Recent questions tagged grammar

Description : Can both first person and third person be used in an autobiography?

Last Answer : It might be used effectively by a really skillful author but it sounds like your friend is a novice so I would steer her away from that idea. Generally it would not be used.

Description : Why is it upper bound and lower bound and not higher bound and lower bound?

Last Answer : My first search revealed this is a mathematical concept. So you should direct this question to whoever first coined the term. The definition is below. https://www.mathsisfun.com/definitions/upper-bound.html

Description : Please may you identify and resolve the problems in my online test taking?

Last Answer : I can't offer a diagnosis, but I can readily tell you your grammar is good. You rarely make errors in your writing on here, and we look for poor English. I think taking online tests is ... would not put great importance on the result. Perhaps you could view it lightheartedly. You could try anyway.

Description : What are some tricks to discover a bot?

Last Answer : RedDeerGuy1, could you please restate the question? I can’t tell whether you’re talking about here on Fluther or elsewhere, and if you’re thinking of texts or email or some other medium. And I don’t quite know what you mean by tricks. I assume you’re referring to spambots, but maybe not—?

Description : How far can I raise my test scores, from going on a low FODMAP diet for IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)?

Last Answer : How are we supposed to be able to answer this? Keep up the good work and let us know how you are doing. You have nothing to lose and stand to gain in health and getting into a university. Are you still planning to go to a university? How many years has it been?

Description : Who is the instigator of the action in this combination?

Last Answer : I interpret it as I don’t like the fact he’s reading books. I don’t completely understand either of your interpretations.

Description : The use of the word "warrant"?

Last Answer : They aren't incorrect. They are a bit awkward. People don't use warranted in that manner in everyday speech, especially in the second example. Warranted implies ether a sort of authorization, ... reason or justification. Those sense would not be used in a conversation about someone seeking a job.

Description : What is the best spell checker website that doesn't require you to sign up?

Last Answer : I don’t know that a best spell checker is required. You just need something that checks spelling. GOOGLE “spell checker” for lists of free services.

Description : Should exclamation points and question marks be at the beginning of a sentence?

Last Answer : Perhaps. They do do that in Spanish.

Description : Famous with or among?

Last Answer : You could say either, preferably among of those two, but neither is a common preposition to sue with famous . Much more common (by a ratio of 9:1) is famous in , though that requires not ... in US teenage pop culture. See https://lingohelp.me/preposition-after-adjective/famous-for-in-of-by-as/

Description : What is the difference between these two sentences? (Have been/were)

Last Answer : There are two possibilities. She might start wondering before you arrive, in which case I would say, If you are late she will be wondering where you are. Alternatively, she might start wondering at the time ... in which case I would say, If you are late, she will be wondering where you had been.

Description : Is the use of "have eaten" correct in this sentence?

Last Answer : have not

Description : What is the difference between these two sentences?

Last Answer : Was is in the past.

Description : The use of articles?

Last Answer : No 1 is correct. No native English speaker would use 2 or 3.

Description : What periods of time are implied?

Last Answer : Can you illustrate when studying takes place in each of them. When? In all three sentences, the studying took place before the exam. How long before the actual exam? It is unclear. We can only ... exam. It suggests that the person put more effort rather than more time in studying for the exam.

Description : The combination of tenses?

Last Answer : I don’t know if “were” should be interpreted as past tense. It might be a subjunctive. When you say “We have thought”, it creates a hypothetical.

Description : What is the difference among "have been", "having been", and "have been doing"? What is the difference between "have been doing" and "have been here"?

Last Answer : I am drafting a response to your questions, but also want to know why you are being so analytical of this sort of thing: 1. To be able to explain this to your mom? 2. To strengthen ... the differences of the verb forms you are wanting to understand without having some basic knowledge of the above.

Description : What is the difference between "being" and "having been"?

Last Answer : This is why literacy is important. Being able to read the words helps to understand grammar and pronunciation. In fact, we can observe that dialects partly evolve from illiteracy, although to be clear ... it wrong again. There are exceptions in English since the spelling of so many words is unusual.

Description : Can "que" ever translate to "it" or does "que" only translate to "that"?

Last Answer : Que can translate to that, than, who , whom , which , what , or and in English. I don't see a way to make que mean it . See https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary ... com/questions/38119/what-is-the-meaning-of-que-fu%C3%B1enga Sounds like it is sort of like how crappy or something.

Description : Is it "Latinos para (Trump/Biden)" or "Latinos por (Trump/Biden)"?

Last Answer : Por Latinos por Biden.

Description : Why is it Tengo un libro para ti instead of Tengo un libro por ti? Isn't por used for exchanges? The sentence Tengo un libro por ti indicates that I will give you something and giving is exchanging, right? Please help.

Last Answer : Exchange means trade or swap: you give them something and they give you something back for it. It's not a gift, its one thing traded for another: I give you the book and you give me a scarf. So maybe ... a gift. I don't know the Spanish rules at all, but I can see that you're misusing exchange.

Description : What is this type of person called?

Last Answer : You could say they are recalcitrant.

Description : Grammar question: where is the line between the passive voice and (to be) as a linking verb?

Last Answer : Here is how I see it. For a word to be an adjective, it must be describing some object. If you say, The pot was watched , watched is not a property of the pot. There is an irony in ... would ordinarily be on the current state of the pot rather than acts of tarnishing that had been made on it.

Description : What's the difference in the meaning of the following sentences?

Last Answer : He was handsome, tall and a musician. The words after was describe he, the subject of the sentence. He was a handsome, tall musician. Handsome and tall describe musician, which is ... then sentence. Ultimately, the sentences are talking about the same thing using different ways of getting there.

Description : In the game show Wheel of Fortune has anyone ever bought an y?

Last Answer : No, you only have to pay for A, E, I, O and U. Y is always treated as a consonant

Description : Isn't the phrase "I'm sorry for your loss" grammatically incorrect?

Last Answer : I think it could mean: “I feel sorry for you, that you lost your brother”. It’s not not so much an apologetic sentence as it is an empathic one.

Description : How do you tell the difference between a backslash and a forwardslash?

Last Answer : Think of it this way: we read left to right. Which slash is leaning forward (left to right) and which is leaning back (right to left)? / = forward \ = back

Description : What is the verb form of daunting ?

Last Answer : Daunt

Description : Would you post good links that explain when to use who and whom?

Last Answer : Where would you find a “good” link? Maybe a book on grammar?

Description : Is the secret goal of Merv Griffins, Wheel of Fortune, to teach Americans not to use different dialects, or slang?

Last Answer : No. Why would that be a goal? What would be gained from that? And suppose it were a goal of the Merv Griffin production company. How effective would it be to spread their philosophy through one pissant game show?

Description : When should you use "should" and when should you use "shouldn't"?

Last Answer : Well, it sounded OK to me but I guess folks could argue that it was redundant.

Description : Grammar question: does a one word or phrase answer in "social" have to be capitalized?

Last Answer : I’ve been dinged for it now & then. The gods must be forgiven for confusing omnipotence with perfection. We must not be allowed to forget who’s boss.

Description : Who were the first humans to identify language forms and develop rules in grammar?

Last Answer : Language and language structures pre-date history. (One cannot have a hsitory to share without a way to communicate it). And there are disaprate structures and rules that arose ... groups and regions developed in isolation. Similarities only arose through trade and interaction with neighbors.

Description : What is the list of pronouns that are not personal?

Last Answer : There are relative pronouns and there are also possessive pronouns.

Description : What can the following statement re. what cars use be misunderstood as?

Last Answer : One needs the beginning of the statement or even the whole article to understand that part.

Description : How common are these grammatical errors in English-speaking countries besides the US?

Last Answer : Grammatical mistakes and idioms differ by country and region. So other English-speaking countries have their own quirks, a few of which overlap, and others don't. (Also, in general, ... most-grammatically-correct speakers, also because of the popularization of slang, and the anti-intellectualism.)

Description : When do you use a period between the letters in an abbreviation?

Last Answer : One places a period at the end or each letter (for initialized abbreviations) , i.e.,, U.S. If the abbreviation is the shortening of a longer word, one places it at the end, i.e., apt. for apartment., or appt. for appointment.

Description : What is the correct way to affirm a question that contains a negative?

Last Answer : That's a a good question, and one that confuses new comers to North America (I don't know if it's all English speaking or just in North America) who are thinking Yes, you're right, I don't ... guess an English teacher would say No is correct, but I've never read or heard about what is correct.

Description : Can people be counted, and if so, is it _"the amount of people" or "the number of people"?

Last Answer : ”...the number of…” would be most accurate. ” ”...the amount of people…” could be seen as one, a couple, a few, some, a hoard, many, quite a few, a bunch, scads, a multitude, an indeterminate amount, etc.

Description : Why do people always put YOUR when they mean YOU'RE? Is it that difficult?

Last Answer : (Lack of (good)) education, coupled with the fact that they, phonetically, practically sound the same?

Description : When should it end in "ship" as in friendship, and when with "hood" as in bother/sisterhood?

Last Answer : Examples, not sure how to explain well and my brain is fried. Brother or sisterhood is used: I felt a strong sense of sisterhood with Angela, even though we'd only worked together a ... . Friendship: Our entire friendship was based on her needing something and I provided it. Destructively symbiotic.

Description : How often do people need to refer to someone whose name they don't know?

Last Answer : I refer to people by their job title UNTIL I learn their name & I then call them by their name because they are often MORE than just their job title & I consider them a friend!!!

Description : Can we blame The Doors (musical group) for bad grammar?

Last Answer : No, because no one ever knew “The Doors”.

Description : Do you use both commas when a modifier follows a coordinating conjunction?

Last Answer : Depends on whether or not I want to emphasise.

Description : Does the grammar rule a and a(n) with vowels apply to speaking?

Last Answer : of course. speaking or writing, the rules are the same.

Description : What does "by Tuesday" mean?

Last Answer : You wait until tomorrow (Wednesday). To do so otherwise is to not take him at his word. However, if you don’t hear from him today, email him first thing in the morning!

Description : How do you tell the difference between a backslash and a forward slash?

Last Answer : / forward slash \ back slash. The first leans forward towards the direction of typing the other leans back.

Description : Do you think we should stop teaching cursive writing?

Last Answer : My daughter was never taught it.

Description : Is "Please" a question?

Last Answer : In our general way of using the language, the word please is usually part of a question, but it's not a question by itself. May I go outside, please? is a simple enough question for a child ... added Please? is just a way to wheedle compliance from the gatekeeper - but it's not a question.

Description : Is snuck a word?

Last Answer : Look what I found!!!