The Grammar Logs -- Number Ninety-Eight

The
Grammar
Logs
# 98

Question Hi Grammar, Hope you're well. Am confused about the use of 'if' and the tense which follows.
e.g. when do you use "if I/she/he/it were" and "if I was" ?
Many thanks!
Source & Date
of Question Ang Mo Kio, Singapore
6 April 1998
Grammar's
Response Go to the section on Verbs and Verbals and check out the use of the subjunctive (especially the caution about "if" and the subjunctive in the little box).

Question Why do months have a capital letter, and seasons don't?
Source & Date
of Question Limerick, Ireland
6 April 1998
Grammar's
Response That's an easy question to answer: I don't know. I suspect that it is not even a universal application in English and I think it has not always been true over the long haul of literature. But it seems to be what the reference manuals call for, nowadays, in the United States. Sorry, but I can't tell you why. I'll place your question here, though, and maybe somebody else can suggest an answer.

Question Which is correct in the following sentences, plural or singular?
Pugs have brown eyes, black ears, (a) black face(s), and (a) short snout(s).
Beavers use their tail(s) to propel themselves in the water.
It seems like a no-win situation. Either there is one black face and one snout for all pugs, or each pug could have more than one black face and more than one snout. Beavers have one tail for all of them, or each beaver has more than one tail. My instinct is to use the plural--am I right?
Source & Date
of Question Seattle, Washington
6 April 1998
Grammar's
Response It becomes clumsy and sometimes even ludicrous when you go from a plural subject to a singular object. (Students change their mind all the time?) I say go with the plurals.

Question info on comma usage
Source & Date
of Question Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
6 April 1998
Grammar's
Response have you looked at Rules for Comma Usage? And take the quizzes, too. If, after that, you still have questions -- more specific questions, I hope -- please write again.

Question Well, in this lyric from Titanic, on the first paragraph, it goes like this: "Every night in my dreams, I see you, I feel you, that is how I know you go on". Would it be ok if I say - "THIS is how I know...", instead of using "THAT is how I know..." Would it have the same meaning? When to use "this" and "that" in a cases like this?
Thanks a lot!!!
Source & Date
of Question Recife/PE , Brazil
5 April 1998
Grammar's
Response In this case, the words are interchangeable. I'm not sure what you mean, "is it ok if I say. . . " If you're talking about singing it in the shower, sure, go ahead, you'll be grammatically fine and clean, too. If you're talking about re-publishing the lyrics somewhere, you'd better get permission.

Question I work for a software company. Our software has four digit year. In the software industry, it is standard to say that our software is "Year 2000 compliant". However, which of these is correct:
The software is"Year-2000-compliant" OR"Year 2000-compliant"?
Thanks.
Source & Date
of Question Vancouver, BC, Canada
6 April 1998
Grammar's
Response I tried to find an answer in the Chicago Style Manual, but I couldn't come up with anything. My guess is that when the phrase is used as a predicate, as you use it the first time, you'd write it the way you did: your software is Year 2000 compliant. When it comes before the thing it modifies, I would put the hyphen between the 2000 and "compliant": You provide Year 2000-compliant sofware. I don't think the hyphen after "Year" is necessary, but the hyphen after 2000 keeps us from misreading the word "compliant." I'm basing this on an analogy with "nineteenth century," which is always "open," without hyphens (according to the Chicago Style Manual), so we would write nineteenth century-compliant software (which would be really weird software). Can we extend that reasoning to Year 2000-compliant software? I hope so. It's probably the kind of thing that won't be settled until after we've been using the term Year 2000 for a while.

Question While visiting the USA, I heard many Americans say "anywayS", for instance:
We are not going to do that anyways ..
Shouldn't it be only ANYWAY ? Does anywayS exist?
Thanks.
Source & Date
of Question Somewhere, Brazil
7 April 1998
Grammar's
Response It certainly exists, but only as a colloquialism that ought to be stomped out even in the most informal language.

Question Dear Grammar,
please tell me whether the following dialogue is correct:

Where are you coming?
I'm coming from the cinema.
Is it strictly necessary to use "from" in the question as it is in the following dialogue:

Where do you come from?
I come from Italy.
Thanks for your help.
Source & Date
of Question Palma Campania, Naples-Italy
7 April 1998
Grammar's
Response Yes, we need to end those questions with the word "from." We could ask, I suppose, "from what/which place (from what direction) are you coming?" But no one talks like that.

Question Is the use of 'myself' and 'it' correct in the sentence below:
"On behalf of my staff and myself, it was a pleasure meeting you at ........"

Source & Date
of Question Winnipeg, MB CA
8 April 1998
Grammar's
Response Out of this context, I don't see anything wrong with "it," but I find the idea of doing anything "on behalf of myself" perplexing. Wouldn't it make more sense to say that "On behalf of my staff, I . . ." ?

Question How do you write a sentence with an Introductory Prepositional Phrase?
Source & Date
of Question Richmond, Virginia
8 April 1998
Grammar's
Response Something like "In the middle of the night, two thieves snuck into the museum and stole the Van Gogh." Whether you put a comma after the introductory prepositional phrase or not -- and usually you don't have to -- depends on the complexity of the phrase and the rhythms of the sentence (i.e., it's largely a matter of how it sounds to you). Does this answer your question?

Previous Grammar Log
Next Grammar Log
Index of Grammar Logs
Guide to Grammar and Writing

Question	Hi Grammar, Hope you're well. Am confused about the use of 'if' and the tense which follows. e.g. when do you use "if I/she/he/it were" and "if I was" ? Many thanks!
Source & Date of Question	Ang Mo Kio, Singapore 6 April 1998
Grammar's Response	Go to the section on Verbs and Verbals and check out the use of the subjunctive (especially the caution about "if" and the subjunctive in the little box).

Question	Which is correct in the following sentences, plural or singular? Pugs have brown eyes, black ears, (a) black face(s), and (a) short snout(s). Beavers use their tail(s) to propel themselves in the water. It seems like a no-win situation. Either there is one black face and one snout for all pugs, or each pug could have more than one black face and more than one snout. Beavers have one tail for all of them, or each beaver has more than one tail. My instinct is to use the plural--am I right?
Source & Date of Question	Seattle, Washington 6 April 1998
Grammar's Response	It becomes clumsy and sometimes even ludicrous when you go from a plural subject to a singular object. (Students change their mind all the time?) I say go with the plurals.

Question	Well, in this lyric from Titanic, on the first paragraph, it goes like this: "Every night in my dreams, I see you, I feel you, that is how I know you go on". Would it be ok if I say - "THIS is how I know...", instead of using "THAT is how I know..." Would it have the same meaning? When to use "this" and "that" in a cases like this? Thanks a lot!!!
Source & Date of Question	Recife/PE , Brazil 5 April 1998
Grammar's Response	In this case, the words are interchangeable. I'm not sure what you mean, "is it ok if I say. . . " If you're talking about singing it in the shower, sure, go ahead, you'll be grammatically fine and clean, too. If you're talking about re-publishing the lyrics somewhere, you'd better get permission.

Question	I work for a software company. Our software has four digit year. In the software industry, it is standard to say that our software is "Year 2000 compliant". However, which of these is correct: The software is"Year-2000-compliant" OR"Year 2000-compliant"? Thanks.
Source & Date of Question	Vancouver, BC, Canada 6 April 1998
Grammar's Response	I tried to find an answer in the Chicago Style Manual, but I couldn't come up with anything. My guess is that when the phrase is used as a predicate, as you use it the first time, you'd write it the way you did: your software is Year 2000 compliant. When it comes before the thing it modifies, I would put the hyphen between the 2000 and "compliant": You provide Year 2000-compliant sofware. I don't think the hyphen after "Year" is necessary, but the hyphen after 2000 keeps us from misreading the word "compliant." I'm basing this on an analogy with "nineteenth century," which is always "open," without hyphens (according to the Chicago Style Manual), so we would write nineteenth century-compliant software (which would be really weird software). Can we extend that reasoning to Year 2000-compliant software? I hope so. It's probably the kind of thing that won't be settled until after we've been using the term Year 2000 for a while.

Question	While visiting the USA, I heard many Americans say "anywayS", for instance: We are not going to do that anyways .. Shouldn't it be only ANYWAY ? Does anywayS exist? Thanks.
Source & Date of Question	Somewhere, Brazil 7 April 1998
Grammar's Response	It certainly exists, but only as a colloquialism that ought to be stomped out even in the most informal language.

Question	Why do months have a capital letter, and seasons don't?
Source & Date of Question	Limerick, Ireland 6 April 1998
Grammar's Response	That's an easy question to answer: I don't know. I suspect that it is not even a universal application in English and I think it has not always been true over the long haul of literature. But it seems to be what the reference manuals call for, nowadays, in the United States. Sorry, but I can't tell you why. I'll place your question here, though, and maybe somebody else can suggest an answer.

Question	info on comma usage
Source & Date of Question	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 6 April 1998
Grammar's Response	have you looked at Rules for Comma Usage? And take the quizzes, too. If, after that, you still have questions -- more specific questions, I hope -- please write again.

Question	Dear Grammar, please tell me whether the following dialogue is correct: Where are you coming? I'm coming from the cinema. Is it strictly necessary to use "from" in the question as it is in the following dialogue: Where do you come from? I come from Italy. Thanks for your help.
Source & Date of Question	Palma Campania, Naples-Italy 7 April 1998
Grammar's Response	Yes, we need to end those questions with the word "from." We could ask, I suppose, "from what/which place (from what direction) are you coming?" But no one talks like that.

Question	Is the use of 'myself' and 'it' correct in the sentence below: "On behalf of my staff and myself, it was a pleasure meeting you at ........"
Source & Date of Question	Winnipeg, MB CA 8 April 1998
Grammar's Response	Out of this context, I don't see anything wrong with "it," but I find the idea of doing anything "on behalf of myself" perplexing. Wouldn't it make more sense to say that "On behalf of my staff, I . . ." ?

Question	How do you write a sentence with an Introductory Prepositional Phrase?
Source & Date of Question	Richmond, Virginia 8 April 1998
Grammar's Response	Something like "In the middle of the night, two thieves snuck into the museum and stole the Van Gogh." Whether you put a comma after the introductory prepositional phrase or not -- and usually you don't have to -- depends on the complexity of the phrase and the rhythms of the sentence (i.e., it's largely a matter of how it sounds to you). Does this answer your question?