The Grammar Logs -- Number Eighty-One

The
Grammar
Logs
# 81

Question What is correct, a/an herbal shampoo?
Source & Date
of Question East Lansing, Michigan
5 March 1998
Grammar's
Response How do you say "herbal"? If it begins as if you were saying URbal, then you need "an." If you pronounced that "h" (which they do, I guess, in some parts of the world), then you're going to use "a." Around here, you'll use "an."

Question What are metaphors and similies?
Source & Date
of Question Natchez, Mississippi
5 March 1998
Grammar's
Response Metaphors and similes (note spelling), are ways of saying that something is like something else. If a poet says that the Dutchmen's shoes are like baked potatoes, that's a simile because the poet uses the word "like" (or "as" would do, too). If a poet says that the horse's breath was a frozen peonie, that's a metaphor because it compares one thing to another thing but it doesn't use "like" or "as." All similes are metaphors, but not all metaphors are similes.

Question In writing a business plan, if you refer to your business as "the company" instead of its proper name, should the word "company" be capitalized?
Source & Date
of Question Irvine, California
5 March 1998
Grammar's
Response We have this discussion around here all the time. Should we capitalize "college" when we're referring to our own institution: "The College maintains a. . . . "
The answer is yes, you can capitalize the common name (the Company has sent out. . .) so that your readers can distinguish this reference from a more generic use of the common name.

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 need help with this sentence.
Both Burma and Japan is Asian country.

Source & Date
of Question Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
6 March 1998
Grammar's
Response We would write "Both Burma and Japan are Asian countries." The word "both" is going to create a plural subject.

Question Hi!Can you send some grammar exercises with questions and examples. I need help with passive voice.
Source & Date
of Question Sydney, NSW, Australia
6 March 1998
Grammar's
Response You must've surfed right by the list of Interactive Quizzes. Or go to the section on Verbs and check out what we say about the passive construction there. (Don't forget to see the quiz.)

Question Hello! I have a question for you. May I ask you? I wrote my essay following sentences but computer taught me these sentences are wrong. I can't understand why? Please teach me.

"Both of countries are in Asia." It seems it is wrong.
"Both countries are in Asia." It seems it is correct.

Source & Date
of Question Sydney, Australia
6 March 1998
Grammar's
Response What's going on in Australia lately? A rash of grammar exercises? We can say "Both these countries" or "Both of these countries" or "Both countries," but we can't say "Both of countries." That's the way we use the word "both," and that's the only explanation I can offer.

Question Please help with subject and agreement. I have a sentence for you to explain: "Thailand in summertimes the climate is very hot." Could you tell me about my problem please. Thanks for your help.
Source & Date
of Question Sydney, Australia
6 March 1998
Grammar's
Response Actually, the agreement (of subject and verb) in that sentence is fine. It has other problems, though. The simplest way of saying this is probably the best: "The summers in Thailand are very hot." Or, if we have to use all those words, we might say that "During the summertime in Thailand, the climate is very hot."

Question I need help with this sentence.
Citizens did not have very good living.
The pollution has become a serious problem in Taiwan.

Source & Date
of Question Sydney, Australia
6 March 1998
Grammar's
Response I see nothing wrong with your sentence about pollution. The first sentence, though, is confusing. You might mean that the citizens do not live well -- meaning that their standard and conditions of life are poor. You might mean that the citizens do not make a good living -- an idiomatic expression which means they do not make a lot of money. Or you might mean something else that I haven't guessed.

Question I have written the following sentence, which I think needs improvement. Can you help?
The establishment of Japan's modern penalty system, or the origin of its institutional system for corrections can be traced to the Prison Regulation (Cabinet Notification No. 378) in 1872.
My problem; I know I can say "the origin of ... can be traced to ..., while I feel "the establishment of ... can be traced to ...." does not sound just right. I thought of using "date back to" instead of "can be traced to." Can you think of a verb that fits this sentence? I know I don't have this problem if I choose one or the other.
Thank you for your help!
Source & Date
of Question Tama City, Tokyo, Japan
6 March 1998
Grammar's
Response I'm a bit confused here. Why do you need to say both "The establishment of. . . " and "the origin of"? I'd go with one or the other: "The origin of ___ can be traced back to. . . " Any one of your subject-verb combinations might work, but the redundancy is killing the sentence.

Question If a male having a party is called a "host", and a female having a party is called a "hostess", then which is grammatically correct in the following sentece: "Beula is hostessing a party," or "Beaula is hosting a party"? Please explain your answer. Thank you.
Source & Date
of Question St. Louis, Michigan
6 March 1998
Grammar's
Response The online Merriam-Webster's lists both "to host" and "to hostess" as transitive verbs, so you can go with either if you really want to. Most careful writers, however, at least in formal situations, will avoid using either host or hostess as a verb and will say that someone is "acting as host/hostess."

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

Question	Hi. I need help with this sentence. Both Burma and Japan is Asian country.
Source & Date of Question	Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 6 March 1998
Grammar's Response	We would write "Both Burma and Japan are Asian countries." The word "both" is going to create a plural subject.

Question	Hello! I have a question for you. May I ask you? I wrote my essay following sentences but computer taught me these sentences are wrong. I can't understand why? Please teach me. "Both of countries are in Asia." It seems it is wrong. "Both countries are in Asia." It seems it is correct.
Source & Date of Question	Sydney, Australia 6 March 1998
Grammar's Response	What's going on in Australia lately? A rash of grammar exercises? We can say "Both these countries" or "Both of these countries" or "Both countries," but we can't say "Both of countries." That's the way we use the word "both," and that's the only explanation I can offer.

Question	I need help with this sentence. Citizens did not have very good living. The pollution has become a serious problem in Taiwan.
Source & Date of Question	Sydney, Australia 6 March 1998
Grammar's Response	I see nothing wrong with your sentence about pollution. The first sentence, though, is confusing. You might mean that the citizens do not live well -- meaning that their standard and conditions of life are poor. You might mean that the citizens do not make a good living -- an idiomatic expression which means they do not make a lot of money. Or you might mean something else that I haven't guessed.

Question	I have written the following sentence, which I think needs improvement. Can you help? The establishment of Japan's modern penalty system, or the origin of its institutional system for corrections can be traced to the Prison Regulation (Cabinet Notification No. 378) in 1872. My problem; I know I can say "the origin of ... can be traced to ..., while I feel "the establishment of ... can be traced to ...." does not sound just right. I thought of using "date back to" instead of "can be traced to." Can you think of a verb that fits this sentence? I know I don't have this problem if I choose one or the other. Thank you for your help!
Source & Date of Question	Tama City, Tokyo, Japan 6 March 1998
Grammar's Response	I'm a bit confused here. Why do you need to say both "The establishment of. . . " and "the origin of"? I'd go with one or the other: "The origin of ___ can be traced back to. . . " Any one of your subject-verb combinations might work, but the redundancy is killing the sentence.

Question	What is correct, a/an herbal shampoo?
Source & Date of Question	East Lansing, Michigan 5 March 1998
Grammar's Response	How do you say "herbal"? If it begins as if you were saying URbal, then you need "an." If you pronounced that "h" (which they do, I guess, in some parts of the world), then you're going to use "a." Around here, you'll use "an."

Question	What are metaphors and similies?
Source & Date of Question	Natchez, Mississippi 5 March 1998
Grammar's Response	Metaphors and similes (note spelling), are ways of saying that something is like something else. If a poet says that the Dutchmen's shoes are like baked potatoes, that's a simile because the poet uses the word "like" (or "as" would do, too). If a poet says that the horse's breath was a frozen peonie, that's a metaphor because it compares one thing to another thing but it doesn't use "like" or "as." All similes are metaphors, but not all metaphors are similes.

Question	Hi!Can you send some grammar exercises with questions and examples. I need help with passive voice.
Source & Date of Question	Sydney, NSW, Australia 6 March 1998
Grammar's Response	You must've surfed right by the list of Interactive Quizzes. Or go to the section on Verbs and check out what we say about the passive construction there. (Don't forget to see the quiz.)

Question	Please help with subject and agreement. I have a sentence for you to explain: "Thailand in summertimes the climate is very hot." Could you tell me about my problem please. Thanks for your help.
Source & Date of Question	Sydney, Australia 6 March 1998
Grammar's Response	Actually, the agreement (of subject and verb) in that sentence is fine. It has other problems, though. The simplest way of saying this is probably the best: "The summers in Thailand are very hot." Or, if we have to use all those words, we might say that "During the summertime in Thailand, the climate is very hot."

Question	If a male having a party is called a "host", and a female having a party is called a "hostess", then which is grammatically correct in the following sentece: "Beula is hostessing a party," or "Beaula is hosting a party"? Please explain your answer. Thank you.
Source & Date of Question	St. Louis, Michigan 6 March 1998
Grammar's Response	The online Merriam-Webster's lists both "to host" and "to hostess" as transitive verbs, so you can go with either if you really want to. Most careful writers, however, at least in formal situations, will avoid using either host or hostess as a verb and will say that someone is "acting as host/hostess."