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The Grammar Logs # 314 |
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| QUESTION |
| Is "there's" an acceptable contraction for "there are"? I remember this as being valid only for "there is". If it is considered correct English, has it always been so, or is this a recent addition to our language? |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
Snohomish, Washington  Wed, Apr 28, 1999
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| No, "there's" is an acceptable contraction for "there is," not for "there are." (And you wouldn't want to use "there's" in any kind of formal writing.) I have seen "there're" as a contraction for "there are'; although it might duplicate the sound we make, it's rather a clumsy beast, and I wouldn't recommend using it in writing. Thank you for not using "they're" where you mean "there are" (as I have often seen). |
| QUESTION |
| Could you answer a very, very simple question? Does 'I am quite certain' mean that 'I am absolutely certain', or that 'I am very certain'. I'd go for the latter, and so would my teacher. Our book, however, preferred the first version. Which alternative is the better? |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Somewhere, Sweden Wed, Apr 28, 1999
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| Until the twentieth century, "quite certain" would have meant "entirely, absolutely, completely certain." Now, however, it can also mean "rather certain" or "fairly certain" or even "almost certain." Heck, it can even mean "not entirely certain." In other words, the adverb has become almost meaningless outside of the context. In speech, we can usually tell by intonation what is meant by "quite," but in writing, the context will either let us know what the writer really meant, or we'll be left wondering. Quite so. Authority: The New Fowler's Modern English Usage edited by R.W. Burchfield. Clarendon Press: Oxford, England. 1996.
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| QUESTION |
| HI! Please describe the difference between "fun" and "funny"!
Many Thanks! |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Somewhere, France Thu, Apr 29, 1999
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| We can use the word "fun" as an adjective, meaning "providing enjoyment or amusement, provoking laughter." "Funny" is more like "comical, joking, lightly amusing." "Funny" can also mean "peculiar," which has nothing to do with your question. |
| QUESTION |
| Regarding pronouns...is it incorrect to use more than one pronoun in consecutive sentences without referring to the antecedent? For example: SPC Jones was a great soldier. He demonstrated exceptional qualities. Additionally, his performance will leave a lasting impression on this company. Or should I use "SPC Jones rather than "his" in the final sentence? My hunch is that this is a style preference. Thank you for your time. |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Wahiawa, Hawaii Thu, Apr 29, 1999
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| There's certainly nothing wrong with the "he" being followed by "his" in the example you give us. It's perfectly clear to whom these pronouns refer. You're right about this being a matter of style. You never want your reader to be in doubt about whom your pronouns refer to. On the other hand, perpetually repeating the person's name (the antecedent) can become downright annoying (as well as unnecessary). |
| QUESTION |
| Hi: I am wondering whether the word "so" is necessary in the following sentence. Just as Willian Shakespeare was the preeminent poet of England, so Robert Frost was the preeminent poet of the United States. Thanks a lot |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Amherst, New York Thu, Apr 29, 1999
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| Without the "so" your sentence loses its lovely sense of balance (parallelism). Leave it in there. (That's a big claim for Frost, by the way, but I wouldn't argue with it.) |
| QUESTION |
Please provide an explanation for the correct phrasing of the following sentence. Our office is having a debate as to whether it is proper or not. If it is incorrect, please provide an example of the correct phrasing for the sentence.
Student Support Services recognizes Bobbie Barnes for successfully using your knowledge and abilities in assisting Student Support Services students achieve academic excellence. |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Morgantown, West Virginia Thu, Apr 29, 1999
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| We could say that SSS "recognizes you, Bobbie Barnes, for your knowledge. . . " But since we're addressing a public, an unknown audience, here, we can't use the word "your" in your version. We'd have to use "his knowledge and abilities to assist SSS students achieve academic excellence." (Can you come up with something a bit more specific than "knowledge and abilities," by the way? And "successfully" is kind of a do-nothing adverb, too. You wouldn't recognize someone for doing this kind of thing unsuccessfully, of course.) |
| QUESTION |
| What are 7 examples of adverbs that tell to what extent? |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Plymouth, Minnesota Thu, Apr 29, 1999
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
I'm not familiar with a category quite like that, but I'd guess that adverbs such as
hardly, scarcely, barely, thoroughly, completely, enough, a lot, a little, least, to some extent, a great dealmight fill the bill. |
| QUESTION |
Dear Grammar,
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| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Lima, Peru Thu, Apr 29, 1999
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| Tag Questions following a negative expression—"never eats"—use a positive construction—"does he?" And vice versa. For vocabulary questions like the difference between "see" and watch," I highly recommend you use the onine Merriam-Webster's. Write back if you still have questions. Authority for this note: WWWebster Dictionary, the World Wide Web edition of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, Tenth Edition. Used with permission. |
| QUESTION |
| "We've built a vast wireless network, the state's largest single digital network." I believe the comma is correct punctuation. My client says it needs to be a long dash/M-dash, or a colon. I believe the 2nd half of the sentence is an appositive phrase, a noun phrase modifying the noun "network," which can be set off by a comma. Please advise. Thank you. P.S. This is copy for advertising, which, as you know, is sometimes more casual or conversational than formal language. Please advise if the comma would be correct in any context, casual or formal. |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| San Francisco, California Fri, Apr 30, 1999
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| The comma will certainly suffice, for reasons that you suggest. In academic prose, you certainly wouldn't want to use a dash, but if your client wants the dash and your client is picking up the tab for lunch, go with the dash. It's not really wrong, just unnecessary. |
| QUESTION |
| What is the correct way to reference that X people have masters degrees? is it Bob, Alice, and Mary have Masters degrees; or is it Master degrees; or is it Masters degree? Is there any possessive punctuation that needs to be added to Masters before of after the ending "s"? |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Bethesda, Maryland Fri, Apr 30, 1999
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| Don't capitalize the term, first of all. It is possessive, and an individual has a master's degree or a master in science degree. When you're talking about more than one person have such a degree, you can still say that Bob, Alice, and Mary have a master's degree. Or, if you insist on the plural, you could say that Bob, Alice, and Mary have master's degrees. (We don't need to pluralize the modifier here.) |
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