The Grammar Logs -- Number Ninety

The
Grammar
Logs
# 90

Question Showing possession in nouns & proper names ending in double-"s".
I.E. Which is more correct: "Mr. Gauss's book" , or "Mr. Gauss' book" ?

Source & Date
of Question Atlanta, Georgia
23 March 1998
Grammar's
Response Congratulations! Your question to ASK GRAMMAR is the 900th in just over a year. Your prize is a date with the Hollywood star of your choice -- providing that it's ok with the star, of course, and, if you're married, that it's ok with your spouse. Grammar will pick up the tab for your first glass of champagne -- well, better make it beer.
In the meantime, most authorities will tell you to use the apostrophe -s: Mr. Gauss's book. The Chicago Manual of Style goes on at great length about this, pretty much with the same result, but it does say that it is not wrong to write Mr. Gauss' book. Many writers believe that adding 's to a word that already ends in ss creates an excess of s's. This approach is gaining acceptance and is favored by the New York Public Library's Guide:
the boss' memos
the witness' statement
the hostess' chair
I guess the answer is that it's up to you. Just be consistent.

Question Need help explaining simple subject in sentence: ie This flowerpot absorbs water.
Source & Date
of Question Eagle Rock, California
24 March 1998
Grammar's
Response The simple subject is the single word that acts as the subject of the sentence, stripped of accompanying modifiers. So in your sentence, the simple subject is "flowerpot," not "this flowerpot." But be careful not to strip away things are essential to the meaning of the sentence. For instance, in the sentence, "Running in the park after dark is dangerous," we can't say that "running" is the simple sentence because if we eliminate "in the park after dark" we're left with "running" as the subject, and the subject of that sentence is not "running" (we're not saying that running is dangerous); it's "running in the park after dark."

Question I know that to be, sound, appear etc. are linking verbs.But I would like to know if the verbs to get and to stay can also be copula verbs.
Source & Date
of Question Porto Alegre, R.G.Sul, Brazil
24 March 1998
Grammar's
Response Yes, although you will find them acting as linking verbs in more informal settings. He got angry easily and he stayed angry, too.

Question What would the abbreviation for Sister be, like a Nun.
Source & Date
of Question Silvis, Illinois
24 March 1998
Grammar's
Response Sr. (I understand that among Catholic schoolchildren, this comes out pronounced something like "Sta," but I do not know this from first-hand experience.)
Authority: Chicago Manual of Style 14th ed. U of Chicago P: Chicago. 1993.

Question Please, I am in doubt how to use the verb to "lengthen", although I have researched it a lot. I know I can say I am going to lengthen a dress, a skirt, etc...and that it means to make something longer...

but can one also lengthen a class?
Can one lengthen a composition?
Can one lengthen rubber ? ( or should it be stretch?)
Chewing gum?
Thanks a lot.
Source & Date
of Question Somewhere, Brazil
24 March 1998
Grammar's
Response You can certainly lengthen a class and a composition, and you can probably lengthen a piece of rubber by stretching it (but then it reverts to its original size, so have you really lengthened it? I guess not, except temporarily.) Stretch, I think, is a better word for what you do with rubber and gum. I'd never thought of that before.

Question Where are the subject and verb in the sentence below?
"The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same."
The first eight words appear to be a complex subject containing a noun and two prepositional phrases.
Also, why is there a comma between "States" and "shall"?
Source & Date
of Question Colorado Spring, Colorado
24 March 1998
Grammar's
Response Such language is the meat of lawyers, I'm afraid. The simple subject is "ratification," but yes, it is modified by the prepositional phrases that follow (one phrase being tucked into another, the second phrase modifying the object of the first). You could argue that there is a "complex subject" here, but you can actually pare the prepositional phrases away and still be left with a sensible sentence.
I would not have put a comma there, but the conventions of punctuation (and capitalization) have changed over the years. I don't see any possibility of ambiguity if you leave out the comma, but who knows? Such language is often drafted by more than one person, which makes speculation about punctuation an idle business -- but good business for lawyers and law-makers.

Question I KNOW I'm right on this, but I don't know WHY! I need a rule to prove the point to a stubborn friend.
In a piece of dialog, a character in a play says, "Oh, that the reality were as sweet as our dreams."
My friend says that it should be "..the reality WAS as sweet...." I know that it has something to do with the "if" factor there - like in the song, "If I Were a Carpenter (and you were a lady)"
Could you please tell me the rule that applies to make WERE the right word?
I'll be eternally grateful!
Source & Date
of Question Smithfield, Virginia
24 March 1998
Grammar's
Response The phrase in question expresses a desire, the subject being understood: "[I wish] that the reality were as sweet. . . " Or you can think of this as "present condition contrary to fact." In either case, we still use the subjunctive to express this desire or wishing. In the subjunctive, in the past tense, use were for any form of to be (whether the subject is singular or plural).
Authority: The Little, Brown Handbook by H. Ramsay Fowler and Jane E. Aaron, & Kay Limburg. 6th ed. HarperCollins: New York. 1995. By permission of Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers Inc.

Question Is it proper to refer to a specific writing assignment in a college paper? For example, "In this paper, I will talk about..."
Where should commas go in this sentence? "Most of my information for this paper comes from the book CATHOLIC SCHOOLS AND THE COMMON GOOD written by Anthony Bryk."
Thanks, as always!
Source & Date
of Question Unknown
24 March 1998
Grammar's
Response I would avoid using that "announcement" kind of introduction. It's rather hackneyed, I'm afraid. If you find it useful because it helps to focus what you're actually writing on, you can leave it in while you're writing your essay and then delete that tired introductory phrase before you hand in your paper. On the other hand, some instructors, for some reason, like that kind of announced focus, so you might want to check with your instructor. See our new section on Principles of Composition, the handout on the Thesis Statement.
Put a comma after the word Good. The title is essential information, but once we've got the title, the author's name becomes a parenthetical element, which can be set off with a comma.

Question I am writing an invitation to a party and am confused how to write the possesive personal noun when it is implied and not written:
Saturday, May 2
7:30 p.m.
The Antoshaks' (The Antoshaks' (house implied))
since there are more than one Antoshak that lives here or
The Antoshaks
Thank you so much!
Source & Date
of Question Leesburg, Virginia
24 March 1998
Grammar's
Response The first option you give us is correct: The Antoshaks'. Since more than one Antoshak live there and you're talking about the house that belongs to them, you need both the plural and the possessive.
Authority: New York Public Library Writer's Guide to Style and Usage HarperCollins: New York. 1994.

Question Which is correct?
sleep on hammock or sleep in hammock
no desires or no desire?
Source & Date
of Question Somewhere, India
25 March 1998
Grammar's
Response Most writers, I think, would say that they sleep in a hammock (don't forget the article), although sleeping on a hammock sounds completely feasible. Depending on the meaning, either "no desires" or "no desires" is possible.

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Question	What would the abbreviation for Sister be, like a Nun.
Source & Date of Question	Silvis, Illinois 24 March 1998
Grammar's Response	Sr. (I understand that among Catholic schoolchildren, this comes out pronounced something like "Sta," but I do not know this from first-hand experience.) Authority: Chicago Manual of Style 14th ed. U of Chicago P: Chicago. 1993.

Question	Please, I am in doubt how to use the verb to "lengthen", although I have researched it a lot. I know I can say I am going to lengthen a dress, a skirt, etc...and that it means to make something longer... but can one also lengthen a class? Can one lengthen a composition? Can one lengthen rubber ? ( or should it be stretch?) Chewing gum? Thanks a lot.
Source & Date of Question	Somewhere, Brazil 24 March 1998
Grammar's Response	You can certainly lengthen a class and a composition, and you can probably lengthen a piece of rubber by stretching it (but then it reverts to its original size, so have you really lengthened it? I guess not, except temporarily.) Stretch, I think, is a better word for what you do with rubber and gum. I'd never thought of that before.

Question	Where are the subject and verb in the sentence below? "The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same." The first eight words appear to be a complex subject containing a noun and two prepositional phrases. Also, why is there a comma between "States" and "shall"?
Source & Date of Question	Colorado Spring, Colorado 24 March 1998
Grammar's Response	Such language is the meat of lawyers, I'm afraid. The simple subject is "ratification," but yes, it is modified by the prepositional phrases that follow (one phrase being tucked into another, the second phrase modifying the object of the first). You could argue that there is a "complex subject" here, but you can actually pare the prepositional phrases away and still be left with a sensible sentence. I would not have put a comma there, but the conventions of punctuation (and capitalization) have changed over the years. I don't see any possibility of ambiguity if you leave out the comma, but who knows? Such language is often drafted by more than one person, which makes speculation about punctuation an idle business -- but good business for lawyers and law-makers.

Question	Is it proper to refer to a specific writing assignment in a college paper? For example, "In this paper, I will talk about..." Where should commas go in this sentence? "Most of my information for this paper comes from the book CATHOLIC SCHOOLS AND THE COMMON GOOD written by Anthony Bryk." Thanks, as always!
Source & Date of Question	Unknown 24 March 1998
Grammar's Response	I would avoid using that "announcement" kind of introduction. It's rather hackneyed, I'm afraid. If you find it useful because it helps to focus what you're actually writing on, you can leave it in while you're writing your essay and then delete that tired introductory phrase before you hand in your paper. On the other hand, some instructors, for some reason, like that kind of announced focus, so you might want to check with your instructor. See our new section on Principles of Composition, the handout on the Thesis Statement. Put a comma after the word Good. The title is essential information, but once we've got the title, the author's name becomes a parenthetical element, which can be set off with a comma.

Question	Which is correct? sleep on hammock or sleep in hammock no desires or no desire?
Source & Date of Question	Somewhere, India 25 March 1998
Grammar's Response	Most writers, I think, would say that they sleep in a hammock (don't forget the article), although sleeping on a hammock sounds completely feasible. Depending on the meaning, either "no desires" or "no desires" is possible.

Question	Need help explaining simple subject in sentence: ie This flowerpot absorbs water.
Source & Date of Question	Eagle Rock, California 24 March 1998
Grammar's Response	The simple subject is the single word that acts as the subject of the sentence, stripped of accompanying modifiers. So in your sentence, the simple subject is "flowerpot," not "this flowerpot." But be careful not to strip away things are essential to the meaning of the sentence. For instance, in the sentence, "Running in the park after dark is dangerous," we can't say that "running" is the simple sentence because if we eliminate "in the park after dark" we're left with "running" as the subject, and the subject of that sentence is not "running" (we're not saying that running is dangerous); it's "running in the park after dark."

Question	I know that to be, sound, appear etc. are linking verbs.But I would like to know if the verbs to get and to stay can also be copula verbs.
Source & Date of Question	Porto Alegre, R.G.Sul, Brazil 24 March 1998
Grammar's Response	Yes, although you will find them acting as linking verbs in more informal settings. He got angry easily and he stayed angry, too.