The Grammar Logs -- Number Ninety-Three

The
Grammar
Logs
# 93

Question Can you explain me where to use: Considered to be/Considered as/Considered?
for example in the following sentence:
I consider banana to be/as/- one of the most delicious fruits that nature has made.
Source & Date
of Question United Arab Emirates
29 March 1998
Grammar's
Response It seems that the word "judge" works pretty much the same way, but I'm not aware of any particular class of verbs that works this way. The simplest way of using this verb is undoubtedly the best: "I consider bananas the most delicious fruit. . . ." Using the "to be" verb is not uncommon and is certainly acceptable. The "as" construction is really klunky, though, and I would avoid it. Does this answer your question?

Question What is the difference between 'wide' and 'broad'?
Source & Date
of Question Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
30 March 1998
Grammar's
Response I don't think there is much difference between these two words. I suppose the word "broad" might suggest a kind of expansiveness whereas the word "wide" is more a term of pure measurement; also, you're going to use the word "wide" 95% of the time.

Question I have a question dealing with "tense".
When speaking in the past tense, is it correct to use the word 'had' in the following sentence?
'We had met once before."
or is it better to say
"We met once before"
-Thanks for your help.
Source & Date
of Question Toronto, Canada
30 March 1998
Grammar's
Response You can use either. The past perfect "had met" will suggest that the act of meeting had happened prior to another event. I think it's what you want here, although there's nothing incorrect about using the simple past, "We met once before."

Question Explain "good English" as a concept and give me an example of it and its alternative.
Source & Date
of Question Albany, Georgia
30 March 1998
Grammar's
Response This is either a trick question or a very thoughtful question, but I'm not sure how to answer it in either case. From the perspective of someone putting together a web-page like this, good English has more to do with correct grammar than anything else. So if a student writes "Hartford is one of those cities that spends too much money on public education," I would say that's not good English because "spends" should be the singular "spend." In this arena, it is possible for language to be colorful, vital, energetic, interesting and still not be good English. To the extent that good writing and good English are not the same thing, you have asked an interesting question. I think that good English generally means correct grammar, but I can't speak for others.

Question One of my fellow writers asked me for the plural of "syntax", as in "The following section describes formats and syntaxes??".
(I thought syntax is the tax we pay on liquor, gambling, etc.)
Anyway, my dictionaries do not show a plural. Can you help me?
Source & Date
of Question Arden Hill, Minnesota
30 March 1998
Grammar's
Response I don't think there is a plural form for syntax. You can study syntax in the U.S. and I can study a different syntax in Iceland and we can get together and discuss syntax (not syntaxes). It's sort of like a glob of mercury: you can break it down into smaller globs, but it's still mercury and if you join this glob to another glob, it's still mercury. That's probably not a very good analogy.

Question I'm having a bit of trouble with commas. Any advice would be great. Any books that I should be reading on the subject? Elements of Style is what I've been reading, but I feel I could use more. I am also stuck on one sentence in particular:
"The issue concerning 'piercing the corporate veil' is preempted by the relevant sections of M.G.L. Chapter 175, as these sections set forth the requirement that the corporate name of an insurance company must be used in conducting its business."
Should there be a comma after 175 or should it be omitted? I find myself stuck with this type of comma because I can't find the parenthetical clause and don't understand the breakdown of the sentence. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. -Michael
Source & Date
of Question Boston, Massachusetts
30 March 1998
Grammar's
Response Elements of Style is a classic and its advice is sound. There might not be enough examples to cover all your needs, though. Although it's highly illegal, and I would never encourage you to do something illegal, I have known some students to borrow a copy of the Chicago Manual of Style and photocopy the pertinent pages.
That sentence you give us needs a comma after Chapter 175. The rule that applies here, as you point out, is probably the most difficult to master: what is parenthetical (essential) to the meaning of the sentence, and what is not. Clearly what follows the subordinating conjunction "as" is important to the meaning of the sentence, but yes, it can be removed and the sense of the main clause is not altered and the sentence remains sound structurally.

Question What would be the correct plural of the words "fax" and "facsimile?"
Source & Date
of Question Forest City, North Carolina
30 March 1998
Grammar's
Response Faxes and facsimiles

Question Predicative adjectives begining with the letter A:
agog, afloat

Source & Date
of Question Moscow, Russia
30 March 1998
Grammar's
Response Some other a- adjectives are ablaze, afraid, aghast, alert, alike, alive, alone, aloof, ashamed, asleep, averse, awake, aware. These adjectives have a predominantly predicative use (i.e., they come after a linking verb).

The children were ashamed.
The professor remained aloof.
The trees were ablaze.
You will, however, sometimes find some of the a- adjectives before the word they modify: the alert child, the aloof professor. Most of them, when found before the word they modify, are themselves modified: the nearly awake student. And a- adjectives are often modified by "very much": very much afraid, very much alone, very much ashamed, etc.
Does this answer your question?
Authority: A University Grammar of English by Randolph Quirk and Sidney Greenbaum. Longman Group: Essex, England. 1993.

Question Just wondering if you could tell my why phrases like "as you know" and "of course" are usually separated by commas. The example I have I believe (should there be a comma after have?) is correctly punctuated, but I don't know why. Any help would be greatly appreciated:
"As we discussed, I have enclosed my resume and a summary of my employment evaluations, which, as you know, are an integral part of the school's program. Of course, nothing makes up for experience."
Is this properly done or can some of the commas be left out? Thanks for the help.
Source & Date
of Question Boston, Massachusetts
30 March 1998
Grammar's
Response Such phrases are usually, but not always, parenthetical elements and set off by a pair of commas. The "as you know" and the "I believe" in your own sentence are interjections in this case, elements you can take out of the sentence altogether and not lose any of the essential meaning of the sentence. The punctuation in those two sentence seems correct enough, but I'm not sure of the logic of the "of course." You might have written that first sentence this way: "I have enclosed my resume and a summary of the employement evaluations that are an integral part of the school's program." [Or leave out "that are" altogether and put a comma after "evaluations."]

Question Hi. I'm from Yugoslavia and I want to learn English as quickly as possible. If you can send me a website name that is the easieset way to learn English Grammar, I would be thankful. Please help me out.
Source & Date
of Question St. Petersburg, Florida
31 March 1998
Grammar's
Response I don't think it's possible to learn English Grammar from a web-site. Florida has an excellent community college system, and I'm sure they have an English as a Second Language program. With proper placement testing, you can surely enroll in a course that would be a thousand times better than the best web-site. Give a call to St. Petersburg Junior College or e-mail them at riouxj@email.spjc.cc.fl.us . If you really insist on learning English on the web, start at Dave's ESL Cafe.

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Question	Can you explain me where to use: Considered to be/Considered as/Considered? for example in the following sentence: I consider banana to be/as/- one of the most delicious fruits that nature has made.
Source & Date of Question	United Arab Emirates 29 March 1998
Grammar's Response	It seems that the word "judge" works pretty much the same way, but I'm not aware of any particular class of verbs that works this way. The simplest way of using this verb is undoubtedly the best: "I consider bananas the most delicious fruit. . . ." Using the "to be" verb is not uncommon and is certainly acceptable. The "as" construction is really klunky, though, and I would avoid it. Does this answer your question?

Question	I have a question dealing with "tense". When speaking in the past tense, is it correct to use the word 'had' in the following sentence? 'We had met once before." or is it better to say "We met once before" -Thanks for your help.
Source & Date of Question	Toronto, Canada 30 March 1998
Grammar's Response	You can use either. The past perfect "had met" will suggest that the act of meeting had happened prior to another event. I think it's what you want here, although there's nothing incorrect about using the simple past, "We met once before."

Question	One of my fellow writers asked me for the plural of "syntax", as in "The following section describes formats and syntaxes??". (I thought syntax is the tax we pay on liquor, gambling, etc.) Anyway, my dictionaries do not show a plural. Can you help me?
Source & Date of Question	Arden Hill, Minnesota 30 March 1998
Grammar's Response	I don't think there is a plural form for syntax. You can study syntax in the U.S. and I can study a different syntax in Iceland and we can get together and discuss syntax (not syntaxes). It's sort of like a glob of mercury: you can break it down into smaller globs, but it's still mercury and if you join this glob to another glob, it's still mercury. That's probably not a very good analogy.

Question	I'm having a bit of trouble with commas. Any advice would be great. Any books that I should be reading on the subject? Elements of Style is what I've been reading, but I feel I could use more. I am also stuck on one sentence in particular: "The issue concerning 'piercing the corporate veil' is preempted by the relevant sections of M.G.L. Chapter 175, as these sections set forth the requirement that the corporate name of an insurance company must be used in conducting its business." Should there be a comma after 175 or should it be omitted? I find myself stuck with this type of comma because I can't find the parenthetical clause and don't understand the breakdown of the sentence. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. -Michael
Source & Date of Question	Boston, Massachusetts 30 March 1998
Grammar's Response	Elements of Style is a classic and its advice is sound. There might not be enough examples to cover all your needs, though. Although it's highly illegal, and I would never encourage you to do something illegal, I have known some students to borrow a copy of the Chicago Manual of Style and photocopy the pertinent pages. That sentence you give us needs a comma after Chapter 175. The rule that applies here, as you point out, is probably the most difficult to master: what is parenthetical (essential) to the meaning of the sentence, and what is not. Clearly what follows the subordinating conjunction "as" is important to the meaning of the sentence, but yes, it can be removed and the sense of the main clause is not altered and the sentence remains sound structurally.

Question	Just wondering if you could tell my why phrases like "as you know" and "of course" are usually separated by commas. The example I have I believe (should there be a comma after have?) is correctly punctuated, but I don't know why. Any help would be greatly appreciated: "As we discussed, I have enclosed my resume and a summary of my employment evaluations, which, as you know, are an integral part of the school's program. Of course, nothing makes up for experience." Is this properly done or can some of the commas be left out? Thanks for the help.
Source & Date of Question	Boston, Massachusetts 30 March 1998
Grammar's Response	Such phrases are usually, but not always, parenthetical elements and set off by a pair of commas. The "as you know" and the "I believe" in your own sentence are interjections in this case, elements you can take out of the sentence altogether and not lose any of the essential meaning of the sentence. The punctuation in those two sentence seems correct enough, but I'm not sure of the logic of the "of course." You might have written that first sentence this way: "I have enclosed my resume and a summary of the employement evaluations that are an integral part of the school's program." [Or leave out "that are" altogether and put a comma after "evaluations."]

Question	What is the difference between 'wide' and 'broad'?
Source & Date of Question	Shenzhen, Guangdong, China 30 March 1998
Grammar's Response	I don't think there is much difference between these two words. I suppose the word "broad" might suggest a kind of expansiveness whereas the word "wide" is more a term of pure measurement; also, you're going to use the word "wide" 95% of the time.

Question	Explain "good English" as a concept and give me an example of it and its alternative.
Source & Date of Question	Albany, Georgia 30 March 1998
Grammar's Response	This is either a trick question or a very thoughtful question, but I'm not sure how to answer it in either case. From the perspective of someone putting together a web-page like this, good English has more to do with correct grammar than anything else. So if a student writes "Hartford is one of those cities that spends too much money on public education," I would say that's not good English because "spends" should be the singular "spend." In this arena, it is possible for language to be colorful, vital, energetic, interesting and still not be good English. To the extent that good writing and good English are not the same thing, you have asked an interesting question. I think that good English generally means correct grammar, but I can't speak for others.

Question	What would be the correct plural of the words "fax" and "facsimile?"
Source & Date of Question	Forest City, North Carolina 30 March 1998
Grammar's Response	Faxes and facsimiles

Question	Hi. I'm from Yugoslavia and I want to learn English as quickly as possible. If you can send me a website name that is the easieset way to learn English Grammar, I would be thankful. Please help me out.
Source & Date of Question	St. Petersburg, Florida 31 March 1998
Grammar's Response	I don't think it's possible to learn English Grammar from a web-site. Florida has an excellent community college system, and I'm sure they have an English as a Second Language program. With proper placement testing, you can surely enroll in a course that would be a thousand times better than the best web-site. Give a call to St. Petersburg Junior College or e-mail them at riouxj@email.spjc.cc.fl.us . If you really insist on learning English on the web, start at Dave's ESL Cafe.