The
Grammar
Logs
# 258

QUESTION
Is there a list of words that are not capitalized in titles (of books, of tables, etc.)? Some are fairly well known (e.g., in, the, with), but I am unsure about other short words, such as per and is.
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Costa Mesa, California Thu, Nov 19, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
I doubt if there is such a list. The rule says to capitalize the first, last, and all important words -- which leaves out articles and prepositions, usually. I don't know what per means, but I would capitalize is, a verb. It's often a judgment call.

QUESTION
Should names of fruits be capitalized in a menu, e.g. Bartlett Pears?
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Whistler, British Columbia Thu, Nov 19, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
You would capitalize the part of the product's name that relies on (or is derived from) a proper noun, but not the part of the name that is generic: Bartlett pears, Big Boy tomato, Empire apple, etc.

Authority: New York Public Library Writer's Guide to Style and Usage HarperCollins: New York. 1994. Cited with permission. p. 228.
QUESTION
Someone told me the word fitted could be used in this sentence:
"I could have fitted that into my schedule."
I told him you would use the word "fit." He said, although that is proper too, according to one of his many English dictionaries the word fitted can be used as he did. He said that using "fit" instead of "fitted" here is a vulgar use of English. I'd really like to know
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Unknown Thu, Nov 19, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
Although my dictionaries list "fitted" as the preferred choice (over "fit"), to say that "fit" is a vulgar use of English in that sentence is supercilious hyperbole, to put it kindly (and in words your colleague can understand).

QUESTION
Could you explain to me whether I can use the participle phrase instead of" wh- clause" especially in my writing ?
  • " There are three reasons which inspire me to work hard."
  • or " There are three reasons inspiring me to work hard."
Which is better or both are fine ?
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Bangkok, Thailand Thu, Nov 19, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
Both those sentences are fine. The second one suggests more clearly that this inspiration is something that is going on now, a concurrent process. And if you can avoid the "which," do so. Incidentally, I'm not sure that one is "inspired" by reasons, but that's up to you.

QUESTION
I would like to know something about the Present Simple Passive.

Thank you

SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Amsterdam, The Netherlands Thu, Nov 19, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
Can you be a bit more specific about what you'd like to know? One simple present passive would be "I am puzzled by your question." -- where the subject, "I," is acted upon, now, in the present. Or "He is liked by one and all." -- where "he" is acted upon. The agent of the action frequently follows the verb and is preceded by by.

QUESTION
Can a pronoun ever be a proper noun? If so, in what way, and what is it called?

Thanks!

SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
McKinny, Texas Thu, Nov 19, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
Only in its dreams. I can't think of any way that a pronoun can be used as a proper noun. [E-Mail Icon] Perhaps when writing about sacred matters, we sometime use capitalized pronouns when referring to deities (He, Him, She, etc.), but I don't think that counts. I'll leave an e-mail icon here in case someone has a better idea.

David E. writes the following:
Herself and Himself are capitalized when referring to a specific person who is the topic of discussion, leader of the clan, etc.

"Ah, tis Herself arriving late as usual!"
QUESTION
Hello.

Could you tell me the difference between "due to" and "because of"? A non-English-speaking friend asked because the distinction was made (but not explained) in a preparation book for a graduate exam, and neither of us could figure out the rationale.

Thanks very much.

SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Brooklyn, New York Thu, Nov 19, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
We can use "due to" after a form of the verb "to be" but not without that verb. Thus, we can say "The high cost of strawberries is due to the spring rains." But we don't want to say "Strawberries are expensive due to the spring rains." Instead we might say "Strawberries are expensive because of the spring rains." or "Because of the spring rains, strawberries are expensive this spring." As far as explanation is concerned: it's simply a matter of usage and probably "due to" will be equivalent to "because of" in another decade or so of constant use.

QUESTION
Would you take a look at the following?
We go about our daily lives understanding almost nothing of the world. Except for children (who don't know enough not to ask the important questions), few of us spend much time wondering why nature is the way it is.
Q: What's the meaning of "who don't know enough not to ask the important questions"? Can I rewrite the clause as either of the following?
  1. who knows so little that they ask the important questions
  2. who knows so little that they don't ask the important questions
I'd appreciate your comment on this.
Thank you so much in advance.
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Sapporo, Japan Thu, Nov 19, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
The meaning is that the children are innocent (naive?) and are not inhibited about asking truly important questions (because they're curious and they haven't learned to be embarrassed, unlike us stupid adults). Your rewrite, then, sort of muddies the idea because it's not that they know so little (which sounds negative) but that their lack of sophistication (and pretended sophistication) allows them to ask important questions. (If it were an acceptable rewrite, by the way, we'd want to use the plural "know," not "knows.")

QUESTION
I am well aware of what First Person and Third Person Point of view are....but what's Second Person Point of View?

Also - I would like to comment that this is by far the BEST educational web page I've run across. Very easy to use. Very helpful. The quizzes are tremendously useful as well. Thanks all who helped create it - for the effort put in.

SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Dallas, Texas Thu, Nov 19, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
The second person is "you," so the writer uses "you" where otherwise he might have used "I" or "he/she." You don't find it much in prose or fiction, but in poetry, every once in a while, you'll find someone experimenting with it. Most readers find it presumptuous and fussy after a while (Don't tell me what I feel by dragging me into your poem by saying "you do this and you do that." You're better off making me feel something by showing me what someone else or you feel.) and, frankly, writing in the second-person is usually ill-advised.

QUESTION
Is it correct to say, "If you will be going to the party, you need to make a reservation by the end of today."

More specifically, is it correct to use "will be going" in an "if" clause? I know it is not correct to say, "If you will go to the party, you need..."

SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Warren, Michigan Thu, Nov 19, 1998
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
A review of the section on Conditional Verb Forms might prove helpful here. In the "if clause," we take a step backward in time, so instead of the future, you use the present: "If you are going to the party, . . . ."

Previous Grammar Log

Next Grammar Log

Index of Grammar Logs

Guide to Grammar and Writing