The
Grammar
Logs
# 313

QUESTION
Is "more than one" singular or plural? Here's the sentence:
"More than one emigre later recounted their (his?) interrogators' attempts to induce them (him?) to spy."
Thanks very much.
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Princeton, New Jersey Thu, Apr 22, 1999
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
"More than one" is invariably singular and will be followed by a singular verb and singlar pronouns to refer to it. If "more than" is followed by a number larger than one, you'll use a plural verb: "More than four emigres arrive at their . . . ."

Authority: The New Fowler's Modern English Usage edited by R.W. Burchfield. Clarendon Press: Oxford, England. 1996.


QUESTION
In the sentence, Your donation will not be considered too small. Is it correct to use too or to? Thank you
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Akron, Iowa Thu, Apr 22, 1999
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
You want the adverb too. I must add, though, that it seems rather an odd thing to say to someone, singled out that way. Why would one's donation be considered too small in any event? Perhaps it would be better to say "No donation will be considered too small." or "There is no such thing as a donation too small."?

QUESTION
Explain to me how to make this correct- It must have two participles, two verbs, and a simile-
Damp with sweat, I stripped off my soiled clothes and threw them into a laundry basket, like Micheal Jordan after a game in the NBA.
I do not understand what is wrong. Thank You.
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Somewhere, Tennessee Fri, Apr 23, 1999
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
"Soiled" is a participle, but "damp with sweat" is not a participial phrase. "Dampened with sweat" would be, or "dripping with sweat." But "damp" is not a verb or verbal; it's a plain old adjective.

QUESTION
First question: is it true that you are not supposed to use quotation marks when you quote the BIBLE? What is the most correct way to do that?

- Second q: are you allowed to use a proper name with interrogative mark alone?
such as: MARIA? DID YOU OPEN THE DOOR?
or: MARIA? (meaning; is that you?)

I will be very thankful if you answer these questions of mine as I am in Italy and do not know how to resolve the matter here.

Thanks again and best regards

SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Somewhere, Italy Fri, Apr 23, 1999
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
You can leave off the quotation marks when quoting from the Bible if the language quoted is familiar enough that most readers will recognize its source. (That's true, for that matter, of anything that is really familiar.)

Authority: Chicago Manual of Style 14th ed. U of Chicago P: Chicago. 1993. p. 357.

Regarding Maria, In the flow of normal text, you'd probably have a comma between "Maria" and the rest of your question. In fiction, say, you'd probably end up writing something like

"Maria?" he called. "Did you open the door?"

QUESTION
Which sentence is correct?
  • He helped me to wash the dishes.
  • He helped me wash the dishes.
Is it necessary for us to add the word ''to'' after the verb ''help''?
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Hong Kong Sun, Apr 25, 1999
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
The verb help is one of those verbs we call Causative Verbs. Sometimes we'll use an infinitive after them—"She helped me to understand the issues involved."—but sometimes we won't—"She helped me wash the dishes." Usually they do have an infinitive after them, but after three of them—have, make, and let—we use the base form of the verb alone: "She made them do their own work." "Help" falls into that category most of the time.

QUESTION
I was recently at a teaching seminar where the participants were constructing a story. It went as follows:
Once upon a time there was a little Eskimo girl and three polar bears. She lived at the north pole in an igloo.
I couldn't believe it. I voiced my concerns but no one believed me. Would you please email me a letter explaining the two grammar mistakes. Thank you
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Moreno Valley, California Sun, Apr 25, 1999
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
I don't know what you want explained. There is a verb problem in the first sentence since the subjects "girl" and "polar bears" are looking for a plural verb and we get only "was." (Although that rule is frequently not followed with the expletive construction "there was/were . . . .") Probably that mistake wouldn't be made if we had the bears first. The normal order of prepositional phrases in the second sentence would be "in an igloo at the North Pole" (from specific to general). Whether Eskimos, polar bears, and igloos reside together so cozily at the North Pole is something I leave up to the creative writers' imaginations.

QUESTION
I need to add punctuation to the following passge.
THAT THAT IS IS THAT THAT IS NOT IS NOT IS THAT NOT IT IT IS
It need to make sense and add 2 commas, 2 periods, one semicolon, and one question mark.

We also have the following passage to add quoation marks, commas, periods, and capitalization to have the passage make sense.

FRANK WHERE HIM HAD HAD HAD HAD HAD HAD HAD HAD HAD HAD HAD THE TEACHER'S APPROVAL.
Thanks a bunch!
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Woodstock, Connecticut Sun, Apr 25, 1999
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
The first passage isn't all that hard:
That that is, is. That that is not, is not. Is that not it? It is.
[E-Mail Icon] I have absolutely no clue what to do with the next sentence, though. I'll leave an e-mail icon here in case someone else wants to tackle it. I hope that "him" is correct because that throws me off completely, from the beginning. Are you sure it's not "his" or "he"? (as if that's really going to help!)

An alert reader from Japan writes:

I think the 'him' must be wrong. The version I have seen is something like this:

Frank, where John had had "had", had had "had had"; "had had" had had the teacher's approval.
QUESTION
May I use "ought" in the negative; i.e.,
  • "I ought not to study now"
  • "I ought not to study tomorrow"
  • "I ought not to have studied yesterday".
My English professor says "ought not" is wrong, but I have distinct memories of hearing it being used in British literature and movies.

Thanks for your being there.

SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Los Angeles, California Wed, Apr 28, 1999
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
The construction "ought not to" is perfectly acceptable and common, regardless of what side of the Atlantic you're standing on.

Authority: The New Fowler's Modern English Usage edited by R.W. Burchfield. Clarendon Press: Oxford, England. 1996.


QUESTION
What is a fused sentence?
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Dekalb, Illinois Wed, Apr 28, 1999
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
"Fused sentence" is another term for Run-on Sentence. Some people, though, will reserve this term's use to describe what is also called a Comma Splice, in which two independent clauses are improperly connected with only a comma (as opposed to a semicolon or a comma plus a coordinating conjunction). See also Punctuation Between Two Independent Clauses.

QUESTION
Please tell me what you would do with the following. Also, is it a singular or plural verb, as is?
There is outstanding Pediatric Plastic and Craniofacial Surgery, as well as excellent Ophthalmology and Strabismus programs.
As to the caps, the doctors here are quite adamant that they remain so!
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Providence, Rhode Island Wed, Apr 28, 1999
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
Surgery was a success, but the patient died. The verb "is" is correct, as is. The sentence, however, is nearly unreadable. I'm really not sure how many programs you're talking about in this sentence—two, I think. What about
Rhode Island Hospital offers two excellent programs in _________ : (1) Opthalmology and Strabismus and (2) Pediatric Plastic and Craniofacial Surgery.
There's not much we can do about physicians and their love of capitals. The phenomenon has something to do with power and self-importance.

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