The Grammar Logs -- Number Eighty-Two

The
Grammar
Logs
# 82

Question Do you have any specific rules about capitalization of headings (let's say in papers,laws, technical documents)? Again, this seems to depend on writers, but I would appreciate your comments.

Section I. General Remarks on the Japanese Way of Learning English vs.
Section I. General remarks on the Japanese way of learning English vs.
Section I. GENERAL REMARKS ON THE JAPANESE WAY OF LEARNING ENGLISH
Thank you for assistance!
Source & Date
of Question Unknown
5 March 1998
Grammar's
Response As a header for major section of your paper, the style of the first example you give us, in which you capitalize the major words of the title, is preferred. If it were a so-called Level Four heading (this according to the APA Publication Manual) you would use the second style you list. Never the ALL CAPS, third version. See our APA-style online Guide to Writing Research Papers for more help.

Question I can not spell, read or write any better then maybe a first or second grader. I am 50 years old! Is there any hope and if so were would I start?
Source & Date
of Question Irvine, California
6 March 1998
Grammar's
Response Hope abounds! You're probably being awfully hard on yourself! Every other state in the country is envious of the community college system in California. Take advantage of it! Give them a call and see what they can do to help! Believe me, you won't be the only fifty-year-old student there!

Question Can I use 'the table's legs' to describe the legs of a table?
Are 'the table's leg' and 'the leg of the table' the same?
How about 'Peter's car'and 'the car of Peter'?
Source & Date
of Question Hong Kong
7 March 1998
Grammar's
Response It is probably some 19th-century grammarian's idea of propriety, but, no, we generally don't give the possessive form (apostrophe -s, that is) to things, especially not to furniture or buildings. Thus we would say the "windows of the Sears Building" instead of the Sears Building's windows. We would say the edge of the desk instead of the desk's edge. Some writers say that this is, indeed, a very old-fashioned notion, but a lot of careful writers still stick to it.
Peter can own his car: "Peter's car" would be more acceptable.

Question Would you capitalize the following phrase?
Main Window
"Main" is the heading of a menu in a computer program.
Source & Date
of Question Red Bank, New Jersey
9 March 1998
Grammar's
Response I'm not really sure what it means to be "the heading of a menu in a computer program," but if you're using this as a kind of title of something or as the reference to a real title, then it makes sense to capitalize it -- especially since "main window," uncapitalized, might well mean something else to your readers.

Question I have checked the Chicago Manual of Style and the Handbook of English, as well as numerous web sites, but have not found any conclusive rules/suggestions for the following:
Upon/On: Is it correct to say "dependent upon something" or is "dependent on..." correct? Is "upon" related to the placement of an object or can it be related to an action?
to/for: Is it correct to say "used to create...." or "used for the creation of..."? Is there a specific rule dictating the uses of to/for?
Thanks in Advance for your help!
Source & Date
of Question Montreal, Quebec, Canada
9 March 1998
Grammar's
Response I don't think you'll find much on the difference between "on" and "upon" because there is virtually no difference. You would use "upon" if you were to suggest movement onto something. "He leapt upon the stage" means something different from "He leapt on the stage." But even there, the words are practically interchangeable.
I have seen "used in the creation of," but "used for" doesn't seem out of line, either. I don't think you're going to find any rules specifically addressing this choice. When you're saying "used to create," you're not using "to" as a preposition; here, it's part of the infinitive form.

Question I am confused about the use of pronouns in sentences. I used to say,
"Dave gave approval for her and me to go."
Someone told me this was wrong and that it should be,
"Dave gave approval for she and I to go."
or should it be "she and me" or "her and I" and WHY?
Source & Date
of Question Durham, North Carolina
9 March 1998
Grammar's
Response The rule about pronoun usage is fairly simple. When you compound a pronoun with something else, don't change its form. What that means is that you would say "George gave his approval for me to go" and you would say "George gave his approval for her to go"; when you compound the two pronouns, don't change their form: "George gave his approval for her and me to go." You might avoid the problem (if it sounds clumsy to you) and say "George gave his approval for us to go" or "George permitted us to go."

Question I need information on diagramming sentences. Specifically, I'm having trouble diagramming gerund phrases. Can you show me thru E-Mail how to do this sentence? "Calling Mike is fun, but last week calling Jim was a bad idea." If that cannot be done on E-Mail, could you identify a book that would be readily available at a local store or library that contains information on diagramming? My textbook does not cover the subject.
Source & Date
of Question Wilmington, Delaware
9 March 1998
Grammar's
Response It would be really hard for me to help with diagramming through e-mail, and I prefer not to get into the graphics involved. Someday I'll write a small section, I suppose, as there does appear to be an interest. If you can get your hands on Martha Kolln's Understanding English Grammar, you'll have the best guide I know of to diagramming. I don't know if it's the best book on the subject, but it's about the only book I know of. If your library doesn't have it, maybe they can get hold of it through interlibrary loan?
Authority: Understanding English Grammar by Martha Kolln. 4rth Edition. MacMillan Publishing Company: New York. 1994.

Question What is the name for the function of the adjective "red" in the sentence "They painted the house red"?
I know that "Maria" in "They called the wind Maria" is an object complement. And if I said "The house is red", that would be a predicate adjective. But what is "red" in "They painted the house red"?
Source & Date
of Question Cleveland, Ohio
9 March 1998
Grammar's
Response I guess I detect a difference between the red house and the wind Maria (Is that how you spell that?), but the sentences are the same structurally. The word "red" is an object complement. An object complement renames or modifies a direct object. (Some people would call "red" in "The house is red" a subject complement, but "predicate adjective" is also correct, as you point out.)

Authority: The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers by Chris M. Anson and Robert A. Schwegler. Addison Wesley Longman, Inc.: New York. 1997.

Question Re Exercise in Parallelism II, question 4, "Either you will begin to study now or risk failing the exam":
My answer was "Either begin studying now or risk failing the exam." I think this is shorter and better than Grammar's answer, "You will either begin studying now or risk failing the exam." I think the imperative is tighter and conveys a greater sense of urgency than the simple future.
Source & Date
of Question Cleveland, Ohio
9 March 1998
Grammar's
Response I'll buy that. I've incorporated your revision. Click HERE.

Question I would be thankful if you could help me...
I am in doubt about how to use "mind"... For instance, if I say I mind getting wet when I walk in the rain, it means I don't like to be wet, right ???
And if I say I mind getting fat, it means I do something in order to be in good shape, right ??

But, if Isay, I mind studying, does it mean:
a) I don't like to study ??
or
b) I consider it important to study ?
Source & Date
of Question Somewhere, Brazil
10 March 1998
Grammar's
Response It's no wonder you find this word confusing: it can mean two quite different things. If you use it with a simple object -- "I told you to mind the store." -- that means you were supposed to pay attention to what was going in the store. If you didn't mind watching (using a gerund object) the store, that means that you thought it was all right to do so -- you didn't exactly welcome the opportunity, but it didn't annoy you that I asked, either. Usually, when we say "I don't mind studying," that simply means that it's all right. However, when you say "I mind getting fat," that means that it bothers you to get fat, but it doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to do anything about it. If you "mind studying," you don't like to do it -- whether you consider it important or not is an entirely different question. (This positive usage, if you can call it that, is somewhat unusual by the way; we're more apt to say, "I don't like/hate/detest/loathe _______ ."

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Question	Do you have any specific rules about capitalization of headings (let's say in papers,laws, technical documents)? Again, this seems to depend on writers, but I would appreciate your comments. Section I. General Remarks on the Japanese Way of Learning English vs. Section I. General remarks on the Japanese way of learning English vs. Section I. GENERAL REMARKS ON THE JAPANESE WAY OF LEARNING ENGLISH Thank you for assistance!
Source & Date of Question	Unknown 5 March 1998
Grammar's Response	As a header for major section of your paper, the style of the first example you give us, in which you capitalize the major words of the title, is preferred. If it were a so-called Level Four heading (this according to the APA Publication Manual) you would use the second style you list. Never the ALL CAPS, third version. See our APA-style online Guide to Writing Research Papers for more help.

Question	Can I use 'the table's legs' to describe the legs of a table? Are 'the table's leg' and 'the leg of the table' the same? How about 'Peter's car'and 'the car of Peter'?
Source & Date of Question	Hong Kong 7 March 1998
Grammar's Response	It is probably some 19th-century grammarian's idea of propriety, but, no, we generally don't give the possessive form (apostrophe -s, that is) to things, especially not to furniture or buildings. Thus we would say the "windows of the Sears Building" instead of the Sears Building's windows. We would say the edge of the desk instead of the desk's edge. Some writers say that this is, indeed, a very old-fashioned notion, but a lot of careful writers still stick to it. Peter can own his car: "Peter's car" would be more acceptable.

Question	Would you capitalize the following phrase? Main Window "Main" is the heading of a menu in a computer program.
Source & Date of Question	Red Bank, New Jersey 9 March 1998
Grammar's Response	I'm not really sure what it means to be "the heading of a menu in a computer program," but if you're using this as a kind of title of something or as the reference to a real title, then it makes sense to capitalize it -- especially since "main window," uncapitalized, might well mean something else to your readers.

Question	I have checked the Chicago Manual of Style and the Handbook of English, as well as numerous web sites, but have not found any conclusive rules/suggestions for the following: Upon/On: Is it correct to say "dependent upon something" or is "dependent on..." correct? Is "upon" related to the placement of an object or can it be related to an action? to/for: Is it correct to say "used to create...." or "used for the creation of..."? Is there a specific rule dictating the uses of to/for? Thanks in Advance for your help!
Source & Date of Question	Montreal, Quebec, Canada 9 March 1998
Grammar's Response	I don't think you'll find much on the difference between "on" and "upon" because there is virtually no difference. You would use "upon" if you were to suggest movement onto something. "He leapt upon the stage" means something different from "He leapt on the stage." But even there, the words are practically interchangeable. I have seen "used in the creation of," but "used for" doesn't seem out of line, either. I don't think you're going to find any rules specifically addressing this choice. When you're saying "used to create," you're not using "to" as a preposition; here, it's part of the infinitive form.

Question	I am confused about the use of pronouns in sentences. I used to say, "Dave gave approval for her and me to go." Someone told me this was wrong and that it should be, "Dave gave approval for she and I to go." or should it be "she and me" or "her and I" and WHY?
Source & Date of Question	Durham, North Carolina 9 March 1998
Grammar's Response	The rule about pronoun usage is fairly simple. When you compound a pronoun with something else, don't change its form. What that means is that you would say "George gave his approval for me to go" and you would say "George gave his approval for her to go"; when you compound the two pronouns, don't change their form: "George gave his approval for her and me to go." You might avoid the problem (if it sounds clumsy to you) and say "George gave his approval for us to go" or "George permitted us to go."

Question	I can not spell, read or write any better then maybe a first or second grader. I am 50 years old! Is there any hope and if so were would I start?
Source & Date of Question	Irvine, California 6 March 1998
Grammar's Response	Hope abounds! You're probably being awfully hard on yourself! Every other state in the country is envious of the community college system in California. Take advantage of it! Give them a call and see what they can do to help! Believe me, you won't be the only fifty-year-old student there!

Question	Re Exercise in Parallelism II, question 4, "Either you will begin to study now or risk failing the exam": My answer was "Either begin studying now or risk failing the exam." I think this is shorter and better than Grammar's answer, "You will either begin studying now or risk failing the exam." I think the imperative is tighter and conveys a greater sense of urgency than the simple future.
Source & Date of Question	Cleveland, Ohio 9 March 1998
Grammar's Response	I'll buy that. I've incorporated your revision. Click HERE.

Question	I would be thankful if you could help me... I am in doubt about how to use "mind"... For instance, if I say I mind getting wet when I walk in the rain, it means I don't like to be wet, right ??? And if I say I mind getting fat, it means I do something in order to be in good shape, right ?? But, if Isay, I mind studying, does it mean: a) I don't like to study ?? or b) I consider it important to study ?
Source & Date of Question	Somewhere, Brazil 10 March 1998
Grammar's Response	It's no wonder you find this word confusing: it can mean two quite different things. If you use it with a simple object -- "I told you to mind the store." -- that means you were supposed to pay attention to what was going in the store. If you didn't mind watching (using a gerund object) the store, that means that you thought it was all right to do so -- you didn't exactly welcome the opportunity, but it didn't annoy you that I asked, either. Usually, when we say "I don't mind studying," that simply means that it's all right. However, when you say "I mind getting fat," that means that it bothers you to get fat, but it doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to do anything about it. If you "mind studying," you don't like to do it -- whether you consider it important or not is an entirely different question. (This positive usage, if you can call it that, is somewhat unusual by the way; we're more apt to say, "I don't like/hate/detest/loathe _______ ."