| QUESTION |
| What is the current correct usage of the word shall? I recently
objected to a bylaw revision which stated "the committee shall..." and was shown Roberts
Rules of Order. Shall is used in many cases in this reference book and I would like
to know in what instances shall is used correctly, other than 'I shall' and 'we shall'. Thank
you.
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| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
Singapore  Mon, Jan 31, 2000
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| You'll seldom see "shall" used in American English outside the first-person uses, and then only in rather polite circumstances: "Shall I call a cab for you?" However, it is used (as you have noted) to express obligation, even in third-person and second-person constructions, especially in legal or legalistic documents: "The landlord shall maintain the premises in perfect order. . . ."
Authority: The New Fowler's Modern English Usage edited by R.W. Burchfield. Clarendon Press: Oxford, England. 1996. Used with the permission of Oxford University Press.
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| QUESTION |
I'm confused about comma placement when using "as well as."
For example, where would the comma go in the following sentences?
- Courtesy ratings as well as background checks are done every three months.
- The company offers raises as well as bonuses.
THANK YOU!
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| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Baltimore, Maryland Mon, Jan 31, 2000
|
| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| There will surely be occasions when the rhythms of your sentence will call for commas or a comma, especially when the "as well as" is the final element of a sentence — sort of like an afterthought. But in the sentences you give us as examples, I wouldn't use a comma or pair of commas to set off the "as well as" part of the sentence.
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| QUESTION |
| When you have used an ellipsis to indicate a pause in a sentence
(and it is not the end of a sentence so it doesn't require 4 dots), is there a rule about placing a
space before and after the three dots? That is, which of the following
is correct: 'He ran ... and ran'? Or 'He ran...and ran'? And do the spaces have to be consistent
on either side?
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| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| London, England Tue, Feb 8, 2000
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| If the ellipsis follows a complete sentence, you end the sentence with a period first, provide a space, and then type the ellipsis. There is a space between the last dot of the ellipsis and the next letter. The spaces will be consistent on either side of the ellipsis because you would use only one space there in any case. It's a good idea to learn how your word-processing device forms the ellipsis; otherewise, the three dots that form the ellipsis might break apart at the end of a line. Usually, it's a matter of holding down the option key and hitting the semicolon, but it probably varies from program to program.
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| QUESTION |
Which is correct?
- Over which type of terrain is the most light present (if all terrains tested are subject to the same insolation condition)?
- Which type of terrain has the most light present?
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| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| New York, New York Tue, Feb 8, 2000
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| I think the problem with this sentence is the choice of verbs: neither "is" nor "has" is doing much for the sentence. If we could say something like "Which type of terrain reflects the most light . . . . " or "Which type of terrain receives/contains(?) the most light, . . ." we'd be much better off. Thank you, by the way, for introducing me to the word "insolation." This time of year, it's a lovely concept to think about.
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| QUESTION |
Is it correct to use the words "and then" following a comma when
the connecting concepts must be in subsequential order; or is it better to use just the word
"then" following the comma.
- Example: Fill in the required information, and then click the close button.
- Or: Fill in the required information, then click the close button.
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| SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE |
| Hilliard, Ohio Tue, Feb 8, 2000
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| GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE |
| Technically, that second example is a comma splice — although you will often find sentences like that in newspaper writing, say. "Then" is not a coordinating conjunction and should not connect two independent clauses by itself or with a comma. It really needs to be accompanied by a semicolon or by a coordinating conjunction (usually "and"). As comma splices, go, however, it's not terribly noticeable.
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