don't know if that's what you need in terms of declensions.
Authority: Understanding English Grammar by Martha Kolln. 4rth Edition. MacMillan Publishing Company: New York. 1994.

Question Please tell me the correct way to compare the performance of a single asset over two years:

...produced 12 tons in 1997 compared to 13 tons in 1996
or
...produced 12 tons in 1997 compared with 13 tons in 1996.

Source & Date
of Question Toronto, Ontario, Canada
26 February 1998
Grammar's
Response "Use compare to when you want to imply similarities between two things -- the phrase is close in meaning to "liken to." Use compare with when you want to imply both similarities and differences."* In your example, I'll leave it up to you what you're doing.
*
Authority: The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers by Chris M. Anson and Robert A. Schwegler. Addison Wesley Longman, Inc.: New York. 1997.

Question Hi, I'm an ESL Teacher and have this question. Which of these sentences is correct?
"I avoid paying my bills." or "I avoid to pay my bills."
( As far as I know the second sentence is not right ) In the first sentence I use to pay in the gerund form i.e using ing. In the second sentence I use the infinitive form of to pay.
My complete question is: When do I use the infinitive and when do I use the gerund form of the verb? I know that if I have a sentence like: I am walking. or I have been walking . I have to use the "ing" form of the verb but I am not sure when I have to use the "ing" in sentences like the first two mentioned. As far as I know I can also say: "I refuse to pay my bills." and not "I refuse paying my bills." Now why do I use "ing" with avoid and not with refuse?
Thank you for your response.
Source & Date
of Question Bogota, Colombia
26 February 1998
Grammar's
Response That's a big question and much too complicated to answer here. Some verbs can take gerunds but not infinitives (I dislike running.), some can take infinitives but not gerunds (I expect to run.), and some can take both (I love running/to run). The arbitrariness of such verbs -- called catenatives --, most of which describe mental processes or some degree of resolution, is extraordinary. Mary Nell Sorensen, at the University of Washington, thoroughly explores the complexities of the forms and uses of infinitives and gerunds -- when to choose which form to use, etc.

Question What is the correct way to write nine and three-quarters using numbers? The debate in our office is between "9-3/4" and "9 3/4" where the only difference is the use of a hyphen or a space between numbers.
Source & Date
of Question Tampa, Florida
26 February 1998
Grammar's
Response I'm surprised to read this, but the proper way to write a mixed fraction is with the hyphen: 9-3/4. This supposes that you do not have the word-processing devices that would allow a stacked fraction wherein the 3 appears slightly above the 4. With the mixed stacked fraction, there is no space between the whole number and its accompanying fraction.
Authority: New York Public Library Writer's Guide to Style and Usage HarperCollins: New York. 1994.

Question Is the word "betoken" an out-dated word and should not / seldom be used in our daily life?
Source & Date
of Question Hong Kong
27 February 1998
Grammar's
Response I'm afraid there are an awful lot of people who wouldn't know what you're talking about if you used the work "betoken." That's not always a sign that a word has outlived its usefulness, however, and if the word seems to fit the occasion, use it.

Question What in the hell is a mass noun?
Source & Date
of Question Unknown
27 February 1998
Grammar's
Response Some people would call a mass noun a non-count noun: it names something you can't count: such as peace, happiness, earth, steel, sunlight. It's odd that you hear a plural for a mass noun.

Question How can I use the future perfect tense in my writing?
Source & Date
of Question Hong Kong
27 February 1998
Grammar's
Response A perfect tense verbs indicates that something is finished before something else happens. Future perfect tense means that this is true of something in the future: "I will have finished writing this before you read it."

Question Would you please tell me the difference between the following two sentences :

Why don't you go to the market?
Why do you not go to the market?
Thanks a lot !!
Source & Date
of Question Hong Kong
27 February 1998
Grammar's
Response There's virtually no difference between these two sentences except that "Why do you not go to the market" sounds quite formal (some people might say it sounds stuffy).

Previous Grammar Log
Next Grammar Log
Index of Grammar Logs
Guide to Grammar and Writing

Question	Which is correct?: "If there were a way to do this faster, I could meet my objectives". or "If there was a way to do this, I could meet my objectives".
Source & Date of Question	San Leandro, California 25 February 1998
Grammar's Response	We would use the subjunctive mood to express this. "If there _were_, etc." See the section on the subjunctive in the handout on Verbs.

Question	Hi, I'm an ESL Teacher and have this question. Which of these sentences is correct? "I avoid paying my bills." or "I avoid to pay my bills." ( As far as I know the second sentence is not right ) In the first sentence I use to pay in the gerund form i.e using ing. In the second sentence I use the infinitive form of to pay. My complete question is: When do I use the infinitive and when do I use the gerund form of the verb? I know that if I have a sentence like: I am walking. or I have been walking . I have to use the "ing" form of the verb but I am not sure when I have to use the "ing" in sentences like the first two mentioned. As far as I know I can also say: "I refuse to pay my bills." and not "I refuse paying my bills." Now why do I use "ing" with avoid and not with refuse? Thank you for your response.
Source & Date of Question	Bogota, Colombia 26 February 1998
Grammar's Response	That's a big question and much too complicated to answer here. Some verbs can take gerunds but not infinitives (I dislike running.), some can take infinitives but not gerunds (I expect to run.), and some can take both (I love running/to run). The arbitrariness of such verbs -- called catenatives --, most of which describe mental processes or some degree of resolution, is extraordinary. Mary Nell Sorensen, at the University of Washington, thoroughly explores the complexities of the forms and uses of infinitives and gerunds -- when to choose which form to use, etc.

Question	Would you please tell me the difference between the following two sentences : Why don't you go to the market? Why do you not go to the market? Thanks a lot !!
Source & Date of Question	Hong Kong 27 February 1998
Grammar's Response	There's virtually no difference between these two sentences except that "Why do you not go to the market" sounds quite formal (some people might say it sounds stuffy).

Question	What are the main differences between MLA and APA?
Source & Date of Question	Lawrence, Kansas 26 February 1998
Grammar's Response	You're asking someone whose dislike for the APA guidelines is all out of proportion. I suggest you go to their respective publications and see, objectively, for yourself. Or visit our online manuals at mla-style and apa-style and draw your own conclusions.

Question	Is the word "betoken" an out-dated word and should not / seldom be used in our daily life?
Source & Date of Question	Hong Kong 27 February 1998
Grammar's Response	I'm afraid there are an awful lot of people who wouldn't know what you're talking about if you used the work "betoken." That's not always a sign that a word has outlived its usefulness, however, and if the word seems to fit the occasion, use it.

Question	What in the hell is a mass noun?
Source & Date of Question	Unknown 27 February 1998
Grammar's Response	Some people would call a mass noun a non-count noun: it names something you can't count: such as peace, happiness, earth, steel, sunlight. It's odd that you hear a plural for a mass noun.

Question	How can I use the future perfect tense in my writing?
Source & Date of Question	Hong Kong 27 February 1998
Grammar's Response	A perfect tense verbs indicates that something is finished before something else happens. Future perfect tense means that this is true of something in the future: "I will have finished writing this before you read it."