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The Grammar Logs # 213 |
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| QUESTION |
| When addressing an unknown person in a letter, is it proper to write "Dear Sir or Madame" or "Dear Sir or Madam"? Should one put "Madame" (or "Madam") before "Sir"? Thank you. |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
Jackson, Mississippi  Thu, Sep 24, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| You can write Dear Sir or Madam. You can also write Dear Madam or Sir, although that's a bit less conventional. Most authorities nowadays would prefer, though, something less formal -- such as To the Chair of the Tenure Committee (followed by a colon). Authority: New York Public Library Writer's Guide to Style and Usage HarperCollins: New York. 1994. Cited with permission. p. 210.
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| QUESTION |
| I need help on learning to write a Essay. In order to get my GED I must write one within an hour during the test. I have no real clues where or how to begin one. Please help!!!!! Thank you |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Lake City, Florida Thu, Sep 24, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| Sounds like fun. Have you visited our Principles of Composition? If not, start there. There are plenty of sample essays there that might inspire you. |
| QUESTION |
I have a question regarding possessives. In the following example, do I need an apostrophe s in the name Smith.
The meeting was held at the Smiths. |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Vallejo, California Thu, Sep 24, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| Yes. You're really talking about the Smiths' residence, so -- even though the word "house" or "apartment" is not there -- you need the apostrophe to show possession. |
| QUESTION |
| I am supposed to write on comparison and contrast. My question is what would be a good topic? could you give me an example. Thanks |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Mission, Texas Thu, Sep 24, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| Write about the difference between people who root for Mark McGwire to hold the record for most home runs in a season and those who root for Sammy Sosa. See, also, the section on Comparison - Contrast essays in Principles of Composition. |
| QUESTION |
| In the sentence "Who is the teacher?" is "who" the subject or the predicate nominative? |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Ruston, Louisiana Thu, Sep 24, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| Who, an interrogative pronoun in that sentence, is the subject. Teacher is the predicate nominative. |
| QUESTION |
| My son has homework on Simple Predicates and verbs. He is supposed to make sentences with Simple Predicates and verbs in each one. I have tried to explain them to him, But not doing a good job. Could you please in some way make this easier for us.....He is in the 7th grade and teacher is not very patient with explaining this either to him. Thank You |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Denison, Texas Fri, Sep 25, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| I'm not really sure, myself, what the teacher might mean by a simple verb. We usually think of a simple predicate as a verb or verb phrase -- the action or being part of the sentence that tells us something about the subject. So in "Joe sneezed loudly." the simple predicate is "sneezed"; the complete predicate is "sneezed loudly." |
| QUESTION |
When addressing someone with a title what is correct? e.g.
Mr. John Smith, Ph.D. or is it Dr. John Smith, Ph.D.Then the salutation would be: Dear Dr. Smith: When addressing an attorney, what is correct? Mr. John Smith, Esq. or John Smith, Esq. not using the Mr. |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Jersey City, New Jersey Fri, Sep 25, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| Forget either the Ph.D. or the title in front of the name; we don't use both at the same time. The salutation is fine. And yes, drop the Mr. when you use Esq. Authority: Chicago Manual of Style 14th ed. U of Chicago P: Chicago. 1993. p. 463.
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| QUESTION |
| Next month, we have another festive occasion for "Thanks Giving Days". Can I use noun "Festival" instead of "festive occasion"? Next month, we have another festival for "Thanks Giving Days". |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Somewhere, Canada Fri, Sep 25, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| You could, I suppose, but it would be a little strange. We usually use that word festival to suggest a special observance that entails a whole series of various cultural and (sometimes) religious events. I'd keep "festive occasion" if I were you. It might, someday, be known as the Thanksgiving Festival. Then you can sell tickets. |
| QUESTION |
| Subject- verb agreement question
We know when two subjects are joined by correlative conjuction, the verb follows the nearest subject and with "and" the verb is always plural. What happens when two subjects are joined by " or", for example,. I have been transferred to a place where little water or few services exists/exist.Thanks |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| United Arab Emirates Fri, Sep 25, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| The same rule applies when subjects are compounded with or: the subject closer to the verb determines the number of the verb. Therefore, in the first sentence we want the plural exist, to agree with services. In the second, we want the singular is to agree with the non-count noun water. |
| QUESTION |
| Are grammarians still advising students to avoid ending sentences with prepositions? |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Caribou, Maine Fri, Sep 25, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| I guess it's fair to say that it no longer seems very important. See our note on sentence-ending prepositions in the Preposition section. |
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