The
Grammar
Logs
# 227

QUESTION
What is the proper usage of the word "myriad?" Is it more correct to say: "He faced a myriad of obstacles." or "He faced myriad obstacles."? Thanks!
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Arlington, Virginia Fri, Oct 9, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
You can use that word either way. I personally prefer "a myriad of," but the word also means "thousands of," so it's appropriate to use it simply as an adjective, without the "of."

QUESTION
Can you please explain why using the word myself in this sentence is improper.
Please contact Carol or myself.
Shouldn't the sentence read, Please contact Carol or me?
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Fri, Oct 9, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
Yes, it should. We would say "Please contact me," and there's no reason to substitute myself just because Carol got involved.

QUESTION
I would like to know how to tell the difference between an adjective preposition and an adverb preposition
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Unknown Fri, Oct 9, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
A prepositional phrase (not a preposition) acts as an adjective when it modifies a noun:
The bank in Chicago won't give me a loan.
"In Chicago" is a prepositional phrase modifying "the bank." A prepositional phrase modifying a verb or another adverb or an adjective is acting as an adverb.
My brother runs by the lake.
"By the river" tells you where he runs, so it's acting as an adverb.

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!!!
  1. John and Sally love one another.
  2. 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?
  3. Mr Jones
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Seoul, Korea Fri, Oct 9, 1998
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.

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!

SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Taipei, Taiwan Fri, Oct 9, 1998
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.)

QUESTION
Is this sentence correct?
Your college years are a time of exploration and growth.
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
San Angelo, Texas Fri, Oct 9, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
Probably for most people! 8-)

Yes, that's correct -- grammatically anyway.


QUESTION
1.Could you help me giving examples and differences of the following confusable words?
  • bring up
  • raise
  • rear
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?

SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Somewhere, Germany Fri, Oct 9, 1998
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.

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:
  1. John said, "Her story is true.
  2. "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
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Hyogo, Japan Fri, Oct 9, 1998
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."

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!
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Kansas City, Missouri Mon, Oct 12, 1998
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.


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.
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
McLean, Virginia Mon, Oct 12, 1998
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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