QUESTION |
My professor gave an assignment...We're supposed to check out if the following questions are wrong in grammar. If they are, we're supposed to tell the difference between the incorrect sentence and the sentence usually used. And find out
why the differences are there...
Well I hope you can answer my questions as soon as possible. Thanks!!!
- John and Sally love one another.
- Nobody said nothing.
The third question is...My professor said that Mr can be used without a period like the below...Why is that? Isn't Mr. a abbreviation for mister?
- Mr Jones
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SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
Seoul, Korea Fri, Oct 9, 1998
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GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
We would say, "John and Sally love each other" (when only two are involved). We would say, "Nobody said anything" (to avoid the double negative). Not putting the period after Mr. is news to me and goes against the grain of all the reference books I own. But, with all due respect to your teacher, he or she may have some resources that I don't have.
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QUESTION |
Among various sectors, foreign trade was hit hardest by Asian financial crisis because Asia is one of its major trading regions.
Is the sentence above correct? Should I add "the" in front of "hardest"? Thank you for your help!
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SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
Taipei, Taiwan Fri, Oct 9, 1998
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GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
You don't have to; in fact, I prefer the sentence with the the. But it would be correct to use it, also. On the other hand, a the in front of "Asian financial crisis" is called for. (Also, we don't know who its refers to, but we can assume the context would provide that answer.)
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QUESTION |
1.Could you help me giving examples and differences of the following confusable words?
Can I use "rear"(raise) for animals(children)? I mean can I say, My father reared (raised) me in a very confortable manner)?
2.The words fire, sack, dismiss and lay off confuse me very much. Could you help me in this regard?
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SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
Somewhere, Germany Fri, Oct 9, 1998
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GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
I have read that children are "reared" and animals are "raised." Frankly, I think that's nonsense. I suppose one gets fired because one has done something wrong or otherwise angered management. Probably the same is true of dismiss. Getting laid off doesn't have that connotation, necessarily; one can get laid off because of "downsizing," simply because you aren't needed anymore. Being sacked is much the same as being fired or being laid off, when you come right down to it; it's an extremely informal word, almost slang.
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QUESTION |
I would like to know about using of "say" in direct speech. I have read in a Grammar book that "say" can introdece a statement or follow it, for example:
- John said, "Her story is true.
- "Her story is true," John said.
But the grammar book said, the phrase "say + to + person" must follow the direct statement and inversion is not possible.
For example: "I'm leaving at once," Tom said to me.
Is this rule really sure? Isn't is possible to say the following?
Tom said to me, "I'm leaving at once."
Thank you
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SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
Hyogo, Japan Fri, Oct 9, 1998
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GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
I certainly would be uncomfortable saying that it isn't possible to write that last sentence, but if we have to use that order, we would be far more apt to report the speech indirectly: "He told me [that] he was leaving at once."
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QUESTION |
Please tell me when to use the word "nonetheless" as opposed to "nevertheless" in the following paragraph:
Written reports, the examination of witnesses and reproduction of documents, however, are unnecessarily burdensome (for the Commission and the Respondent) for this type of conciliatory attempt. Nonetheless/ Nevertheless, please provide me with clarification of the term "written report", the extent to which and the reasons for which witnesses may be asked to testify, and the purpose for copying documents.
Thank you for your expertise!
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SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
Kansas City, Missouri Mon, Oct 12, 1998
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GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
The online Merriam-Webster's gives "nevertheless" as the sole definition of "nonetheless," so I don't think there's much difference, if any. I don't know why, but I would use "nonetheless" in that sentence because it feels somewhat more qualifying than "nevertheless," but that's probably purely personal.
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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QUESTION |
Today's Washington Post has the following headline:
"Doing the Boss's Dirty Work"
Is boss's ever correct. Shouldn't the possessive form be boss' ?
Thanks in advance for replying.
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SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
McLean, Virginia Mon, Oct 12, 1998
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GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
"Boss's" is correct. The three s's in a row look odd, but the construction of the possessive calls for it. The New York Public Library's Writer's Guide to Style and Usage, however, favors "boss' dirty work." (I don't happen to agree with them, but they're bigger than I am.)
Authority: New York Public Library Writer's Guide to Style and Usage HarperCollins: New York. 1994. p. 268. Cited with permission.
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