The Grammar Logs -- Number Eighty-Eight

The
Grammar
Logs
# 88

Question What is the progressive form? What are the forms of the verb "be"?
Source & Date
of Question Jacksonville, Florida
20 March 1998
Grammar's
Response Take a look in the section on verbs and visit, especially, the chart for Tenses in the Active Voice. "To be" is the verb you're using when you say "I am, you are, he is, I was, you were, he was, I will be, I have been" etc. Use the tense chart and fill it out yourself with the forms of "to be."

Question First, thanks for your site and kindness. My question is what's the difference between " 40 apts" and " 300 apt".
Source & Date
of Question South Korea
20 March 1998
Grammar's
Response 260. It would appear that some people like to abbreviate apartments (I'm guessing here) with an "s" and some people prefer not to use the "s" (although I wouldn't know why). An abbreviation like that is pretty much up to the usage of a particular publication, but they should at least be consistent about it.

Question I want to know when i have to use the present progressive or not, and when i have to use the "going to and will". And too what are the stative verbs and the active verbs and when I have to use them.
Source & Date
of Question Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
20 March 1998
Grammar's
Response "Going to" is another way of expressing the future in English. "I am going to pass this test" means pretty much the same thing as "I will pass this test." (Maybe I don't understand this part of your question. Stative verbs are verbs that don't take the progressive forms. There are two classes of stative verbs: verbs that show relation (be, belong to, concern, consist of, contain, cost, depend on, deserve, equal, fit, have, include, involve, lack, matter, need, owe, possess, require, resemble, seem sound, suffice, tend, etc.) and verbs that show inert perception and cognition (abhor, adore, astonish, believe, detest, dislike, doubt, feel, know, like, love, recognize, remember, satisfy, see, smell, taste, think, understand, etc.) For instance, we can see "I am a student," but we wouldn't say, "I am being a student." "It depends on Bob" but not "it is depending on Bob." "I own two cars" but not "I am owning two cars."
Stative verbs are opposed to dynamic or active verbs, which can always be turned into the progressive: "I ask a favor" or "I am asking a favor." "I change the tire" or "I am changing the tire." "The train arrives this morning" or "the train is arriving this morning."
This is a very big question and really needs to be pursued in a classroom or tutorial situation.
Authority: A University Grammar of English by Randolph Quirk and Sidney Greenbaum. Longman Group: Essex, England. 1993.

Question Please consider the following sentence:
Complications arising from pregnancy (is, are) considered a debilitating illness.
The subject of the sentence, complications, is apparently plural, but the sentence sounds awkward with the plural verb. Mightn't "complications arising from pregnancy" be viewed as a singular debilitating illness? If the subject of the sentence were unambiguously plural, shouldn't "a debilitating illness" become "debilitating illnesses?" (example: Brain cancer and ALS are considered debilitating illnesses). That modification makes the original sentence even clunkier (Complications arising from pregnancy (is, are) considered debilitating illnesses).
Your recommendaton, please?
Source & Date
of Question Sherburne, New York
21 March 1998
Grammar's
Response I don't think there's anything ambiguous about complications being plural. It's not that unusual to have a plural subject "equalling" a singular predicate (like "illness"), and I don't think it sounds that bad, really. These things, complications, are regarded as one thing, an illness. My recommendation is to leave it alone, with the plural verb. Even if you give us an active verb by saying who regards these complications as an illness, you're going to end up with the same construction.

Question What is the difference is using the terms bring and take? "I will bring the the pail to the barn." or "I will take the pail to the barn"?
Source & Date
of Question Somewhere, Maine
21 March 1998
Grammar's
Response Generally, you take something from a point close to you to a point further away and you bring something from a point further away to a point closer. "Please take away these stale potato chips and bring me some fine white wine." So the answer to your barn question depends on whether you're in the barn or not.

Question I am a Portuguese student of Mathematics/Computer Science and my English is quite poor. I would like to start from scratch (or "back to the drawing board" as you may say). I am looking for a good, trustworthy Grammar Book. Would you be so kind as to help me in this quest for the "Lost Grammar"...
Thank you.
Source & Date
of Question Porto, Portugal
21 March 1998
Grammar's
Response I have a feeling your grammar is not nearly as poor as you think it is. There is a list of texts that might prove helpful from the main page -- Grammar's Bookshelf. I would hesitate to recommend any one of them without knowing more about your writing. You might want to start with what is probably the least expensive, William Strunk's Elements of Style. You can also find an early edition of that book online.

Question A story this week on the tornadoes in the South had this sentence:
"...the children had been woken only moments earlier."
Please give me the conjugation of "to be" with "wake." That verb has always confounded me, and I see it used and misused so often that I'm not sure anymore which is correct! (I assume that "up" is not used either, as in "woken up." I would appreciate your help. Thanks!
Source & Date
of Question Wichita, Kansas
21 March 1998
Grammar's
Response See wake/awake in the Notorious Confusables. The newspaper is correct. Yes, I know it sounds clumsy. It could have said, "the children had been awakened," and that would sound better to me. "Up" frequently accompanies the verb waken.

Question I am writing a term paper for a Technical Writing Class. My topic is investing for future retirement. My question is with this topic what would be a feasible investment that everyone could relate to and simple to explain.
Where should I search? Would a graphical chart be approppriate within the text as to what invested now would be worth in 20 years? Any information you could give me would be much appreciated.
Thank you.
Source & Date
of Question Summersville, West Virginia
21 March 1998
Grammar's
Response Go to the CCTC Academic Weblists and click on Business. When the page completely downloads click on the Investments section. You'll find a ton of help there, some of it explicity aimed toward retirement information.

Question I have always been taught that there should be an apostrophe in the following sentence:
The patient will be seen in a month's time.
or
The patient will be seen in a week's time.
This has become more of a habit for me and now I am wondering is this correct. English grammar has never been my strong point so I would appreciate your assistance.
Thank you
Source & Date
of Question Perth, Western Australia, Australia
21 March 1998
Grammar's
Response For that particular expression, we might improve the sentence by saying "The patient will be seen in a month." But, yes, you would use the possessive, with the apostrophe, there. (Without the possessive, it would be incorrect, so your habit, this time anyway, is a good one.)

Question The difference between APA and MLA style of writing for research papers.
Source & Date
of Question North Tonawanda, New York
22 March 1998
Grammar's
Response There are many differences. Don't ask why. See the two different guides for writing research papers. Check out the differences yourself. MLA-style and APA-style.

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Question	Please consider the following sentence: Complications arising from pregnancy (is, are) considered a debilitating illness. The subject of the sentence, complications, is apparently plural, but the sentence sounds awkward with the plural verb. Mightn't "complications arising from pregnancy" be viewed as a singular debilitating illness? If the subject of the sentence were unambiguously plural, shouldn't "a debilitating illness" become "debilitating illnesses?" (example: Brain cancer and ALS are considered debilitating illnesses). That modification makes the original sentence even clunkier (Complications arising from pregnancy (is, are) considered debilitating illnesses). Your recommendaton, please?
Source & Date of Question	Sherburne, New York 21 March 1998
Grammar's Response	I don't think there's anything ambiguous about complications being plural. It's not that unusual to have a plural subject "equalling" a singular predicate (like "illness"), and I don't think it sounds that bad, really. These things, complications, are regarded as one thing, an illness. My recommendation is to leave it alone, with the plural verb. Even if you give us an active verb by saying who regards these complications as an illness, you're going to end up with the same construction.

Question	I am a Portuguese student of Mathematics/Computer Science and my English is quite poor. I would like to start from scratch (or "back to the drawing board" as you may say). I am looking for a good, trustworthy Grammar Book. Would you be so kind as to help me in this quest for the "Lost Grammar"... Thank you.
Source & Date of Question	Porto, Portugal 21 March 1998
Grammar's Response	I have a feeling your grammar is not nearly as poor as you think it is. There is a list of texts that might prove helpful from the main page -- Grammar's Bookshelf. I would hesitate to recommend any one of them without knowing more about your writing. You might want to start with what is probably the least expensive, William Strunk's Elements of Style. You can also find an early edition of that book online.

Question	A story this week on the tornadoes in the South had this sentence: "...the children had been woken only moments earlier." Please give me the conjugation of "to be" with "wake." That verb has always confounded me, and I see it used and misused so often that I'm not sure anymore which is correct! (I assume that "up" is not used either, as in "woken up." I would appreciate your help. Thanks!
Source & Date of Question	Wichita, Kansas 21 March 1998
Grammar's Response	See wake/awake in the Notorious Confusables. The newspaper is correct. Yes, I know it sounds clumsy. It could have said, "the children had been awakened," and that would sound better to me. "Up" frequently accompanies the verb waken.

Question	I am writing a term paper for a Technical Writing Class. My topic is investing for future retirement. My question is with this topic what would be a feasible investment that everyone could relate to and simple to explain. Where should I search? Would a graphical chart be approppriate within the text as to what invested now would be worth in 20 years? Any information you could give me would be much appreciated. Thank you.
Source & Date of Question	Summersville, West Virginia 21 March 1998
Grammar's Response	Go to the CCTC Academic Weblists and click on Business. When the page completely downloads click on the Investments section. You'll find a ton of help there, some of it explicity aimed toward retirement information.

Question	I have always been taught that there should be an apostrophe in the following sentence: The patient will be seen in a month's time. or The patient will be seen in a week's time. This has become more of a habit for me and now I am wondering is this correct. English grammar has never been my strong point so I would appreciate your assistance. Thank you
Source & Date of Question	Perth, Western Australia, Australia 21 March 1998
Grammar's Response	For that particular expression, we might improve the sentence by saying "The patient will be seen in a month." But, yes, you would use the possessive, with the apostrophe, there. (Without the possessive, it would be incorrect, so your habit, this time anyway, is a good one.)

Question	What is the progressive form? What are the forms of the verb "be"?
Source & Date of Question	Jacksonville, Florida 20 March 1998
Grammar's Response	Take a look in the section on verbs and visit, especially, the chart for Tenses in the Active Voice. "To be" is the verb you're using when you say "I am, you are, he is, I was, you were, he was, I will be, I have been" etc. Use the tense chart and fill it out yourself with the forms of "to be."

Question	First, thanks for your site and kindness. My question is what's the difference between " 40 apts" and " 300 apt".
Source & Date of Question	South Korea 20 March 1998
Grammar's Response	260. It would appear that some people like to abbreviate apartments (I'm guessing here) with an "s" and some people prefer not to use the "s" (although I wouldn't know why). An abbreviation like that is pretty much up to the usage of a particular publication, but they should at least be consistent about it.

Question	What is the difference is using the terms bring and take? "I will bring the the pail to the barn." or "I will take the pail to the barn"?
Source & Date of Question	Somewhere, Maine 21 March 1998
Grammar's Response	Generally, you take something from a point close to you to a point further away and you bring something from a point further away to a point closer. "Please take away these stale potato chips and bring me some fine white wine." So the answer to your barn question depends on whether you're in the barn or not.

Question	The difference between APA and MLA style of writing for research papers.
Source & Date of Question	North Tonawanda, New York 22 March 1998
Grammar's Response	There are many differences. Don't ask why. See the two different guides for writing research papers. Check out the differences yourself. MLA-style and APA-style.