The Grammar Logs -- Number Ninety-Nine

The
Grammar
Logs
# 99

Question When do you use less in a sentence and when do you use fewer?
Source & Date
of Question Wallingford, Connecticut
8 April 1998
Grammar's
Response You use less when you're talking about something that is not countable and you use fewer when you're talking about something that is countable. There is less grain this year than last; there are fewer orange blossoms.

Question In assisting my nephew with his 5th grade grammar we cannot identify what concrete noun is. What is the difference between common and concrete nouns? Thank you.
Source & Date
of Question Hillsboro, Oregon
8 April 1998
Grammar's
Response Common nouns are distinguished only from proper nouns, which name specific people, places, and things (George Washington, Washington, D.C., Washington Bridge). Everything else is a common noun (and is not capitalized, normally). A concrete noun is the name of something you can put your hands on and is distinguished from an abstract noun. Your house is a concrete noun, the idea of home, however, is not.

Question My question is on the verb agreement with the units of measurement. For example, in soil boring logs, the number of feet below land surface is grouped, such as 20-22 feet, 22-24 feet, etc. However, each unit of measure can be further broken down when discussing the soil types that appear in each stratum. Which is the correct verb agreement?
20-25 feet: the top 2 feet [is, are] sand; the bottom 4 inches [is, are] silt.
Along these lines, which is the correct verb tense for a sentence such as:
The top 15 feet of the building [is, are} marble.
Would the verb agreement change if the sentence were:
The building is steel and glass, but the top 15 feet [is, are] marble.
Thank you very much. I've bookmarked this site!
Source & Date
of Question Tallahassee, Florida
9 April 1998
Grammar's
Response The word "top" (or "bottom," whatever) in that construction creates a non-count noun and you will want a singular verb: "the top 15 feet is silt (marble, whatever)." You look at those top four feet as one thing. It would be like saying "Thirty feet is a long way to jump!" You ask a question about tense, but don't give us a present/past choice, so I'm not sure what you mean. Tense ("is/was" ?) would depend only one meaning.

Question Should there be commas in the following question?
Now I'm through with this course and have learned a lot.

Source & Date
of Question Vernon, Canada
9 April 1998
Grammar's
Response That's not really a question, is it? No, there's no need for a comma in that sentence. The conjunction "and" can connect two of anything without a comma except for two independent clauses. It probably would be a better sentence broken into two independent clauses: "Now I'm through with [Now I've finished] this course; I have learned a lot." (?)

Question Is this sentence correct:
Persons with a neurosis may spend years searching for meaning their life.
Should I change "neurosis" or "life" to their plural forms?
Thank you for your help.
Source & Date
of Question Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
9 April 1998
Grammar's
Response I think you're missing a preposition, aren't you? for or in their lives? I don't think you can change "neurosis" to the plural because that changes the meaning of your sentence, doesn't it? One neurosis is probably enough to send "persons" in search of meaning. "Lives," however, would be appropriate.

Question Dear Grammar,
I am not sure about the following pattern :

It's no SURPRISING ....
It's no SURPRISE ....
Which one is correct? My sister told me that after this pattern, we should use a noun. But I think that both "surprise" and "surprising" are nouns.
Please answer my question.
Also, I would like to say "thank you" for your "Guide to Grammar and Writing." It really helps me a lot.
Source & Date
of Question Hong Kong
9 April 1998
Grammar's
Response Your sister is right (or did you mis-type "no" for "not" in your first example?). "Surprising" is a participle form in that sentence and we would want "not" in that sentence: "It's not surprising." With "no," we want a noun (as your sister says): "It's no surprise." There's virtually no difference in meaning between the two sentences.
You're welcome.

Question "What's up" could mean many things. How do we know what is or isn't "up," I mean?
Source & Date
of Question Seal Beach, California
9 April 1998
Grammar's
Response In its truly colloquial form, as my older son uses it, it's spelled and spoken "Wussup?" It's hard to say what it means, as it seems to be more of a greeting than a real question. It probably comes from Bugs Bunny's "What's up, Doc?", doesn't it? And I guess it asks what's going on in your life that keeps you going, keeps you interested? The phrase is becoming nearly as meaningless as "How are you?" usually is. So, wussup in Seal Beach?

Question Give me some reasons why students would generally have problems with Grammar and Usage. Secondly, suggest strategies one can use to overcome these weaknesses?
Source & Date
of Question Nassau, Bahamas
9 April 1998
Grammar's
Response That's too big a question to treat here, I'm afraid. I'm sure it has something to do with carelessness in the school system, a lack of family reading time (parents reading to very young children from good books), a sense that good English is a geek sport or a sell-out of some kind (a false sense that good writing has nothing to do with the "real world"), a general lack of discipline and sloppy thinking in our society. Strategies: a commitment from parents to do the right thing by their children in terms of language skills^_beginning at home and extending into their caring about what happens at school. It must start when children are young, though^_well before school begins. That's a very slight answer to a very large problem.

Question When do we need to use 'INVERSION'?
Source & Date
of Question Hong Kong
9 April 1998
Grammar's
Response We use inversion when we ask questions (Did dinosaurs ever live in Connecticut?) and when we use expletive constructions (There are two bicycles in the garage). Also, inversion is sometimes used for dramatic effect: "Out of the valley of the shadow of death rode the Magnificent Seven." Too much of that can spoil a good thing very quickly.

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Question	My question is on the verb agreement with the units of measurement. For example, in soil boring logs, the number of feet below land surface is grouped, such as 20-22 feet, 22-24 feet, etc. However, each unit of measure can be further broken down when discussing the soil types that appear in each stratum. Which is the correct verb agreement? 20-25 feet: the top 2 feet [is, are] sand; the bottom 4 inches [is, are] silt. Along these lines, which is the correct verb tense for a sentence such as: The top 15 feet of the building [is, are} marble. Would the verb agreement change if the sentence were: The building is steel and glass, but the top 15 feet [is, are] marble. Thank you very much. I've bookmarked this site!
Source & Date of Question	Tallahassee, Florida 9 April 1998
Grammar's Response	The word "top" (or "bottom," whatever) in that construction creates a non-count noun and you will want a singular verb: "the top 15 feet is silt (marble, whatever)." You look at those top four feet as one thing. It would be like saying "Thirty feet is a long way to jump!" You ask a question about tense, but don't give us a present/past choice, so I'm not sure what you mean. Tense ("is/was" ?) would depend only one meaning.

Question	Should there be commas in the following question? Now I'm through with this course and have learned a lot.
Source & Date of Question	Vernon, Canada 9 April 1998
Grammar's Response	That's not really a question, is it? No, there's no need for a comma in that sentence. The conjunction "and" can connect two of anything without a comma except for two independent clauses. It probably would be a better sentence broken into two independent clauses: "Now I'm through with [Now I've finished] this course; I have learned a lot." (?)

Question	Is this sentence correct: Persons with a neurosis may spend years searching for meaning their life. Should I change "neurosis" or "life" to their plural forms? Thank you for your help.
Source & Date of Question	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 9 April 1998
Grammar's Response	I think you're missing a preposition, aren't you? for or in their lives? I don't think you can change "neurosis" to the plural because that changes the meaning of your sentence, doesn't it? One neurosis is probably enough to send "persons" in search of meaning. "Lives," however, would be appropriate.

Question	Dear Grammar, I am not sure about the following pattern : It's no SURPRISING .... It's no SURPRISE .... Which one is correct? My sister told me that after this pattern, we should use a noun. But I think that both "surprise" and "surprising" are nouns. Please answer my question. Also, I would like to say "thank you" for your "Guide to Grammar and Writing." It really helps me a lot.
Source & Date of Question	Hong Kong 9 April 1998
Grammar's Response	Your sister is right (or did you mis-type "no" for "not" in your first example?). "Surprising" is a participle form in that sentence and we would want "not" in that sentence: "It's not surprising." With "no," we want a noun (as your sister says): "It's no surprise." There's virtually no difference in meaning between the two sentences. You're welcome.

Question	When do you use less in a sentence and when do you use fewer?
Source & Date of Question	Wallingford, Connecticut 8 April 1998
Grammar's Response	You use less when you're talking about something that is not countable and you use fewer when you're talking about something that is countable. There is less grain this year than last; there are fewer orange blossoms.

Question	In assisting my nephew with his 5th grade grammar we cannot identify what concrete noun is. What is the difference between common and concrete nouns? Thank you.
Source & Date of Question	Hillsboro, Oregon 8 April 1998
Grammar's Response	Common nouns are distinguished only from proper nouns, which name specific people, places, and things (George Washington, Washington, D.C., Washington Bridge). Everything else is a common noun (and is not capitalized, normally). A concrete noun is the name of something you can put your hands on and is distinguished from an abstract noun. Your house is a concrete noun, the idea of home, however, is not.

Question	"What's up" could mean many things. How do we know what is or isn't "up," I mean?
Source & Date of Question	Seal Beach, California 9 April 1998
Grammar's Response	In its truly colloquial form, as my older son uses it, it's spelled and spoken "Wussup?" It's hard to say what it means, as it seems to be more of a greeting than a real question. It probably comes from Bugs Bunny's "What's up, Doc?", doesn't it? And I guess it asks what's going on in your life that keeps you going, keeps you interested? The phrase is becoming nearly as meaningless as "How are you?" usually is. So, wussup in Seal Beach?

Question	Give me some reasons why students would generally have problems with Grammar and Usage. Secondly, suggest strategies one can use to overcome these weaknesses?
Source & Date of Question	Nassau, Bahamas 9 April 1998
Grammar's Response	That's too big a question to treat here, I'm afraid. I'm sure it has something to do with carelessness in the school system, a lack of family reading time (parents reading to very young children from good books), a sense that good English is a geek sport or a sell-out of some kind (a false sense that good writing has nothing to do with the "real world"), a general lack of discipline and sloppy thinking in our society. Strategies: a commitment from parents to do the right thing by their children in terms of language skills^_beginning at home and extending into their caring about what happens at school. It must start when children are young, though^_well before school begins. That's a very slight answer to a very large problem.

Question	When do we need to use 'INVERSION'?
Source & Date of Question	Hong Kong 9 April 1998
Grammar's Response	We use inversion when we ask questions (Did dinosaurs ever live in Connecticut?) and when we use expletive constructions (There are two bicycles in the garage). Also, inversion is sometimes used for dramatic effect: "Out of the valley of the shadow of death rode the Magnificent Seven." Too much of that can spoil a good thing very quickly.