The Grammar Logs -- Number Ninety-One

The
Grammar
Logs
# 91

Question Do you have to use the word "that" everytime as a conjunction when you come to a situation like:
Peter wondered THAT if there is any treasures under the ground.
Is it all right to take away the THAT so that the new sentences will be like:
Peter wondered if there is any treasures under the ground.
Except using the word "THAT", what other conjunction can I also use so that the sentence will not look so formal?
Source & Date
of Question Markham, Toronto, Canada
25 March 1998
Grammar's
Response The word "that" is completely unnecessary and unwanted in that sentence. You do, however, want a plural verb because of the expletive construction "there are" (the plural subject, treasures, follows the verb): "Peter wondered if there were any treasures under the ground." Or, better yet, write it this way: "Peter wondered if there was any buried treasure." or "Peter wondered if any treasures were buried there."

Question I have the dubious honor of being the English department chair at a large high school. Recently some of my colleagues came to me with a question: Is quoted dialogue (from a novel, for example) punctuated differently than narration from the same source? Twain's novel ends, "I got to light out for the new territory ahead of the rest." (That is correct, I assume. But what about this: Huck says, "'He's white.'" My contention is that a quote is a quote, and until we get into the quote- within-a-quote situation, we only need double quotes. Others believe that one needs to signal that a quote is dialogue by using double then single quotes.
Please advise!
Thanks.
Source & Date
of Question Billings, Montana
25 March 1998
Grammar's
Response You have no idea how thrilled I am to hear from Montana! Now I've heard from all fifty states! Life is complete!
Well, on to your question. I think you're right. Until you get into the quote-within-a-quote situation, you have no need for the single quotation mark inside the double quotation mark. So you might end up with something like "'He's white,' Huck said." And that's the only situation in which you would have that single quotation mark. The task of quotation is difficult enough without making it worse than it really is!

Question I need information about the verb to be, present tense.
Source & Date
of Question Bayamon, Puerto Rico
25 March 1998
Grammar's
Response I'm not sure what you mean by "information." Its various forms would be I am, you (singular) are, he/she/it is, we are, you (plural) are, and they are. If you need more than that, let us know.

Question I have just written a research paper for my High School junior year Honors English class. The topic included all the works from C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. In my paper, I italicized the Chronicles of Narnia and underlined the individual works. I was graded off for italicizing the collection title. My justification when my teacher said MLA style does not italicize books was, that I did it to differentiate the collecion. Additionally, I was graded down for italicizing the name of the ship the Dawn Treader when referring to it in the body of the paper. Who had the correct style and grammar?
I ended up with the lowest A, with points taken off every time I made these errors. I would have only lost 1/2 point, for a missed comma, if these references had been acceptable.
Source & Date
of Question Live Oak, Florida
26 March 1998
Grammar's
Response That's pretty tough grading. Although using both underlines and italics was probably not a good idea, the MLA itself, on its own web-page (at www.mla.org), allows for the instructor's preferences in this matter. I guess the lesson is that you have to check with your teacher. In my opinion (in case someone asks), modern word processors and good, inexpensive printers have created a situation in which italics are preferable to underlining. Why pretend we're still in the age of handwriting or typewriters when we have these $2,000 desktop publishing devices on our desks at home? This is the language from the MLA page:
Should I use underlining or italics?
Most word-processing programs and computer printers permit the reproduction of italic type. In material that will be graded or edited for publication, however, the type style of every letter and punctuation mark must be easily recognizable. Italic type is sometimes not distinctive enough for this purpose. In printed material submitted for grading and editing, therefore, words that would be italicized in a publication are usually underlined to avoid ambiguity. If you wish to use italics rather than underlining, check your instructor's or editor's preferences. When preparing a manuscript for electronic publication, consult your editor on how to represent italicization.

Question Using Outline form. I. main topic

Question: what do you do if you have used up all the letters of the alphabet A-Z for main topic and you continue your outline and need other letters? Do you use AA, BB CC?
Source & Date
of Question New Ulm, Minnesota
25 March 1998
Grammar's
Response I can't find anything in the mla and apa handbooks that answers this question, but it seems quite reasonable to me. That's what they do in large auditoriums that have more than 26 rows. I say go for it. Be a trendsetter.

Question Do you use interdepartmental or intradepartmental when you are referring to one Department? Example - mail sent from one section in the department to another section within the department - Is it interdepartmental mail or intradepartmental mail?
Source & Date
of Question Baton Rouge, Louisiana
25 March 1998
Grammar's
Response Interdepartmental means between departments and intradepartmental means within a department.

Question Please address the use or misuse of the word "like" and the two words "you know". You know, like many people, like students, use these words constantly. Like, you know they cannot complete a sentence without, you know, like using these words, you know?
I feel that if these words were taken out of our language, most high school and college students would become mute. You know what I see as the incorrect usage of these words, like, drives me crazy!
Like you know, thanks,
Source & Date
of Question Athens, Georgia
25 March 1998
Grammar's
Response I caution you not to imitate users of these phrases, as it can be infectious, ya know. I think I would rather hear a good old fashioned grunt or "uuuh" between words than those phrases, but what are you going to do? It's like breathing to some people. I don't know how the habit can be broken outside of hooking up such people to car batteries and having them zapped every time they use the phrase. I once had a well known, extremely intelligent, English prof who used the words "you understand" and "you see" that way. We spent much more time counting his little stammer-words than we did taking notes. There's probably a technical name for these words and phrases, but I don't know what it is.

Question Can you tell me how to use "too" and "enough" with an adjective?
Source & Date
of Question Cairo, Egypt
27 March 1998
Grammar's
Response "Too" is always an adverb; "enough" will be an adverb when used to modify an adjective (and it frequently comes after the adjective it modifies). That is too heavy for her to lift. That's not a very big diamond, but it's big enough.

Question Could you give me the name and ISBN of a recommended book on grammar? I'm trying to get into copyediting and I need to brush up on my skills.
Thanks
Source & Date
of Question Dublin, Republic of Ireland
27 March 1998
Grammar's
Response Try going to this address: http://www.rt66.com/~telp/styfaq4.htm#q50. No ISBNs, but the titles are there.
Good luck.

Question Dear Grammar:
I found the expression "things started to develop toward ..." in my dictionary, and I used it in the following sentence.Could you please tell me if it it is used correctly? If not, what would you suggest?
However, since the capacity of reformatories was extremely small, many indictments against delinquent juveniles were shelved, resulting in an increase in the number of delinquent juveniles, and things started to develop toward the enactment of a special l aw. Thanks a million for your help!
Source & Date
of Question Tama City, Tokyo, Japan
27 March 1998
Grammar's
Response This strikes me as a rather clumsy phrase. I think you're better off ending your sentence and starting anew in the middle: "The result of this increased delinquent activity [or whatever you want to call it] was the enactment of a special law [etc.]."

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Question	Do you have to use the word "that" everytime as a conjunction when you come to a situation like: Peter wondered THAT if there is any treasures under the ground. Is it all right to take away the THAT so that the new sentences will be like: Peter wondered if there is any treasures under the ground. Except using the word "THAT", what other conjunction can I also use so that the sentence will not look so formal?
Source & Date of Question	Markham, Toronto, Canada 25 March 1998
Grammar's Response	The word "that" is completely unnecessary and unwanted in that sentence. You do, however, want a plural verb because of the expletive construction "there are" (the plural subject, treasures, follows the verb): "Peter wondered if there were any treasures under the ground." Or, better yet, write it this way: "Peter wondered if there was any buried treasure." or "Peter wondered if any treasures were buried there."

Question	I have the dubious honor of being the English department chair at a large high school. Recently some of my colleagues came to me with a question: Is quoted dialogue (from a novel, for example) punctuated differently than narration from the same source? Twain's novel ends, "I got to light out for the new territory ahead of the rest." (That is correct, I assume. But what about this: Huck says, "'He's white.'" My contention is that a quote is a quote, and until we get into the quote- within-a-quote situation, we only need double quotes. Others believe that one needs to signal that a quote is dialogue by using double then single quotes. Please advise! Thanks.
Source & Date of Question	Billings, Montana 25 March 1998
Grammar's Response	You have no idea how thrilled I am to hear from Montana! Now I've heard from all fifty states! Life is complete! Well, on to your question. I think you're right. Until you get into the quote-within-a-quote situation, you have no need for the single quotation mark inside the double quotation mark. So you might end up with something like "'He's white,' Huck said." And that's the only situation in which you would have that single quotation mark. The task of quotation is difficult enough without making it worse than it really is!

Question	I have just written a research paper for my High School junior year Honors English class. The topic included all the works from C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. In my paper, I italicized the Chronicles of Narnia and underlined the individual works. I was graded off for italicizing the collection title. My justification when my teacher said MLA style does not italicize books was, that I did it to differentiate the collecion. Additionally, I was graded down for italicizing the name of the ship the Dawn Treader when referring to it in the body of the paper. Who had the correct style and grammar? I ended up with the lowest A, with points taken off every time I made these errors. I would have only lost 1/2 point, for a missed comma, if these references had been acceptable.
Source & Date of Question	Live Oak, Florida 26 March 1998
Grammar's Response	That's pretty tough grading. Although using both underlines and italics was probably not a good idea, the MLA itself, on its own web-page (at www.mla.org), allows for the instructor's preferences in this matter. I guess the lesson is that you have to check with your teacher. In my opinion (in case someone asks), modern word processors and good, inexpensive printers have created a situation in which italics are preferable to underlining. Why pretend we're still in the age of handwriting or typewriters when we have these $2,000 desktop publishing devices on our desks at home? This is the language from the MLA page: Should I use underlining or italics? Most word-processing programs and computer printers permit the reproduction of italic type. In material that will be graded or edited for publication, however, the type style of every letter and punctuation mark must be easily recognizable. Italic type is sometimes not distinctive enough for this purpose. In printed material submitted for grading and editing, therefore, words that would be italicized in a publication are usually underlined to avoid ambiguity. If you wish to use italics rather than underlining, check your instructor's or editor's preferences. When preparing a manuscript for electronic publication, consult your editor on how to represent italicization.

Question	Using Outline form. I. main topic Question: what do you do if you have used up all the letters of the alphabet A-Z for main topic and you continue your outline and need other letters? Do you use AA, BB CC?
Source & Date of Question	New Ulm, Minnesota 25 March 1998
Grammar's Response	I can't find anything in the mla and apa handbooks that answers this question, but it seems quite reasonable to me. That's what they do in large auditoriums that have more than 26 rows. I say go for it. Be a trendsetter.

Question	Please address the use or misuse of the word "like" and the two words "you know". You know, like many people, like students, use these words constantly. Like, you know they cannot complete a sentence without, you know, like using these words, you know? I feel that if these words were taken out of our language, most high school and college students would become mute. You know what I see as the incorrect usage of these words, like, drives me crazy! Like you know, thanks,
Source & Date of Question	Athens, Georgia 25 March 1998
Grammar's Response	I caution you not to imitate users of these phrases, as it can be infectious, ya know. I think I would rather hear a good old fashioned grunt or "uuuh" between words than those phrases, but what are you going to do? It's like breathing to some people. I don't know how the habit can be broken outside of hooking up such people to car batteries and having them zapped every time they use the phrase. I once had a well known, extremely intelligent, English prof who used the words "you understand" and "you see" that way. We spent much more time counting his little stammer-words than we did taking notes. There's probably a technical name for these words and phrases, but I don't know what it is.

Question	I need information about the verb to be, present tense.
Source & Date of Question	Bayamon, Puerto Rico 25 March 1998
Grammar's Response	I'm not sure what you mean by "information." Its various forms would be I am, you (singular) are, he/she/it is, we are, you (plural) are, and they are. If you need more than that, let us know.

Question	Do you use interdepartmental or intradepartmental when you are referring to one Department? Example - mail sent from one section in the department to another section within the department - Is it interdepartmental mail or intradepartmental mail?
Source & Date of Question	Baton Rouge, Louisiana 25 March 1998
Grammar's Response	Interdepartmental means between departments and intradepartmental means within a department.

Question	Can you tell me how to use "too" and "enough" with an adjective?
Source & Date of Question	Cairo, Egypt 27 March 1998
Grammar's Response	"Too" is always an adverb; "enough" will be an adverb when used to modify an adjective (and it frequently comes after the adjective it modifies). That is too heavy for her to lift. That's not a very big diamond, but it's big enough.

Question	Could you give me the name and ISBN of a recommended book on grammar? I'm trying to get into copyediting and I need to brush up on my skills. Thanks
Source & Date of Question	Dublin, Republic of Ireland 27 March 1998
Grammar's Response	Try going to this address: http://www.rt66.com/~telp/styfaq4.htm#q50. No ISBNs, but the titles are there. Good luck.

Question	Dear Grammar: I found the expression "things started to develop toward ..." in my dictionary, and I used it in the following sentence.Could you please tell me if it it is used correctly? If not, what would you suggest? However, since the capacity of reformatories was extremely small, many indictments against delinquent juveniles were shelved, resulting in an increase in the number of delinquent juveniles, and things started to develop toward the enactment of a special l aw. Thanks a million for your help!
Source & Date of Question	Tama City, Tokyo, Japan 27 March 1998
Grammar's Response	This strikes me as a rather clumsy phrase. I think you're better off ending your sentence and starting anew in the middle: "The result of this increased delinquent activity [or whatever you want to call it] was the enactment of a special law [etc.]."