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The Grammar Logs # 315 |
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| QUESTION |
Which of the following statements is grammatically correct?
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| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
Northridge, California  Fri, Apr 30, 1999
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| I think that we generally "partake of" something a bit more abstract and vague—"She certainly partakes of the good life." We "partake in" something a bit more specific: "We partook in the delicious reception after the wedding." But either preposition is acceptable usage. Authority for this note: WWWebster Dictionary, the World Wide Web edition of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, Tenth Edition. Used with permission. |
| QUESTION |
Hello,I have got two questions, here we are:
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| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Tizi ouzou, Algeria Fri, Apr 30, 1999
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| "If I were you" is an acceptable use of the Subjunctive Mood. I'm afraid I don't know what you mean by the "second and third conditional." Can you give me an example, and maybe I'll have an answer—or I'll give it a try, anyway. |
| QUESTION |
| I am trying to find out the word for a name which is coined from a book such as Wendy from Peter Pan. Can you help me? |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Unknown Mon, May 3, 1999
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
I have no idea. ![[E-Mail Icon]](../gif/email.gif){kind=small} I'll post this question in the grammarlogs, and maybe somebody will suggest something. There's a French term for a word invented in literature and then adopted by the world at large: a few portmanteau words were handed down to us by Lewis Carroll. And there is a term for a word or name that is adapted from the commercial world -- kleenex, frigidaire, xerox -- but I've forgotten what that is, too. (Are you sure that Wendy had never been used before Peter Pan?)
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| QUESTION |
| Is it correct to use that the in a sentence? Please ensure that the bill is paid or please ensure the bill is paid. I was under the impression that that the was a double predicate and was not proper grammar. |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Wilmington, Massachusetts Mon, May 3, 1999
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| I don't think I've ever heard the term "double predicate" before, and I'm afraid I can't figure out what it means. A double subject is something like "The boss he told me to do it." There's certainly nothing wrong with "that the." Probably the longer and more complex the sentence, the more important it would be to use the word "that" in such a sentence: "I am sure that the writing manuals will bear this out." The word "that" can often be omitted from this construction, however, and often is omitted to good effect as in "Please make sure |
| QUESTION |
Usage of at around:
I am planning to leave at around 2.30 p.m. |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Mountain View, California Mon, May 3, 1999
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| We hear that construction all the time, but both prepositions in the same sentence are quite unnecessary. We're either going to leave at 2:30 p.m. or around 2:30 p.m. If you really mean that there's a choice—that we're going to leave at or around 2:30 p.m.—then you're going to have to say so (use the "or"). |
| QUESTION |
When using the statement "I look forward to...," should the verb following it always have "ing" at the end or would the verb alone suffice? For example, which of the following is correct?
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| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Iloilo City, Philippines Mon, May 3, 1999
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| See the section on Gerunds. This is definitely a construction that wants to be finished with a gerund: "discussing." |
| QUESTION |
Is there anything grammatically wrong with the following sentence?
They collected food and clothing on behalf of the survivors of the earthquake.Thank you |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Unknown Mon, May 3, 1999
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| Some people would argue that when you're doing something as an agent for someone else, you're doing it "in behalf of" that person, not "on behalf of." But other authorities don't see much distinction. In an effort to sound less lofty, you might try collecting food and clothing for the survivors of the earthquake. Authority: The New Fowler's Modern English Usage edited by R.W. Burchfield. Clarendon Press: Oxford, England. 1996.
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| QUESTION |
| What is 'intial consonant clusters'. My homework asks me to find the words in my spelling lists that have initial consonant clusters, then circle the clusters. |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Cape Cod, Massachusetts Mon, May 3, 1999
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| An initial consontal cluster consists of three (or more?) pronounced consonants at the beginning of a word. You won't find many of them. "Street" comes to mind, as does "through" and "scrub." It's no accident that the "r" is the third consonant in most clusters. Notice that a word like "phlebotomy" would not be a consonant cluster because the "ph" is really just one sound. |
| QUESTION |
Would you please let me know if the following sentence is grammatically correct? If it is not, could you please correct the sentence and cite the general rule that applies to this situation? "To minimize panic, the teachers or the principal always need to take charge during an emergency."Thank you. |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Gansevoort, New York Mon, May 3, 1999
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| This must be in some grammar book because I keep seeing this sentence. When subjects are connected by "or," the subject closer to the verb determines the number of the verb. Since "principal" is closer to the verb, and since "principal" is singular, we need a singular verb, "needs." |
| QUESTION |
| What is the difference in use between "whilst" and "while." Thank you |
| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Somewhere, France Mon, May 3, 1999
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| These words mean the same thing. "Whilst" is rarely—or never—used in American English. |
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