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The Grammar Logs # 242 |
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| QUESTION |
| Would one say: "A surprising finding was that. . ." or "A surprise finding was that . . ." What is the difference between surprising and surprise here? |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
Salt Lake City, Utah  Thu, Oct 29, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| I would use the participle "surprising" here and save "surprise" for noun and verb forms. I don't think "surprise finding" is wrong, exactly, but the true modifier here, I think, is "surprising." Authority for this note: WWWebster Dictionary, the World Wide Web edition of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, Tenth Edition. Used with permission. |
| QUESTION |
Would you use the plural or singular verb with "preponderance"?
The preponderance of the computers are located at the main office.Thanks |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Baltimore County, Maryland Thu, Oct 29, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| Preponderance is certainly a ponderous word, isn't it? Do we have to use it? If you must, use it the same way you would use majority: we would want the singular verb is. Personally, I would say that "most of the computers are located at the main office." |
| QUESTION |
| What is the proper way to express the plural of the proper name Harris? |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Naples, Florida Thu, Oct 29, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| Harrises |
| QUESTION |
Is it okay to split the verb?
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| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| San Antonio, Texas Thu, Oct 29, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| The first version sounds more natural to me -- and yes, "splitting the verb" is appropriate there, with the negative adverb, never. The second version is not impossible, but it stresses the have listened in a peculiar way. Why are there quotation marks around "their"? |
| QUESTION |
When the idea is that the assets belong to the wife, is it correct to say
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| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Rochester, New York Thu, Oct 29, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| What's wrong with "the wife's assets"? With the "of" construction that you use, however, there's no reason to double the possessive by adding the apostrophe -s. "Assets of the wife" would suffice. |
| QUESTION |
| What do you call the type of phrase "People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones"? |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania Thu, Oct 29, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| Adage, maxim, saying, proverb, old saying, old saw, truism, platitude, generalization, cliché?? |
| QUESTION |
| For my homework I have to write six sentences using compound subjects and six sentences using compund predicates. Can you give me the definition of them, please. Thank you |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Chester, Virginia Thu, Oct 29, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| A compound subject simply links two or more actors in your sentence: "Aunt Josie and her sisters used to dance with the sailors." A compound predicate links two (or more) things that you are saying about your subject: "Aunt Josie danced with the sailors by night and worked in the ice-house by day." |
| QUESTION |
| I have seen the expression"--oughta took--" in the song "You're Still the One," sung by Shania Train. Is that correct? and what's the meaning" PLEASE! |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Unknown Thu, Oct 29, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| It might be a correct transcription of the way some people talk, but it is certainly not correct grammar. It probably means "should have taken" or "ought to have taken." (Not having heard the song, I wouldn't know for sure -- and maybe I wouldn't know even if I had heard the song. It's not wise to get too interested in the grammar of popular or country songs: you'll go crazy.) |
| QUESTION |
| I read the explanation about which vs. that in Guide to Grammar and Writing and World Wide Words.I understand that most modern style guides say that either relative pronoun can be used with restrictive clauses. However, I think, as a careful writer, that is better than which in the following sentence. Am I correct? If not, why? I was impressed by his words ( ) showed the importance of acting independently. |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Yokohama, Japan Thu, Oct 29, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| If you don't have any commas in that sentence, then I think you are absolutely right: use that. If you put a comma after words, then you would want to use the word which, because the dependent clause would then be parenthetical. |
| QUESTION |
There are so many date format in writing. Can you tell me what is the proper format.
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| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Hong Kong Thu, Oct 29, 1998
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| "b" and "c" are acceptable formats. Avoid the "th" and "rd" business. I think that "b" is becoming the most widely accepted format, although it is not widely used in the United States. It certainly makes sense: day, month, year (and no comma to worry about, either). |
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