The
Grammar
Logs
# 205

QUESTION
I am writing a paragraph and I can't seem to find the exact answer in any of my English books but when you type the name of a musical group (i.e. The Dave Matthews Band) how would it look typed in my paper. Should it be underlined, italicized, in quotes, etc? Thanks for your time.
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania Tue, Sep 15, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
None of the above. Treat it as you would any other proper noun and capitalize the important words of the group's name. When referring to the group's album, you'll underline or italicize the album's name. (But don't use italics instead of underlines unless your instructor says it's OK.; I don't want to get in trouble.)

QUESTION
Which is correct me or myself in the following sentence.
The subject was discussed between Jim and (me or myself).
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Huntington Beach, California Tue, Sep 15, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
"Me" would be correct. That little sentence has a world of trouble, though. I don't know if things are discussed between two people; I think they're discussed by two people. And, if I may, I'd like to suggest a more active version of the sentence:
Jim and I discussed the subject. . . .
QUESTION
How to write an essay on a book for written communications class.
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Somewhere, Canada Tue, Sep 15, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
See the "evaluative essay" section in Principles of Composition.

QUESTION
What is the difference beween sometimes and sometime?
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Buffalo, New York Tue, Sep 15, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
You mean like in the song from Show Boat, "A Woman is a Sometime Thing"? Sometimes is the adverb that we usually want: "We sometimes work too hard." Sometime is a rather archaic form of that word and an adjective meaning, "occasional": "He was a sometime father of fifteen." It also serves nicely as an adverb meaning "at some point," but it's often better to use the two words: "Let's do this sometime / some time next month

Authority for this note: WWWebster Dictionary, the World Wide Web edition of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, Tenth Edition. Used with permission.


QUESTION
I'm having trouble with pronouns. Is there a rule for using I and me?
example: My mother shows Ted and (I/Me) how to cook pasta.
Thank you
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Aurora, Colorado Wed, Sep 16, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
Yes, and it's a fairly easy rule.
When you compound a pronoun with something else, don't change its form.
You would say "My mother shows me how to cook pasta," right? When you add (compound) the pronoun with Ted, don't change the form of "me" to "I" or anything else. Check out the section on Pronouns and take the appropriate quizzes from the Quiz List. Then write again if you still have questions.

QUESTION
Can you help me?. I need to study "Passive Voice". Where can i find it, with many examples?. Thanks a lot.
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Ibaguè, Colombia Wed, Sep 16, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
Check out our brief section on the Passive Voice and take the appropriate quizzes from the Quiz List (under Verbs and Verbals). You'll find examples within the quizzes. Then write again if you still have questions.

QUESTION
I have to word my sentence as shown, but our copywriting team is ready to kill each other over this! In referring to pantyhose, should the word be pair or pairs?
Get two pair for the price of one.
Thanks for any help you can give us!
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Bentonville, Arkansas Thu, Sep 17, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
The plural of pair is either pair or pairs. Sometimes measurement nouns do this. If we have 36 eggs, we have three dozen, not dozens, right? Office mayhem might be appropriate, but murder is out of the question here.

Authority for this note: WWWebster Dictionary, the World Wide Web edition of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, Tenth Edition. Used with permission.


QUESTION
I have heard of the rule "I before E except after C." When spelling SCIENCE obviously there is an exception. Please advise.
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Plano, Texas Thu, Sep 17, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
There are exceptions to every rule ever made about spelling. This rule happens to be fairly dependable, but I remember seeing a whole list of words that break this particular rule. I think, for "science," it has something to do with the two syllables of this particular word or the way the "s" and "c" work together as one sound. I have no advice for you.

QUESTION
Can adverbs be placed in between auxiliary verb and the participle? What is the correct order in a sentence of the parts of speech?
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Providence, Rhode Island Thu, Sep 17, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
Absolutely. That's the best place for them. As for the correct order in a sentence of the parts of speech -- I don't think there is such a thing. English is entirely too protean a language for that. There are, of course, certain kinds of ordering that take place in sentence building, but it would take a book to explain it. I would recommend Kolln's book, if you can find it in a bookstore or library.

Understanding English Grammar by Martha Kolln. 4rth Edition. MacMillan Publishing Company: New York. 1994.


QUESTION
I have a question about the phrase, "suffice it to say...". Would it be just as correct (or more correct?) to drop the word "it" from the phrase?
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Ventura, California Thu, Sep 17, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
That impersonal "it" is a weird bit of phrasing, isn't it? But, no, we can't drop the "it." I suppose it means something like "it is sufficient to say"? We could say something like "It will suffice to say that. . . ."

Authority for this note: WWWebster Dictionary, the World Wide Web edition of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, Tenth Edition. Used with permission.


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