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The Grammar Logs # 229 |
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| QUESTION |
I'm editing a user guide that I did not write. One sentence bothers me a bit; perhaps Grammar E. could have a look at it. It's an elliptical sentence; "the code type" is implied after "chooses".
If an old server does not tell its code type in V.8bis, then the client modem chooses based on its country ID.I've perused your comments on commas; Rules 4, 8, and the comma cautionary come close, but I'm still confused. Do I leave the sentence as is? Do I re-write it, inserting the {presumably understood] phrase, "...the code type,.." between "chooses" and "based"? Should I place a comma after "chooses", but keep the original wording? Thanks for your suggestions. PS: Thank you for hyphenating "e-mail". I don't see why folks leave out the hyphen for that word, yet wouldn't think of omitting it for "x-ray," "G-spot,", or "A-list". |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
Los Angeles, California  Tue, Oct 13, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| I don't think the problem in this sentence has anything to do with punctuation; we need "the code type" after "chooses" simply to make it clear what it is that the client modem chooses. I must confess that I used to spell e-mail without the hyphen. I can't remember who or what convinced me that I was wrong. |
| QUESTION |
| If you have information about the use of "lay" and "lie" laying (or lieing about), I'd appreciate hearing from you. I'll be lieing (or laying) in wait. Is "lieing" spelt correctly? |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Unknown Tue, Oct 13, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| No, you want "lying." See the article on lie and lay in the Notorious Confusables and take the relevant quizzes in the Quiz List. |
| QUESTION |
When do you use "feet" versus "foot". For example:
He was responsible for leasing a five floor, 1.1 million square foot office complex.Another example: He was able to lease 150,000 square feet of vacant space.Last example: ....efforts for the 70 square foot headquarter move in Chicago.So, which sentence is correct and how do I know when to use feet versus foot? Thanks soooooo much! |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Chicago, Illinois Tue, Oct 13, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| When the word of measurement is preceded by a number and followed by a word that it modifies (such as "office complex" or "headquarter move"), we use the singular form -- "foot" in this case. Just don't ask me why! I would put a hyphen between "square" and "foot." |
| QUESTION |
| Consider the following sentence: "Air and water that's cleaner." My intention is for "air and water" to be a flowery way of saying "the environment." Therefore, I am treating "air and water" as a collective noun and using "that's" rather than "that are." Is this grammatically correct? |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Tue, Oct 13, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| First of all, it's not a sentence -- regardless of which verb you use. I neither understand why "air and water" feel more "flowery" than "environment" to you nor how they can be regarded as a collective noun. They're still two things. Back to the drawing board on this one. . . . |
| QUESTION |
| I'm having a little trouble starting out a persuasive essay that is on Should Roger Maris being elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. I believe he should. Do you have any ideas how to start this speech out? |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| West Frankfort, Illinois Tue, Oct 13, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| A comparison with some player already elected who isn't nearly so worthy? A quick list of his accomplishments -- leading up to the baseball record that held for how many years? -- and then asking how on earth this man isn't in the Hall of Fame? (Evidence of the power of that particular home-run record is in the attention garnered by McGwire and Sosa this past summer and fall.) |
| QUESTION |
| Is "number of days" considered plural in the following sentence? Or should the verb form be "has passed?" When you access your local database using Quest, Quest checks whether the number of days set up as your update reminder interval have passed since your last update request. Thanks! |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Portland, Oregon Tue, Oct 13, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| "The number" is always singular. You want "has passed." |
| QUESTION |
| Explain clearly the difference between gerunds and participles. |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Fullerton, California Tue, Oct 13, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| Gerunds are nouns and participles are adjectives. See the discussion on these verb forms in Verbs and Verbals, take the relevant quizzes, and then write back if you still have a question -- something a bit more specific, I hope. |
| QUESTION |
| Collective Noun agreement. Which is correct in the following sentence: "Politics is politics", or "Politics are politics"? |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Providence, Rhode Island Tue, Oct 13, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| Sorry, but it's going to depend on what you mean -- and you can go either way on this. If you mean the "science or art of government," you want the singular "is"; if you mean political practices, actions, you want the plural "are." Either one could be correct, so it's up to what you think sounds right. Authority for this note: WWWebster Dictionary, the World Wide Web edition of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, Tenth Edition. Used with permission. |
| QUESTION |
| I am a fifth grade teacher. I was teaching a lesson to kids on connecting two independent clauses using a comma and conjuction or a semicolon. We picked up a novel by Gary Paulsen (noteworthy young adult writer) to look for real examples. We found that on one page alone, he had connected two clauses using a conjuction but no comma. Several references stated a comma is required. Was Paulsen taking "writer's liberties," has the rule changed, or is there something that warrants exception? Thanks for your help! |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Ellicott City, Maryland Tue, Oct 13, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| It's hard to say without seeing the actual sentences, but generally, it's considered permissible (perhaps even encouraged by some careful writers) to omit the comma between two independent clauses when those clauses are nicely balanced and relatively brief. The comma (plus the coordinating conjunction) is always correct when used to connect two independent clauses, but whether we have to use it or not is a judgment call in certain situations. |
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