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Dear Virtual Tutor:
My teacher says there's a sentence that tells all or most of the
exceptions to the "i before e" rule, but she can't remember it. Do you know
it? It starts as "The weird monkey seized their lab coats when" or something like that. |
Dear Inquirer:
I am unfamiliar with the weird monkey poem; however, related rhymes can be found on the Internet. The most common is
"I before e
Except after c,
Or when sounded like ay,
As in neighbor and weigh."
Below are a couple of links; the first link explains the rule
and its exceptions; the second link cleverly demonstrates why the rule is not 100 percent reliable.
http://www.dictionary.com/doctor/faq/i/ibeforee.html
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/6271/spoof024.html
Regards,
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
I do not understand the differences between the adverbs "so," "much," and "very." Are there any rules that prescribe the correct or incorrect use of these adverbs?
Dear Inquirer:
The rules are confusing for non-native speakers, who tend to park a so in front of every many and much, which sounds unnatural or dramatic to native speakers.
To simplify our convention, so is used for emphasis and is not appropriate for every situation. So is more dramatic and emotional. So also assigns a certain degree to what the writer is describing: "So many people were on the boat that it sank." There is a difference in tone and emotion between "I love him so much" and "I love him very much." So implies "I love him SO much that I can't live without him," "I love him SO much that it hurts," etc., and describes to what extent a person loves something. Here are some more examples: "There were so many people on the airplane that I could hardly breathe" v. "There were a lot of people on that airplane" (informal) or "There were many people on the airplane" (formal). In addition, "I had the most fun on that trip" is also emphatic. It helps to pay attention to how other writers and speakers use so, much, very, and most.
Regards,
The Virtual Tutor
| |
Dear Virtual
Tutor:
When I use "neither" or "either" I'm not sure if I need to write "neither have" or "neither has."
Please help... are there rules for this problem?
|
Dear Inquirer:
The correct form is "neither has." Use a singular verb after neither, either, each, everyone, nobody, someone, or none when you mean "no one" or "not one."
Regards,
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
I do not understand the differences between the adverbs "so," "much," and "very." Are there any rules that prescribe the correct or incorrect use of these adverbs?
|
Dear Inquirer:
The rules are confusing for non-native speakers, who tend to park a so in front of every many and much, which sounds unnatural or dramatic to native speakers.
To simplify our convention, so is used for emphasis and is not appropriate for every situation. So is more dramatic and emotional. So also assigns a certain degree to what the writer is describing: "So many people were on the boat that it sank." There is a difference in tone and emotion between "I love him so much" and "I love him very much." So implies "I love him SO much that I can't live without him," "I love him SO much that it hurts," etc., and describes to what extent a person loves something. Here are some more examples: "There were so many people on the airplane that I could hardly breathe" v. "There were a lot of people on that airplane" (informal) or "There were many people on the airplane" (formal). In addition, "I had the most fun on that trip" is also emphatic. It helps to pay attention to how other writers and speakers use so, much, very, and most.
Regards,
The Virtual Tutor
|
Dear Virtual Tutor:
Which is correct?
The offer applies to both Bob and Jim.
The offer applies to Bob and Jim.
The offer applies to Bob and to Jim.
|
Dear Inquirer:
The offer applies to both Bob and Jim.
This sentence is correct when both is used for emphasis.
The offer applies to Bob and Jim.
This sentence is correct.
The offer applies to Bob and to Jim.
The to is not necessary before Jim.
Regards,
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Which tense is correct? "We ate Christmas dinner with an elderly Dutch couple whom we know." My son's eighth grade teacher marked the word "know" wrong and changed it to "knew." I think she was wrong in doing this because it changed the meaning of that clause. We still know those people, and they are still living. Because the clause modifies couple, does it need to follow the same tense as the main verb in the sentence?
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Dear Inquirer:
Your logic is correct. For example, in verbal speech, we wouldn't say, "Yesterday I ran into a friend I knew " (a friend I knew when???). The rule as stated in the The Little, Brown Handbook is as follows: When the verb in a main clause is in the past tense, use the past tense in the subordinate clause EXCEPT "When a subordinate clause expresses a general truth such as The earth is round, use the present tense even though the verb of the main clause is in the past or perfect tense:
"I never realized that many marriages are genuinely happy ones" (157).
Regards,
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Please tell me which of the following are correct:
All of the people in red suits on the street let forth a series of ho-ho-ho's.
Congress is debating the safety of supplies of ABM's.
|
Dear Inquirer:
Both sentences are correct. For the second example, however, It depends on which style guide you are using for the assignment. The Hacker guide, A Writer's Reference, says to use an apostrophe for words mentioned as words (ho-ho-ho's, and's) and abbreviations (ABM's). However, the Modern Language Association recommends no apostrophes in plurals of abbreviations (ABMs). Check with your instructor; for example, the 1980's and 1980s are both acceptable as long as your style is consistent throughout the document.
Regards,
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
How do you pluralize a last name that already has an "s" on it?
example: Harris
Do you write The Harrises?
Or do you write The Harris?
Or do you write The Harris'?
|
Dear Inquirer:
To pluralize anything that already has an "s" at the end of its name, you usually add "-es." This holds true for last names of people as well as other words. Since this still looks odd to most people, it is usually easier to skip the pluralization altogether and just use the last name of the family, i.e.: "The Harris family's home is especially beautiful."
Regards,
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
My Oxford English Advanced Learner's Dictionary, at the entry "first" (page
439), reads as follows: "When you want to order instructions, facts, etc. in a sequence, you CAN use "first," "second,"
"third," etc, or....."
Why CAN and not MAY? |
Dear Inquirer,
According to the very handy An Electronic Writer's Reference by Diana Hacker, "The distinction between can and may is fading, but many careful writers still observe it in formal writing." However, for the record, "can" is reserved for abilities: "Can you ski downhill?" "May" is used for permission: "May I mow your lawn?"
Regards,
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Do I use professional titles in memo headings? If I say "From: Dr. Tom Anderson," do I then sign the memo the same way, using the Dr. as part of the signature? Also why would it be important to sign your name below your typed name in a letter?
|
Dear Inquirer,
Again, such practices generally depend upon your organization and intended audience. It is generally helpful to let readers (who may be new to the organization) know who you are and what your position in the organization is. General professional titles (Dr., Esq., Her Eminence, and so forth) may be more disposable--again depending on the intended audience.
As for signing names on letters and memos, our culture has an understandable preoccupation with making sure that a document is authentic. We want confirmation that the person said what the machine-typed letter says he said. Also, signing a letter makes it less likely that its writer will be able to deny he wrote it later on. It is a message to the world saying, "These are my words and I will not run from them if they are challenged." A good way to think of it is to consider checks. Our names are printed on them, along with our addresses and telephone numbers, yet we still sign them in order to confirm that we are really the ones making the request for our money.
Regards,
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Why has it become common practice to sign memos instead of just initially them by your name in the heading? What is the advantage of signing your name to the bottom? |
Dear Inquirer,
The Virtual Tutor sets no store by our understanding of the business mind. According to 1996's Business Writer's Companion, placing one's initials by the typed name and signing the memo are both acceptable means of signing the document. Because the authors of style books take no firm position on the issue, the organization's preferences carry the day. In your company, then, someone decided that signing memos was a better means of authenticating them. Other firms may see it differently.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Hi, Maybe you can help. My husband and I are trying to figure out what it is called when two words sound alike, but have very different definitions. Our slang for it is a "Bunkerism" because Archie Bunker, of TV's "All In The Family" mixed-up similar sounding words all the time.
|
Dear Inquirer,
The word you are looking for is "malapropism." Archie Bunker was famous for them, and they have been a staple of stage comedy ever since stage comedy began.
Hope this helps you and your husband.
Regards,
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
To me, both "if" and "whether" are interchangeable, but are they? "I looked out the window to see if/whether the cat was there."
What about if you have an "or" in there? Do you have to keep the correlative conjunction to be correct: "I looked to see if the cat was there or not." Thank you for your help. |
Dear Inquirer,
The distinctions between "if" and "whether" are subtle, but they do exist. Having its roots in logic and often paired with "then", "If" is best used if you are testing a single condition without looking for further information. If you say, for example, "I looked out the window to see if the cat was there," it indicates that you're not interested in the adventures of your cat if the cat is not outside your window. You could complete it by saying "I looked out the window to see if the cat was there. If he had been there, then I would have let him in." Saying "I wanted to see whether or not the cat was at the window" implies a broader interest in the whereabouts of the cat.
Because "if" is best restricted to a single condition, the phrase "if..or not" might be seen as misleading. Use "whether...or not" if you plan to use "whether".
Regards,
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Which is correct: "Over $15,000 has been raised" or "Over
$15,000 have been raised"?
 |
Dear Inquirer,
Because $15,000 is plural (15,000 dollars), the second sentence is correct.
Regards,
The Virtual Tutor
|
Dear Virtual Tutor:
I know that you should use a singular verb in this sentence: "None of us was correct."
What about when a count noun follows the "of" as in, "None of the swimmers is/are dry."? |
Dear Inquirer,
To begin with, your first sentence is incorrect. Countability is not the issue; the status of the object of the preposition as singular or plural is. "Us" is first person plural (accusative/dative). Because of this, the literal subject of the sentence "None" becomes plural as well. Therefore the sentence should read, "None of us were correct". The second sentence should read "None of the swimmers are dry." because "swimmers" is plural--making "None" plural as well.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
I was advised to place a capital "S" at the end of the acronym OWL to make it plural and not to use an apostrophe before it. What is correct? |
Dear Inquirer,
Making an acronym plural is like making any other noun plural; add an "s" to the end. Use of the apostrophe is restricted to contractions and to possessive forms.
Example:
"We are going to split UNESCO into two UNESCOS."
"UNESCO's funding is going to be increased in the third quarter."
Regards,
The Virtual Tutor
|
Dear Virtual Tutor:
Is it necessary to use commas before subordinating conjunctions or is it optional?
For example, is the following sentence correct?
John never finished his homework on time, because he decided to go to the movies instead. |
Dear Inquirer,
It is not optional to use a comma with a subordinating conjunction; it is wrong. Only coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, nor, yet, so, and or) take commas. The only caveat to this is when your sentence begins with subordinating conjunction.
So "John never finished his homework on time, because he decided to go to the movies instead." is wrong.
But "John never finished his homework on time because he decided to go to the movies instead." is right.
And "Because he decided to go to the movies instead, John never finished his homework on time." is right.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
The Virtual Tutor
|
Dear Virtual Tutor:
Can you tell me what is wrong with this sentence?
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AID) is a major deal all over the world. |
Dear Inquirer,
In conversation, nothing to speak of (except that AIDS has an "s"). In formal writing, however, calling something by the slang expression "a major deal" is unacceptable. It is too vague to carry any real meaning. Also, each word of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome needs to be capitalized, since all of those words are all parts of the disease's name.
Regards,
The Virtual Tutor
|
Dear Virtual Tutor:
Is "An operator can repair their tool" an acceptable alternative to "An operator can repair his/her tool?" I once read that "their" was acceptable in the mists of antiquity. |
Dear Inquirer,
The MLA style book lists several possible ways around using sexist language. His/her is, as you've probably guessed, the least acceptable. "Their" can be used if the antecedent is plural, but is ungrammatical if it isn't. Frequently the best solution is to establish your subject's gender ahead of time, so that there can be no objection to your pronoun.
"He" was, in the mists of time, considered a non-sexist pronoun, meaning that it was essentially genderless unless the subject's sex was known (to see a defense of this practice, read The Elements of Style, by Strunk and White). This has changed. Sadly, the change did not lead to an agreement on a suitable replacement. Until one is found, the imperfect solutions listed above will have to serve, I'm afraid.
Regards,
The Virtual Tutor
|
Dear Virtual Tutor:
For my Honors English 10 class, I have to write 4 critical reviews: two on Antigone and two on The Glass Menagerie. What is a critical review and how should I get these papers started?? |
Dear Inquirer,
A critical review is an essay in which you develop your own consistent reading of a literary text. What this means is you try to infer from the text what you think the author is trying to say. This makes them different from summaries in that rather than give a recitation of the plot or sketch out the characters, you have to bring in your own opinion of the author's message and method of delivery.
The best way to start such a paper is by keeping track of your own responses to the work you're reading. Over time, these responses should start to form a pattern. This pattern should be the basis of your reading of the text. For example, after reading Oedipus Rex you might say that this is a story about our inability to run from our fate. After developing this central idea, or thesis, you will want to go back through the text and explain what parts of it brought you to this conclusion and why.
Good luck with your papers,
The Virtual Tutor
|
Dear Virtual Tutor:
Please correct the sentence below.
What do you do if someone asks you to dance with him/her, but you don't want to at a night club? |
Dear Inquirer,
The main problem in the sentence is the placement of the prepositional phrase "at a night club". By placing it at the end of the sentence, you're misleading the reader by making him believe that while you don't want to dance with your unwelcome suitor at the club, you wouldn't object to dancing with him elsewhere. A more advisable position for the prepositional phrase would be in the middle of the sentence, like so:
"What do you do if someone at a night club asks you to dance with him/her, but you don't want to?"
Last note. The Him/Her construction is awkward. Try giving your dancer a gender before the pronoun, then you'll know which pronoun you'll want to use.
"What do you do if a man at a night club asks you to dance with him, but you don't want to?"
I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
|
Dear Virtual Tutor:
Could you please insert an apostrophe where it belongs.
1.Parents often question their children choice of friends.
2.Grammar is everybody favorite subject.
3.My friend and my brother cars have the same kind of stereo system.
|
Dear Inquirer,
Here is the proper placement for the apostrophes.
1. Parents often question their children's choice of friends. {irregular plural possessive}
2. Grammar is everybody's favorite subject. {singular possessive}
3. My friend's and my brother's cars have the same kind of stereo system. {singluar possessive}
All singular possessive forms use the 's. Most plural possessive forms use the s'; the only exceptions are those plurals which do not end in s (irregular plurals). In such cases the 's is used.
I hope this answers your questions.
The Virtual Tutor
|
Dear Virtual Tutor:
I have a question about the word "families" when it
deals with a number of families in a possessive
sense. For example, The families' cars were parked
outside (i.e. a number of cars from a number of families
were parked outside.
Is "families'" the spelling you would use in this
situation?
Thank you for your consideration.
|
Dear Inquirer,
Your use of "families'" is correct. Regular possessive plurals end with the s-apostrophe. What, you ask, would constitute an irregular possesive? Words like "women", "men", and "media", which are plural without a suffix, are examples.
A sample sentence:
"The Five Families' members were seldom the media's darlings."
The Virtual Tutor
|
Dear Virtual Tutor:
Do you spell "email" with a hyphen?
Is e-mail / email countable or uncountable?
Many thanks for the help.
|
Dear Inquirer:
We are witnessing the introduction of a new word into the English language, and it may take some more time for its use to be agreed upon by everyone who uses it. In my experience, "electronic mail" has gone from E-mail to e-mail to email, and it is regularly used as a countable noun. The fact that "mail" is still a noncount noun does not seem to affect "email" at all. I think this is because with mail, we say "letter" to talk about an individual unit, but with email, we don't have a word for an individual unit. "Message" became confused with phone or voice mail messages, and no one used e-letter, so email has become the count noun. I predict that the shortest spelling (email) will soon be the standard. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Would you please tell me what's the difference between "ESL" and "EFL" approach in English language class?
|
Dear Inquirer:
Generally, ESL is taught in an English-speaking environment and EFL is taught in a non-English-speaking environment. For example, in the US we have ESL classes for international students and immigrants. In Korea, English is a foreign language, so we would classify instruction there as EFL. Also, ESL and EFL differ in purpose. ESL learners have to use English outside the classroom to function in the society; EFL learners use their native language in society outside of the classroom. Because of the difference in purpose, EFL tends to involve more translation and writing, while ESL tends to involve more spoken communication and listening skills. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Is it expected that a footnoted volume will be included in a bibliography?
Or perhaps, I should start by asking what should be included in a bibliography?
Your insight and help is most appreciated.
|
Dear Inquirer:
Since one purpose of a bibliography is to give readers a direction for further research, it is appropriate to include everything you've read in doing your research and everything you've mentioned or noted in the text. In general, be generous. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
When writing APA style, how do you use numbers in text? Do you use numerical form or do you write them out alphabetically?
|
Dear Inquirer:
In APA style, as in all formal written work, numbers should be in numeric form when the information you are reporting is of a statistical nature. In other words, if you are writing about average temperatures or percentages of subjects responding to a questionnaire, always use numerals. If you are writing about how long it took you to receive something in the mail, use the words written out. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
|
Dear Virtual Tutor:
Is December 25th correct or
December twenty-fifth or
does it not matter?
|
Dear Inquirer:
Dates are customarily written using numerals and without any ordinal indicators like "nd," "th" or "rd." So it's written December 25 even if you say "December twenty-fifth" or even "December the twenty-fifth." I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
I would like to know if there is a hyphen between the following: east-northeast, five-star quality, and colonial-style hotels. I have searched all my reference books and cannot find an answer. Thank you for your help.
|
Dear Inquirer:
All of the hyphenated words are correct, the last two because they are multiple-word adjectives that precede the noun (just like the one in this sentence). The word east-northeast is hyphenated to prevent someone from concluding that it referes to two separate directions; if you wrote, "She traveled east northeast then due north," someone might think that it was a series of three directions, but the hyphen shows that east and northeast are part of a single direction. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Hi, I want to know why this sentence uses she, not her:
But suddenly one day it announced that her step-daughter the Princess Snow
White was now lovelier than she.
In what kinds of situations do we use this format? Thank you very much.
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Dear Inquirer:
This sentence uses "she" because the two things being compared need to be parallel in form. Since Snow White is a subject, the pronoun needs to be in the subject form as well. Sometimes this is explained by adding the unstated or assumed verb: Snow White was now lovelier than she (was).
In this sentence, "than" is acting as a subordinating conjunction and not a preposition. "Her" would be used if the comparison were between two objects instead of two subjects: The mirror praised Snow White more than (it praised) her. This rule is difficult for native speakers of English, too, so you'll hear and read many examples of people using the inappropriate form. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
What is the difference between "humor" and "satire"?
|
Dear Inquirer:
Satire is often considered a type of humor, so in that sense, there isn't any difference between them. Not all humor is satire, of course, and some satire is not really funny, just as some jokes aren't. Satire frequently uses humor to comment on human foolishness or stupidity. Practically everything on a sketch comedy show like MadTV or Saturday Night Live, for example, is satire. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Please explain "use first-person terminology".
|
Dear Inquirer:
I'm not sure how "terminology" fits in, but if you were asked to use first person, it would mean using the "I" or "we" point of view. This is often the case for reports of action such as experiments, because without the first person, the language gets annoyingly passive. Contrast these two sentences.
The solution was held over the flame until the beaker became so hot that it had to be set down.
I held the solution over the flame until the beaker became so hot that I had to set it down.
The first-person sentence, though not much shorter, has a more direct and active sound. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Should punctuation remain within the closing paranthesis at the end of a sentence, or after it, or both? What are the usage rules if the answer is both?
|
Dear Inquirer:
The sentence punctuation usually follows the end parenthesis. This is true even when the material within parentheses is a complete sentence and has its own period at the end. Sometimes you'll see parenthetical material completely outside the surrounding sentences, but this is usually because the material is truly unrelated to whatever is around it. Of course, we see many instances of misuse by those who don't care about following convention, too. Examples of standard usage:
1. Sid gave the pie to her (his mother).
2. When the pie was finished (cooking, that is), we put it outside.
3. We never guessed where the pie went (Sid never told us, either).
4. She gave us a clue finally. (Did I take out the garbage this morning?) Still, we couldn't guess what had become of the pie.
I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
|
Dear Virtual Tutor:
Should titles such as president, secretary of state, etc. be capitalized when referred to as "the secretary of state" or "president Bush"?
|
Dear Inquirer:
When used as part of the person's identification (before the name, for example), elective office titles are capitalized: She met President Bush; I'm glad Senator Cantwell returned my call. When the reference is not part of a formal identifier, then such titles are not capitalized: Maria Cantwell became the second female senator from Washington; George Bush ran for president. Often when a more formal title is used (United States Representative, Governor of New York), the title is capitalized as well, even when the person's name is not included. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
I am having problems understanding when I should treat non-count nouns as collective or individual nouns. For example: feeling(s), opportunity(ies), communication(s), skill(s), system(s), difficulty(ies) etc. Is there any mnemonic device that will help me understand these mass nouns easier?
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Dear Inquirer:
Your questions about count and non-count distinction show that your understanding of the language is quite advanced. I'm not sure that the distinction is between collective and individual in most of the examples you give. Rather, they seem to be differences in meaning. The word "feelings" carries a meaning of "emotional sense," whereas "feeling" is closer to "physical sense" or sometimes "hunch," as in "guess or insight." Similarly, "communication" is commonly "the means of sending a message" while "communications" can be the name of a field of study or an industry. I'm afraid that there isn't a mnemonic device for this kind of distinction, since each has different reasons for use.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Do I use the article "a" or "an" before an abbreviation that begins with the letter "N" (such as "NOI", which stands for Notice of Intent)?
|
Dear Inquirer:
The use of "a" or "an" depends on whether the abbreviation is to be pronounced as the initials or as an acronym. What the initials stand for is not taken into consideration. The writer's use of one article or another tells the reader how to read the initials. Usually, initials are pronounced as initials only, as in MIT: e.g. The result was published in an MIT study. Sometimes, however, initials are pronounced as a word (an acronym), and so the article indicates the correct pronunciation, as in MIDI: e.g. The song was played through a MIDI-compatible guitar. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Do I end this sentence with a period, exclamation point, or
question mark:
Eighteen-year-old Ralph Samuelson figured that if one could
ski on snow, why not ski on water
We wrote it ending with a question mark, but now are not sure.
Thanks for your help! |
|
Dear Inquirer:
Yes, you were right to end the sentence in question with a question mark. Although it begins with a statement, it is the final question that really looks wrong without the proper mark. The sentence is a kind of hybrid of reported action and thought, so its structure, though effective, is a bit makeshift anyway.
A completely consistent sentence might be something like, "Eighteen-year-old Ralph Samuelson figured that if one could ski on snow, one could also ski on water." Of course that loses the feeling of inspiration that your sentence has. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Can you tell me if "Church" and "Local Church" should be capitalized in the following sentence or if the three words should not be capitalized.
Thanks.
Indeed, he will be a great gift of the African Church to our Local Church.
Or:
Indeed, he will be a great gift of the African church to our local church.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Inquirer:
If the African church is a denominational name, like American Baptist Church, or a formal name of a particular congregation, like Maryland Mennonite Church, then it is capitalized. If it refers simply to a church in Africa, even if it's a particular congregation, then "church" is not capitalized. Likewise, local church is not the formal name of the church and so it is also not capitalized. So your second example is correct. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
I want to know the basic difference between these two sentences.
1) She went to Chicago.
2) She had been to Chicago.
Please tell me the basic meaning of these two sentences and how they differ
from one another.
|
|
Dear Inquirer:
The first sentence is a simple report of an action completed in the past. It could be part of a past narrative story or a report on the location of a person. It could mean that she visited Chicago briefly or moved there. It could mean that she has come back from Chicago or that she is there permanently.
The second sentence contains the past perfect form of the verb, which means that the action occured before some other action in a past narrative. The past perfect is used when the main narrative or story is already in the past. This sentence could mean that she visited Chicago or went there temporarily, but it cannot mean that she moved there.
Here are some examples of context to clarify the meaning:
She's not here anymore. She went to Chicago. (She is still in Chicago.)
She told us that she knew what the blues were. She had been to Chicago. (Her visit occured before she told us, but she was no longer in Chicago.)
I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Hey! I would like to ask you a couple of questions which are related to adverb and adjective clauses.
1) What is the difference between "which" and "which is"?
2) When do I have to put only "which" and when do I have to put "which is"? The answer is the same as "who," right?
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Dear Inquirer:
"Which is" does not really represent a unique use of "which"; I think your question might be "When does 'which' need to be followed by a verb and when can it be followed by a clause?" Good question. I'll try to answer it.
Here are two examples of which sentences in adverbial clauses:
She came late to class, which is why she missed the assignment.
She came late to class, which her teacher didn't like.
In the first sentence, "which" is a pronoun that stands for the entire preceding clause "She came late to class." It serves as the subject of the next clause. (That is why she missed the assignment.)
In the second sentence, "which" is also a pronoun that stands for the entire preceding sentence, but it serves as the logical object of the next clause. (Her teacher didn't like that.)
I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
I have problems! Please tell me how to correct the following:
1) HOW TO USE ENGLISH FOR GETTING SPECIFIC INFORMATION
2) I think the webpage [that or where] I visited is
called "abcd."
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Dear Inquirer:
With the verb "use," we use the infinitive form most of the time, so your title (I assume it's a title) should be How to Use English to Get Specific Information.
Your other sentence should use "that" and not "where." We use "where" when it is followed by a clause that does not need an object. We use "that" when it stands for an object of some kind. Here are some examples:
This is the town where she grew up. ("She grew up" is grammatically independent
of "where.")
This is the town that she grew up in. ("She grew up in" needs an object,
which is represented by "that.")
Her home is a place where guests are always welcome. (Guests are always
welcome there ["there" is not an object, but an adverb].)
Her home is a place that I will always love. (I will always love that place
["that place" is an object, so the sentence uses "that"].)
I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Could you please explain the difference between so
and so that? Those words confuse me all the time.
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Dear Inquirer:
Generally, "so" is used to express the same sort of idea that is involved in "therefore," which shows a kind of cause and effect relationship: It's raining, so I'll take an umbrella.
In contrast, "so that" usually expresses something like "to make sure": I'll take an umbrella so that I won't get wet.
Of course, you will hear exceptions to these uses and sometimes they seem to overlap, but this is the difference in the meaning of the two. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Are there any errors in the following sentences?
1. What did you say was your name?
2. I regret to have hurt your dog.
Thank you.
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Dear Inquirer:
Yes. The first sentence is a question based on the statement, "My name is ______." The question, therefore, should follow the same structure: "What did you say your name was?" It could also be asked, "What was your name?" In this case the past tense "was" is used to refer to the previous statement of the person's name and to provide some social distance for politeness' sake.
The second sentence contains a factive verb, "regret," which is usually followed by a true noun clause: "I regret that I hurt your dog." Sometimes this is said with a gerund as the noun, "I regret hurting your dog," but the infinitive form (to hurt) is usually used for actions that have not happened yet, such as might follow "I intend" or "I want." I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
I need your help to know that is it required to put question marks after
statements like these:
1) Second, is there a larger job market for a master's degree in ESL than in English Literature or Language.
2) I want to know whether you will allow me to come or not.
Do we need to put a comma after "I want to know" in the second statement?
Thank You
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Dear Inquirer:
The first one is a question in typical inverted word order (the "is" comes first), so it needs a question mark. The second one is a statement of the speaker's desire to know and not a question, so no question mark is necessary even though the listener might feel compelled to answer. There is no need for a comma after "know" because the clause that follows is the object of the verb and shouldn't be separated from it. Also, the "or not" is unnecessary at the end of a noun clause using "whether." I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
My style book says that you should use "that" when referring to a group of people. For example, The number of parents that are... Is this correct, or should it be "who"? Please advise. Thank you very much!
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Dear Inquirer:
I've certainly seen instances of writers using "that" to refer to people, even individual people, but I've never seen a style book that prescribes it. My theory is that confusion over "who" and "whom" has led people to use "that" when referring to people in conversation and even in writing as a way of avoiding having to determine whether "who" or "whom" is appropriate. Enough of these uses has made "that" acceptable to the untrained ear, but I still opt for a distinction. If it were correct to use "that" in the situation you describe, then what use would we have for "who"? Does your style book say that it only applies to individual people? Every source that I have says that "who" is correct when referring to animate life, groups of parents included. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
I don't know how to make a sentence with noun
clauses, adjective clauses and adverb clauses .
Could you please send me some simple examples to
show me with explanation?
The second question I would like to ask you is about
noun clauses as well: Whether and whether or not! Could you please
show me the difference? Do both of them have the same
meaning? I don't know how to make a sentence with
whether ....But I will try to make a sentence with
whether or not:
Whether or not I can get into the regular program , I
succeeded in my ESL program. (I don't know if it is right)
Thanks for your help.
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Dear Inquirer:
Noun, adjective and adverb clauses are all clauses (a group of words with a subject and verb) that serve different purposes in a sentence.
As the name implies, a noun clause serves as a noun, as in the following example: She hated what she had become. In this sentence, "what she had become" is a noun clause, the object of the verb "hated."
Likewise, an adjective clause acts just like an adjective, as in the following sentence: The holiday I like best is New Year. In this sentence, "I like best," or "that I like best," is acting as an adjective modifying the noun "holiday." It tells which one.
An adverb clause can modify a verb or an entire sentence, just like an adverb can. Here is an example: The door flew open, which surprised me. In this sentence, "which surprised me" modifies the whole action of the door flying open, not just the door, so it is an adverb.
As for your second question, "whether" is usually used to introduce a noun clause (often involving an indirect question) while "whether or not" is contained in an adverbial clause. Here are some examples:
She has been wondering whether I will help her. "Or not" is not necessary here. Contrast that with the following:
I will succeed whether you support me or not. "Or not" can't be left out of this sentence.
Your example sentence is also a correct use of "whether or not."
Sometimes people put "or not" where it isn't necessary, but in the adverbial form, the "or not" can't be left out.
I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
When using "unfortunately" at the beginning of a sentence, is it incorrect if a comma is not used after it? For example:
"Unfortunately there was no food in the cupboard."
Also, is "unfortunately" an interjection in this case? I've got a bet going on this ; )
Thanks!
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Dear Inquirer:
In this sentence, "unfortunately" is an adverb, a sentence-level adverb modifying the entire clause that follows. It's not an interjection, which usually does not affect the clause before it, as in this example: Damn, it's hot out here. As for the comma, it's customary to include one with adverbial introductions whatever their length, but it probably wouldn't cause any misunderstanding if left out, which is really the standard one should use in place of correctness. In answer to your question, then, it's right either way.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Regarding noun-noun combinations used as adjectives to modify an object or noun, when should these combinations be hyphenated? Rules I've read indicate that if they are well-established terms such as life insurance policy or social security tax, no hyphen is required. If not known, use a hyphen. What do you think?
Also, should the combination adjective (noun-noun) "video recording device" be hyphenated?
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Dear Inquirer:
I consulted several sources as well, and a consensus is not forthcoming. Most of the examples I've seen do not show hyphenation of noun-noun combinations at all, only adjective-noun ones. All sources agree that the process of hyphenation is part of the spelling evolution of various words, and as such needs to follow precedent, especially as represented by dictionaries. For your particular example, I'd say no hyphen is needed, but I would use a hyphen in an adjective-noun combo like "slow-recording device" to avoid confusion. In general, the "look-it-up rule" applies. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Please help with these two sentences. I know that "one" is
singular and requires a singular verb, but somehow it sounds different in
the following two sentences.
"In Canada today, one in four women over the age of fifty (has/have)
osteoporosis. One in eight men over fifty also (have/has) the disease."
Thanks
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Dear Inquirer:
I agree. The problem might be because the figure makes us think of the total number or the percentage, so naturally we think of many people, not one, and the singular verb throws off our expectation. But "has" is right in both cases, so either you live with the strange sound of it or rewrite so that the number is greater than one (e.g. "a quarter of women" or "over ten percent of men" or whatever you come up with). I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Does a comma belong as shown in the following excerpt?
This was an intense 40-hour, self-study course . . .
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Dear Inquirer:
The almost sure-fire test for whether a comma belongs between adjectives is to see what it would sound like if the adjectives changed places. Some adjectives have to come in a certain order, and those that can't be taken out of order don't need commas between them. For example, "the big old red barn" has three adjectives that can't be rearranged ("the red old big barn" sounds out of order) while "the annoying, constant, time-consuming hassle" has three interchangeable adjectives, which means that commas separate them). Try rearranging the adjectives in your sentence, and you'll see that one of them (self-study) cannot be moved, so it doesn't need a comma before it, but the other two are interchangeable and need a comma to separate them. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
I need your help to confirm whether we can start a sentence with a conjunction like "but" or not. If yes, then when and why?
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Dear Inquirer:
Many teachers will tell you that conjunctions cannot begin sentences, but in reality, English speakers and writers have been beginning sentences with conjunctions for hundreds of years. Some believe that grammar rules tell us what we should do; others believe that grammar describes the way we actually use the language. I am among the latter. So to answer your question, yes, we can start a sentence with a conjunction, but some teachers willDear Virtual Tutor:
I need your help to confirm whether we can start a sentence with a conjunction like "but" or not. If yes, then when and why? object to it.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Can you tell me if I am not supposed to use "we" in my comparative essay? For EX.:
I say, "We are born into this world..."
Is that considered the first person?
Should I use "People" instead?
ALSO:
When typing the title of an essay do I underline,
use italics, quotation marks or both?
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Dear Inquirer:
It is considered the first person, but "we" has some allowances that "I" doesn't. Of course you should check with your instructor, but as long as it isn't overused, "we" is usually all right. Titles of essays and articles not your own should appear in quotation marks only. Titles of books, magazines, and movies should be italicized. Underlining was a way of indicating italics before word processors, but some instructors still insist on it, so it's good to check. Your own title should not have any change in style, just the usual capitalization of the first letter of important words. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
For persons' ages: Use the number at all times or write out (just as you would for numbers 1 thru 10)?
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Dear Inquirer:
The guideline we follow is the one-word rule: If you can write the number as one word, then do so. Of course, this is sometimes superceded by a need for consistency; if you have a group of ages, for instance, they should all be expressed the same way, so that you don't have one eighteen-year-old, one 23-year-old and one fifty-year-old. In this case, all should be numerals in the interest of brevity. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Why would one put brackets around the first letter of a word in a quote? Example: The Bible says that our "[l]ove must be sincere" (Romans 12: 9a).
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Dear Inquirer:
One would put brackets around the first letter of the first word in a quote if one thought that it was important to show that the case had been changed from the original. The quote in your question doesn't use a formal introduction (doesn't use "says") and so the quoted material blends into the sentence of the writer. In such cases, the first letter of the quote would not be capitalized, but apparently the first letter is capitalized in the original text in the Bible. The brackets indicate that the case has been altered to fit the sentence that contains the quote.
In fact, however, capitalization can be changed at will in quoted material to fit the purposes of the writer who is using the material. It's usually just not that important. There is no need, in other words, to use brackets around a single letter in this case. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
In the phrase, "the weekend of the 15th and 16th," do you spell out the two days, or do you put them in numerical form?
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Dear Inquirer:
Dates have always been written numerally (yes, that's really a word) as opposed to verbally. The ordinal form (15th, 16th and so on) requires an understanding of the month in question; otherwise, the cardinal form (January 15 and 16) is used, even if it might be spoken using the ordinal. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Do you send "e-mail" "an e-mail" or "a message"? My e-mail program seems to send "messages," but some of my friends claim to recieve "e-mails." If "mail" is not countable, shouldn't "e-mail" follow suit?
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Dear Inquirer:
Like most words, this one will eventually be agreed upon in discourse. When the applications were first written, nobody said "e-mails," (or "emails," another developing variant), so "messages" made sense, following the lead of telecommunications; then all the developers of software standardized the term. But now that such words as "e-mails" and "a voice mail" are being used conversationally, they may find their way into more established media as well.
If someone had used "e-letter" to begin with, we might not have this situation now, but language develops to fit the needs of its users, so when a countable noun was needed to distinguish computer transmission of written material (as opposed to phone messages), "e-mail" was there. It sounds rather informal and somewhat disturbing because of the precedent of "mail," as you mention, so I think that formal discourse will stick with "messages" for the present, but we might soon see "an email" and "emails" even in formal use. I'd say it will be a couple of more years before they completely settle in, though. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Please explain the difference between have and get.
For example what is the difference: I have two brothers or I get two
brothers. Which one is correct and why? Thank you for your help.
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Dear Inquirer:
Only "have" is correct in the way you use it in your example. Sometimes, however, you may hear someone say, "I got two brothers." This is a kind of informal transformation of the words "I have got," first into "I've got" using a contraction and then into "I got," using a compression of the sound. "I have got" is a common and acceptable structure, but there is no difference in meaning between that and "I have." The difference is in formality. "I've got" is less formal, and "I got" is even less formal. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
I am reviewing a draft label for a client that states:
" . . . the birthplace of the renown tradition of Tuscan Cooking."
I edited the phrase to "renowned" and my client, purportedly an English major, said it was correct as written. Can you tell us which one is correct? |
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Dear Inquirer:
I'm happy to tell you, and you'll be happy to hear, that you are right, and that every dictionary I checked agrees with you. "Renown" is the noun, so if something is "of great renown," then that would be the correct choice. "The renowned whatever" is always the correct adjective form, despite all the mistaken examples we see in print. The confusion probably occurs because we can't tell the difference between the two in pronunciation. A similar phenomenon occurs with "old-fashioned," which you no doubt have seen written as "old-fashion." I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
My son, who is in seventh grade, is being made to enter two spaces after every period in essays he writes on our computer. I told him that the two-spaces-rule came from the early art of typography and, in our time, the typewriter. I also told him that word-processing programs handle the two-space rule automatically and that computers and proportional fonts let us leave only one space after the period. I'm not sure that Internet browsers handle the space issue correctly, but my question only concerns writing style for working with computers, word processors and printing. Can you give me your opinion?
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Dear Inquirer:
Everything I have read on the subject agrees with you, as do I. In fact, your message is a very efficient summary of the whole question. For some people, however, old habits or bits of knowledge handed down from a favorite teacher are difficult to supress. While some teachers can be convinced that the typewriter rules are no longer relevant, others will persist even if they find no evidence to support them. Best of luck in convincing your son's teacher.
Along with the two-space rule, many texts and instructors continue to insist on underlining titles of books and so forth when italic is and has always been the standard for typeset titles. The underline was only a method of signalling italic to typesetters, and later a workaround for the typewriter, again no longer relevant since we can easily use italics with word processors. Tell your son and his teacher about that one too. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
"Well, take restaraunts, for example." Is this a fragment?
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Dear Inquirer:
No, this is not a fragment. Even though it doesn't tell us much, it is a sentence in the same way that "Look out!" is a sentence. It expresses a kind of command and begins with the verb, the subject of which is the listener (you). I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Which is idiomatically correct, "competence in" or
"competence at"?
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Dear Inquirer:
It depends--in this case, on what follows the preposition. Sometimes the
preposition is ruled by the word before it (e.g. "yell at" vs. "speak to'), and sometimes it is ruled by the object (e.g. "in the field" vs. "at what she does"). This second distinction could determine which preposition is correct in your example (e.g. "competence in medicine" or "competence at tennis"). Generally if it's a field of study or practice, "in" is customary.
I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
My coworkers and I are web services representatives and we e-mail responses to customer inquiries. We cannot agree upon the way "website" is to appear. Is it: website, web site, or web-site ? Also, if we refer to "our" website (such as "Please visit our website at...") do we need to capitalize the word?
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Dear Inquirer:
The word in question is new enough that it is still in a state of flux, but it seems from your letter and many other sources that "website" is emerging as the consensus spelling, which will eventually be reflected in the dictionary. Similarly, the word "online" appears in Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary as "on-line," but frequent exposure to America Online and other instances of different spelling is changing the previously accepted standard.
As a common noun, "website" should not be capitalized, even when referring to a specific site unless the word "website" is actually part of the site's title. The same is becoming true for "internet" and "world wide web," which were once always capitalized as proper nouns but are gradually turning into generic ones. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
What is/are rule/rules for using the verbs Loan, Lend, Borrow? Why can't I say, "Will you borrow me a pen?"
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Dear Inquirer:
You can't say, "Will you borrow me a pen?" for the same reason you can't say, "Will you receive me a present?" "Receive" and "borrow" are what the object of the transaction does. "Give" and "lend" are what the agent of the transaction does. "Loan" is a noun that has been changed into a verb synonymous with "lend." "Borrow" has also taken on a new meaning based on the concept of borrowing a book, something like "use for a brief time," as in, "I'm going to borrow your pen for a minute, OK?" I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
When writing a degree, for example, in John Doe, M.B.A., or M.S. can you just use MBA or MS? What is the rule for this? What warrants using MBA rather than M.B.A.?
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Dear Inquirer:
Generally, periods are not necessary in abbreviating degrees, but many still use them in Ph. D because of the abbreviated first word. Common abbreviations like US, UN, MBA, DVM and so on do not need periods, but it's hard to know when one is common enough to omit them. Probably you'd be safe to follow precedent and take note of abbreviations that usually appear without periods. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Are these two sentences punctuated correctly?
1. May and I drank apple cider and sang, "This Land Is Your Land".
2. Roger doesn't want to lose his copy of the poem called, "Fog".
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Dear Inquirer:
According to Diana Hacker's book A Writer's Reference, among others, both of these sentences are incorrectly punctuated. Because the titles of poems or songs or essays or articles are not quotations per se, they do not require commas as part of the introduction. Also, commas and periods that are part of the sentence punctuation should fall inside the end quotation marks. The sentences as correctly punctuated read as follows:
May and I drank apple cider and sang "This Land Is Your Land."
(Note: If this is intended as a quotation of the words that May and I sang and not the title of the song, then a comma would come before the opening quotation marks.)
Roger doesn't want to lose his copy of the poem called "Fog."
I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Some teachers say it's okay to use first person in some papers. Others say never to use "I." Which is correct?
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Dear Inquirer:
Both are correct. If a teacher says never to use "I" in a paper, then that is right in that class. It seems to me that some teachers use "never" a little too loosely since there are some papers (a personal narrative, for example) that practically have to use "I." For most essays and research papers, however, the first person ought to be avoided. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
If someone is hurt or sick, why do they say that person is in hospital instead of in the hospital?
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Dear Inquirer:
By "they" I assume you mean speakers of British English (as opposed to American English). In the US we say "in the hospital"; my guess is that in the US during the period when hospitals were becoming common, the hospital building was understood, and in Britain (or Canada or Australia), the condition or state of being hospitalized took focus. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Hi. I am very confused about the use of en and em dashes. Could you please explain them with a couple of examples?
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Dear Inquirer:
My opinion is that there ought to be no difference between en and em dashes, but what weight do my opinions carry? None.
An em dash is longer than an en dash (both are longer than a hyphen) and is meant to be used in sentences that---how shall I put it?---contain severe interruptions or dramatic effects. An en dash is used for more prosaic things like the line between times in hours of operation and so forth, e.g. 12--5, Monday--Thursday. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Let me ask you one question about creating new words. Would it always be correct to form a new word by adding prefix or suffix to a word despite the fact that there is no such word in a general dictionary? For example,"defabricate." There is no"defabricate" in the dictionary I consult.
Thanks very much.
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Dear Inquirer:
New words are constantly being added to the English language, many by the process you describe. Usually, these additions take a few years to show up in the dictionary. If the meaning of "defabricate" is pretty clear to the audience, it is probably a legitimate coinage. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
I know that the word"likewise" can be used as either an adverb or a conjunction. In conversation it has often been used as a one-word response, such as the following:
Joe: Hope that you have a great holiday weekend.
Moe: Likewise
Two questions:
1. What part of speech is "likewise" in the above response?
2. Has this become an acceptable usage?
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Dear Inquirer:
Both "likewise" and its cousin, "Likewise, I'm sure," have been acceptable for most of this century if not longer. In both cases, it is a kind of elliptical expression standing for a complete sentence in which "likewise" would have one of its customary meanings: "Likewise (similarly; also), I hope you, too, have a great holiday weekend." I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
I'm fairly certain that I intuitively grasp the distinction between "the number" as a singular subject and "a number" as a plural subject, but I have been unable to explain the difference to a fellow editor. Can you help me?
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Dear Inquirer:
The trouble in explaining something like this is that usage in this case is illogical. "A number" certainly sounds singular, but it has long been recognized as a form of pluralization similar to "a lot," which hardly anyone would think of as singular when it is used to indicate number (as opposed to amount).
The way I think of the distinction is this: "The number" refers to an actual numeral, which, no matter how large or what it indicates (even if it is unknown), can be thought of as a single thing. "A number" does not refer to a numeral, but acts as an indistinct pluralizer, much like "a lot" or "several." The grammatical principle of synesis governs this usage.
The following constructions show that the two are not interchangeable in meaning:
There are a number of people in the hall. (a lot of, many, several) "The number" cannot be used in this construction.
The number of people in the hall has increased. (a specific numeral, though possibly unknown). "A number" cannot be used in this construction.
I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
What is the correct title to use when addressing a couple who are both doctors? For example, if the husband's name is John Smith, would it be Dr. and Mrs. John Smith, or Dr. and Dr. John Smith, or Drs. John Smith?
Thank you.
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Dear Inquirer:
This may be getting into a question of etiquette, but it seems that Drs. Mary and John Smith would be appropriate as a form of address. If their last names differ, then Drs. Mary Jones and John Smith would work. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Could you briefly explain the difference between "that" and "which" and give a couple of examples?
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Dear Inquirer:
I'm sure you've noticed that these two words seem to be used interchangeably, but actual guidelines do exist. Generally, use "which" when it is meant to refer to the entire preceding clause or when the meaning of the word before it is not changed by what follows it. Use "that" when the meaning of the word before it is changed, when it tells you which one. Here are some examples:
Entire clause--His hair was green, which made him easy to spot.
Unchanged meaning--We stayed at my house, which has four rooms. (The meaning
of "my house" is unchanged by the information about the rooms.)
Changed meaning--We bought a house that was once a barn. (The meaning of
"a house" changes with the information about the remodeling.)
I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
In a direct quotation, is it OK to omit the brackets that normally indicate that a change of capitalization has taken place?
For example,
(ORIGINAL): "Education is extremely important; children are our future."
(QUOTED AS): Clinton said, "[C]hildren are our future."
Can I leave out those clumsy brackets around the "C"?
Thanks.
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Dear Inquirer:
You'll no doubt be relieved to know that you can change capitalization at the beginning of quotes freely to suit your purposes. Although you might sometimes have to use ellipses to indicate that a quoted passage does not reflect the entire original line, rarely are the brackets necessary to clarify anything, and leaving the first letter of a quote lower case just looks like a typo. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
1.Which of the following sentences is correct? Explain grammatically, please.
a.All you have to do is subscribe now.
b.All you have to do is to subscribe now.
2.What is an arm's-length agreement? I couldn't find "arm's-length" in the dictionaries I consulted.
Thank you.
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Dear Inquirer:
In answer to your first question, both of the sentences are correct. The first is more common in both spoken and written discourse, probably just because it's easier to say and to understand when read. The infinitive "to subscribe" is present in both sentences; the second one makes use of the bare infinitive, the same construction we use when we say, "It made me cry." "Cry" is the bare infinitive, without the "to" that we use when we say, "It forced me to leave." Some constructions allow for the use of the bare infinitive and some do not. Following "to do" we almost always use the bare infinitive.
About your second question, an arm's-length agreement may have come from the popular understanding of keeping disputing parties at arm's length, meaning far enough from each other to prevent physical violence. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the phrase also has something to do with a certain legal relationship, an "arm's length" relationship meaning one not involving a client or trustee. So an arm's-length agreement would seem to mean an agreement that prevents contact or relationships involving trust. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Please explain whether "yet" and "ever" have the same meaning in the
following sentences.
1.The most powerful engine yet built in the world.
2.The most powerful engine ever built in the world.
Thank you in advance.
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Dear Inquirer:
No, they do not have the same meaning, and yet, they do in a way. The sentence using "yet" contains the suggestion that a more powerful engine will probably be built. The sentence using "ever" has a feeling of finality to it even though we cannot rule out, in this case, a more powerful engine being built someday. Someone who was promoting this engine would probably use "ever," and someone reporting more objectively would likely use "yet." Also, "ever" would be more appropriate from the point of view of contemporaries, and "yet" would be more appropriate from a historical view. In that case, "ever" would involve the present tense and "yet" the past tense. In all cases, "ever" is the more common. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
I am having trouble writing a character analysis. I would appreciate any help
you can give me.
Thank You
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Dear Inquirer:
To analyze a character or anything else, it sometimes helps to ask yourself a question, and then make the answer to the question your analysis. For example, you might ask about a character, "What did she learn?" or "How did the events of the story change her?" or "Based on her reactions to events, what kind of person is she?" Then you find evidence from the work you are reading to support your answer. It also helps to keep in mind an imaginary audience--not your teacher, but someone who has read the work and has a question about it. Your answer needs to be thorough enough to answer that person's question. I hope this answers yours.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
I have some problems using or dropping "the" before plural countable nouns.
Could you please help me with the following excerpts from a Newsweek article titled "Invading Kosovo: A Battle Plan" written by Ralph Peters, a retired U.S. Army officer.
Please note that I have put my questions in brackets.
"Campaign plan: sweep through Kosovo on two axes, closing a pincers to trap and destroy Serb forces. (WHY DID THE AUTHOR OMIT "THE" BEFORE SERB FORCES, SINCE HE'S CLEARLY REFERRING TO ALL OF THE SERB FORCES IN KOSOVO?)
Penetrating Serb border defenses (AGAIN WHY NOT "THE SERB BORDER DEFENSES"?) is one of the toughest challanges.
Instead of attacking into prepared defenses, helicopters leapfrog troops behind Serb positions. (AGAIN SAME QUESTIONS AS ABOVE: WHY NOT "THE SERB POSITIONS"?)
Is it grammatically incorrect to use "the" in the sentences above? or does the use of "the" change only the meaning of the sentences? If so, in what ways? Your kind help would be appreciated.
Many thanks in advance.
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Dear Inquirer:
Many factors determine whether we use an article or not. I'm not sure that I can explain why no article comes before the examples you give, but I will try. First, note the distinction between a noun like "forces" and one like "army." If the first example sentence had used "army," it would have a definite article. The noun phrase "Serb forces" is less semantically equal to "army" than to "soldiers." Try the sentence each way: . . . to trap and destroy soldiers. . . . to trap and destroy army. The second one "sounds" wrong in English because "army" is not normally used generically but collectively. Similarly, "the Serb defenses" or "the Serb positions" would be non-standard as well.
Also, despite the fact that the officer would like the Serb forces in question to include all of them, realistically, it would only include some. This affects article usage in the other examples, too. In all references to military forces, we seem to assume the idea of "some" unless we actually mean the entire army, in which case we would use another word, like "army" or "military." If we were to say that Serb forces were victorious, it would mean some portion of them in one particular engagement or battle. If we were to say that the Serb army was victorious, it would mean in a more complete way, that it had won the overall war, for example.
I guess the main explanation here is that "forces," "defenses," "positions," "emplacements," "columns," and other military jargon fall into a certain class of words that customarily take no article. I hope this at least partially answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
I found two sentences in my grammar book, and I'm trying to figure them out. Here are the sentences:
1. Our society is based on the family.
Should I use 'the' before the word, 'family' in the sentence? If so, why?
2. Jack and Sue are supposed to meet at school tomorrow afternoon.
Is that grammatically correct? What about 'the' before "school'?
Thank you
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Dear Inquirer:
Thank you for your question. The use of articles is a difficult part of English, both to master and to explain. The definite article (the) can indicate many different things about a word and can change the meaning of a sentence completely.
One use of "the" occurs when the noun is generic, which means that it stands for all members of a classification of things. This is a formal usage, similar in meaning to the plural as generic noun, as in the sentence, "Families are important in our society." The difference is in the level of formality rather than meaning. Your first example uses "the" in this way.
Your second example involves an unusual situation. In the sentence, "Jack and Sue are supposed to meet at school . . . ," the writer/speaker and the reader/listener both must understand that Jack and Sue are usually at a particular school anyway, and that they have arranged a meeting of some kind. They could be students or teachers. The use of "school" without the article is very common when we are thinking of the function of a school and not just its location. If Jack and Sue were not going to be at school anyway, the sentence might read, "Jack and Sue are supposed to meet at the school . . . ."
Let me give another example. If I said to my mother, "I'm going to school," she would know that I'm going there to attend classes or to teach since I'm a teacher, but if I tell her, "I'm going to the school," she could assume that I'm going there to play with the dog or to take a walk or something else unrelated to the function of the building.
I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
I need to know if my thesis statement is too broad or too narrow or neither. My tentative thesis statement is this: Effects of growing population on tropical rainforests.
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Dear Inquirer:
The problem here is that this thesis statement is not a statement. It sounds like a topic or perhaps a title, but to be a thesis it needs to make some kind of point about the effects of the growing population: "The effects of growing population on tropical rainforests are not as bad as some say," or "The effects . . . include both the obvious and the hidden," or "The effects . . . have changed our climate," or whatever it is you want to say. The main thing is to make it supportable so that your paper has something to prove or at least to demonstrate or illustrate. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Which is correct, "I appreciate your giving me the opportunity to pursue..." or "...you giving me the oportunity..."?
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Dear Inquirer:
I have a theory about this confusion. In speech, these two constructions are indistinguishable most of the time, so we never really know which one is being said. Also, we say things like "I observed him sneaking into the garage," which is a perfectly correct sentence with a similar construction. Hence, when it comes time to write, they both sound correct. If you mean to say that you appreciate the action, however, the possessive form (in this case "your") is always right. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Can you tell me when to use on-line versus online? How about E-mail versus e-mail? Is there a source you consistenly use? Many thanks.
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Dear Inquirer:
Welcome to the brave new world of new words. The spellings of both of these words are currently in flux, and as I'm sure you've noticed, spellings vary. The Merriam-Webster web site (or is it website?) says that whether it's an adjective or an adverb, on-line is the correct spelling of the first word, based on uses going back to 1950, and that either e-mail or E-mail is acceptable for the second.
But America Online uses no hyphen, and it's very visible. Likewise, many internet-related services say they offer "email," and if everybody gets used to these spellings, they will find their way into the dictionary. Some users still capitalize "internet" and "world wide web" while others do not.
I predict that the form of all of these words that is easiest to type will eventually prevail, which means the unhyphenated, lowercase versions. For now, you can be safe following Merriam-Webster, but all the variations have been accepted by one teacher or another. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
I'm wondering what the current consensus
is regarding "i.e., e.g." Is it acceptable to use these abbreviations in the
body of a sentence without commas if commas otherwise would not be inserted?
The biggest question I have is when a sentence has a phrase in parentheses at the
end with an abbreviated word normally ending in a period. If
it is not a complete sentence within parentheses, do you put a period after
parenthesis as well?: She went to the store (for candy, cookies, etc.).
Thanks for any response.
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Dear Inquirer:
All of the handbooks that I consulted to find a consensus show commas around such abbreviations while discouraging their use in general. The commas around "i.e.," for example, are the same ones that would go around its long form, "that is." Even "etc." can generally be avoided by wording a sentence with "including" before a series of items since both imply the existence of other things not mentioned. Also, remember that "etc." should be used only when the reader can conceivably complete the list of items. Otherwise, a phrase like "and others" or "and other things" is more appropriate.
The parenthetical example you mention should be punctuated exactly the way it appears in your question. "Etc." is still an abbreviation, so it still needs its own period, regardless of whether the material within the parentheses is a complete sentence. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
My question is, What are three different ways to correct run-on sentences?
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Dear Inquirer:
As you know, a run-on sentence, often called a fused sentence or a run-together sentence, is two or more independent clauses (which could be separate sentences) punctuated as one. Sometimes people misunderstand "run-on" to mean "too long." A run-on can be quite short, actually. The following sentence is a run-on:
His reason for leaving wasn't clear it could have been the workload.
You ask for three ways to correct run-on sentences, but there are more. To divide the two independent clauses you can use
a period: His reason for leaving wasn't clear. It could have been the workload.
a comma plus a conjunction: His reason for leaving wasn't clear, but it could have been the workload.
a semicolon: His reason for leaving wasn't clear; it could have been the workload. (See the Virtual Tutor Q and A archives for some explanations of the semicolon and its use.)
a subordinating construction: Though his reason for leaving wasn't clear, it could have been the workload.
imbedded elements: His reason for leaving, which wasn't clear, could have been the workload.
I hope this answers your question. Thanks for asking.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Could you please tell me how I would write out "time to time"--with hyphens, i.e. 'time-to-time' or not?
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Dear Inquirer:
If it were a modifying phrase that could occur before a noun, like "face-to-face" before "meeting," then it would be hyphenated. Usually the phrase you mention occurs after the word "from," which means it is actually part of a pair of prepostional phrases, just as "from noon to five" is. Thus, it should not be hyphenated, but written this way: from time to time. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
What is the pc version of AD (as in BC/AD as designations for time)?
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Dear Inquirer:
I assume that by pc you mean perfectly correct. Since most calendars worldwide are now using the system which designates years 1999, 2000 and so forth, and since the people who use this designation don't all share the belief that the number measures "years of our lord," historians and progressive thinkers use the abbreviation CE, for "common era" (the era in which calendars began to conform to a common system) to represent what used to be AD (anno domini), and BCE, for "before common era," to represent what used to be BC (before Christ). This change may take a while to catch on, however, since older or more conservative sources still use the old Christianity-based system. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
I've a little problem: Why is hair singular and not plural? I can't understand this.
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Dear Inquirer:
What a wonderful question. When referred to in concentration, "hair" is a non-count noun, like "rain," but unlike rain or rice, which need a special term to express a single part of the collective (e.g. drops of rain and grains of rice), hair can be counted by using a simple plural as well as by using a counter (strands). When we say, "Her hair is brown," we are referring to the collective material, just as when we say, "The rice is delicious." When we say, "I found three hairs in my soup," we are referring to the individual units, whose number is more important than the material itself. Generally, we only use "hairs" when we can count them by sight. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Can you explain to me when I use the simple and the continuous form? I have problems in using these forms.
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Dear Inquirer:
The simple and continuous can be distinguished by focusing on their core meanings. The core meaning of the simple aspect is completion, or a perfective state, a whole event that has no room for change (e.g. Max and Elly live in London). The continuous or progressive form has a core meaning of an imperfective state or incomplete event, one that is incomplete or has a possibility for further development (e.g. Max and Elly are living in London).
The continuous example contains the possibility that Max and Elly are in London temporarily, or that they may move in the future or may have moved recently, where the simple example has no such connotation.
The simple aspect can be used to make wide generic statements, like "Storms arrive suddenly"; the continuous applies to more specific statements, like "A storm is arriving this evening." I hope this clears up the distinction a little.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
How would I write the following:
doubting Thomas's or doubting Thomases?
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Dear Inquirer:
I don't think this question would ever come up if it weren't for all of those signs outside people's houses with the family name and sometimes an apostrophe. If the sign in the yard of a family named Brown, for example, means to say who lives there, it ought to read The Browns, not The Browns' or The Brown's. If the sign means to declare ownership of the house or property, then The Browns' would be correct, as a short form of The Browns' House (a house that belongs to the Browns). The Brown's, however, is never correct since "the" would only come before the plural form of the name.
So in answer to your question, it depends. If you are referring to a bunch of a certain type of person, it's "doubting Thomases," just like a family name, but if you are saying that something belongs to a doubting Thomas, it's "doubting Thomas's." I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
What's the difference between BESIDES and IN ADDITION?
As a phrase, how to use them correctly at the beginning of one sentence?
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Dear Inquirer:
Both besides and in addition have a logical connecting function in an argument. In addition works something like and to link two clauses, especially when they have different subjects. Besides, on the other hand, is really reserved for a certain type of statement, one that overrules the previous statement or introduces another, unrelated point. Besides is synonymous with and in any case. Examples follow.
In addition:
Investors were worried about their savings; in addition, several smaller banks had failed already.
We provide spacious work areas. In addition, your children will find plenty to do here, including . . .
Besides:
It's getting too late to go out for dinner. Besides, I can't afford it this month. I'm completely broke.
The general was no longer able to motivate the troops. Besides, they had spent most of their ammunition the day before.
I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
I once wrote, 'As an open university student, he must work harder than regular students.' I used to use 'he' to represent a student; is it male chauvinism?
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Dear Inquirer:
Ideas about what words mean often change over time, and recently it has become a common understanding that what used to be "neuter" or "neutral" pronouns, like "he" and "him," are now considered gender specific. That is, "he" refers only to males and not to all humans, regardless of what the rule used to be. It is therefore concluded that since English used "he" as a neuter pronoun, and since "he" includes only males, then English inherently excluded females. The result has been the gradual shift away from the singular neuter pronoun toward the plural, to say "they" instead of "he," even when the antecedent is singular. Another growing reaction is the increasing use of "he or she" or he/she, the latter of which we don't approve of because it doesn't reflect the way we speak: we don't say "he-slash-she," we say "he or she," so we ought to write it that way, in our opinion. We hope this answers your question somewhat.The Virtual Tutor |
Dear Virtual Tutor:
I have trouble telling the difference between effect and affect. Can you give a clear answer with specific examples? Thank you.
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Dear Inquirer:
If I had my druthers, these two troublesome words would be spelled the same way so we wouldn't have to worry about how to tell them apart; the context would make the distinction unnecessary. However, since I can't have my druthers, we do have a handy mnemonic device to help.
Affect is a verb, and a verb (commonly) shows action, which begins with A. Therefore, if it's an action, use "affect." e.g. His tears didn't affect me at all.
Effect is a noun, and a noun can be preceded by an article, such as "the." "The" ends with (and often sounds like) E. Therefore if you could use "the" (or "an") with it, use "effect." e.g. The blue light created the strangest effect.
This sentence is also helpful: The greenhouse effect affects the earth. ("effect" is the subject and "affect" the verb; the "ee" in "greenhouse" can remind you that "effect " comes first in this sentence.) Also, nearly all of the derivative words, like "effective," "special effects" and so on come from "effect."
Now for the bad news: There are exceptions for both words. "Effect" is sometimes (but rarely) a verb, meaning "to cause or bring about" as in "The voters effected a change in government." And "affect" is sometimes (but even more rarely) a noun, meaning "the conscious subjective aspect of an emotion considered apart from bodily changes," as in "The client presented a flat affect." "Affect" as a noun is jargon, limited mostly to psychology. Generally, the exceptions can be pushed to the back of your mind because they are so rare (but I felt obliged to tell you). I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
What is a factive? I have to do a presentation on "The status of a clause following a factive, nominal vs. adverbial."
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Dear Inquirer:
According to the excellent reference work The Grammar Book, by Marianne Celce-Murcia and Diane Larsen-Freeman, a factive can be a type of verb that precedes a complement whose truth is not in question. Therefore, "the status of the clause" might refer to whether it is presumed to be true. The "nominal vs. adverbial" part of the question seems not to apply unless it represents the choice in status from the first part. If that's the case, nominal wins. OK.
Factive verbs include "comprehend," "regret," "bear in mind," and some "be" forms, such as "is odd," that must be followed by an inherent true assumption.
Examples: I regret that I ate your cat. The clause "that I ate your cat" is presumed to be true following "regret." A non-factive verb precedes a complement whose truth is not presumed. Non-factives include "believe," "claim," "seem," and some others. In "I believe that I ate your cat," the clause "that I ate your cat" is not necessarily true. In both cases, the clause is nominal or nominative because it functions as the object of the verb. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
What is a participial phrase?
Give me an example and explain the answer.
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Dear Inquirer:
First of all, I must point out that your request is a bit demanding. Please remember to say "please" in the future.
A participial phrase is a phrase (a group of words lacking a subject and verb) that begins with a participle (a form of a verb not functioning as a verb or noun). The participles are often formed using -ing or -ed (or other past participle) forms of verbs.
Example: I saw a woman standing by the door. In this sentence, "standing by the door" is a participial phrase acting as an adjective modifying "woman."
Example: Tired from the long walk, Jean sat on a log. In this sentence, "tired from the long walk" is a participial phrase modifying the whole clause that follows, in this case expressing the reason for the resulting action. This phrase is adverbial. I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
What kind of verb will follow "there be" in a sentence?
For example:
1. There are two kids who are running on the ground.
There are two kids running on the ground.
2. There are some differences which need be found.
There are some differences need to be found.
Which one is correct?
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Dear Inquirer:
In your example number one, both sentences are grammatically correct, but the second one is more economical with words and more direct. Even more direct would be "Two kids are running on the ground," taking out the "there be" construction altogether. In example number two, the second one is not grammatical because the two verbs, "are" and "need," have only one subject and no conjoining element, such as a conjunction (and, or, but, etc.) or relative pronoun (that or which). "Some differences need to be found" would, again, be even more direct by eliminating the "there be" construction. Generally, if "there be" can be revised out, the sentence will improve.The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Would you write "Niether the Infantry nor the Seals (have or has ) gone through Excalibur training yet."? (should the "?" be inside or outside the quotations?) Thanks!
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Dear Inquirer:
In such cases the proximity rule kicks in, which states that the closest of the subjects rules the verb, regardless of the "neither." Seals would take the verb "have," so there you have it. If the two subjects were reversed, the verb would be "has" because that is what "the Infantry" would take.
As for the question mark, it depends on whether the information inside the quotation marks is being repeated for clarification or whether it is being asked for the first time. I'm assuming this occurs in a written dialog.
In one case, the question is being asked by someone who has not heard the information before; the question mark falls within the quotation (A), and in the other case, the question is being asked to verify the information within the single marks, presumably something that has just been said to the questioner, so the question mark falls outside a set of single quotation marks (apostrophes), with an additional set of regular quotation marks around the whole mess (B). This connotes a kind of "Did you just say what I think you just said?" reaction.
(A) "Neither the Seals nor the Infantry has has gone through Excalibur training yet?"
(B) "'Neither the Infantry nor the Seals have gone through Excailibur training yet'?"
I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor |
Dear Virtual Tutor:
Please explain when to use semicolons and when to use colons and offer some examples.
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Dear Inquirer:
The use of semicolons and colons does overlap somewhat, but in general, here are the distinctions. The semicolon is usually regarded as a kind of period; that is, it falls between two independent clauses (what could be two separate sentences). The semicolon is used when the two sentences have a closer than normal relationship, such as when one sentence explains the other, or when an adverbial link is used (see the sentence above using "that is"), or when the two clauses balance each other or form a negative/positive pair. Because these guidelines are a bit abstract, it is generally advisable to avoid using semicolons except when a period seems inadequate to express the relationship.
The colon, again usually, introduces specifics following a general statement in the form of an independent clause (a whole sentence). The order may also be reversed so that the specifics come first. Either way, one side of the colon must have an independent clause. The colon represents the idea contained in the word "specifically," so when a colon is used, no other words to that effect (e.g. "such as" or "like") should appear.
The overlap occurs when the specifics introduced by the colon take the form of a complete sentence. You can tell when to use a colon and when a semicolon by using the following test. At the point of division between the two clauses, say the word "specifically." If what follows makes sense after that word, then a colon is appropriate.
Here are some examples of the above guidelines.
Semicolons
We were forced to wait for hours; rain had delayed all flights off the island. (explanation)
Some of my friends were happy; others appeared to be upset. (balance)
It's not that I don't like her; it's that I'm satisfied with my present cat. (negative/positive)
This must be done quickly; otherwise, all the frosting will melt. (adverbial link)
Colons
The twins had everything we needed: candles, string, scissors and paper. (general to specific)
Soft lights, soft music, soft margarine: this is my recipe for contentment. (specific to general)
She has one problem with skateboarding: she can't keep her balance. (specific is a clause)
AVOID THIS
The things we need are: string, scissors, candles and paper. (no independent clause before the colon)
N.B. It's OK to make a sentence like the above bad example under two conditions only: when the specifics are numbered, or when they are arranged vertically in a list.
I hope this answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor |
Dear Virtual Tutor:
I am always hearing to revise, revise, revise -- however -- it seems the more I clean up my writing the deeper my voice seems to get buried. How can I edit my writing and keep its personality. How much revising is enough?
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Dear Enquirer:
People say, "Revise, revise, revise," but they don't tell you that each of those "revises" means something different. The first one might be to eliminate repetition, to check punctuation or verb choice. The next revision could be to search for passages, even if they're grammatically correct, that sound untrue to your voice, ones that need changes in rhythm or have continuity problems; these are all very personal areas, not strictly governed by rules. Another revision might be to experiment with something more drastic, such as changing the voice or point of view. With these types of changes, as with all changes you make, they can be undone and replaced with the original or with something else.
So when do you stop? Some writers never do. Walt Whitman continued to edit Leaves of Grass after it was published, constantly coming out with revised editions until he died. Simple editing should end when the writing is clear, when mistakes no longer get in the way of communication; the presence of grammatical correctness, however, does not mean that a sentence cannot be revised.
The important thing is that the revisions lead toward your voice and not toward someone else's. If your revision includes suggested wordings from someone else, it's probably leading away from your voice, no matter how correct those suggestions might be. Writing usually needs to be correct to be clear, but the range of correct grammar includes innumerable ways to say something. If you get feedback that an idea isn't quite clear, make the change in your own way, or ignore the feedback if you're sure of yourself.
In the end, it will be your ear you need to please, I'm afraid, but the more you write (not the more you revise), the more certain you will be about what sounds right to you.
We hope this helps. Good luck with your writing.
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
I understand that APA should be in the present time. Can I not
mention how Sexual Harassment public awareness began with Anita Hill and
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas? How should I use the APA style past
history? I need help getting started but I also want to state the
past history of the Civil Rights act Title VII.
Thank you in advance for your assistance.
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Dear Enquirer:
According to the latest APA Publication Manual (1994), the present
tense is preferred in presenting conclusions (e.g. The results
indicate that such-and-such is true). In discussing the background of
an issue or study, however, the past tense is perfectly acceptable,
especially when writing about an event that took place at a definite
time in the past. To discuss the changes in a field or issue, the
present perfect tense is useful (e.g. Since that time, the public has
gradually accepted the legitimacy of such claims.) The APA manual
gives several examples of all kinds of tenses. What is important is
to keep the changes in tense clear and logical to avoid confusing the
reader.
Starting with a discussion of an important case sounds like a good way
to begin your paper, but watch out for unprovable statements such as
"sexual harassment public awareness began with . . . ." Probably you
would be on stronger ground in saying that awareness "increased" or
"grew substantially" rather than "began." Good luck, and don't
hesitate to ask us if you have another question.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Currently, are there MLA or any other means of citing internet references? I have been unable to locate any. Thanks for the help.
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Dear Enquirer:
You're in luck! The Writing Lab has a page explaining several citation forms, including citation of electronic sources. Just navigate back to the MLA Citations page on this site.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
I could use a concise description on the correct use of the semi-colon, colon, paranthesis, comma and dash. Currently, I believe I overuse the paranthesis (as you can see) and dashes. Could you give me a general priority or hierarchy of the use of each of these, or a few examples of where they are interchangable? Thanks a million! |
Dear Enquirer:
Briefly (for there are always exceptions and special circumstances), the
usage rules are as follows:
The semicolon is a kind of period, generally, that indicates a closer
relationship between two independent clauses than can be expressed by a
period. This relationship can be one of explanation; the second clause
explains something from the first. It can be one of balance, as in
"Sometimes we do; sometimes we don't." A semicolon is also appropriate
as a separator in a series of clauses, much like a comma in a series of
nouns or verbs; for example, "Bart looked left; he looked right; he took
off his shoes, and he jumped out the window." Finally, the semicolon is
de rigueur when a conjunctive adverb is used between sentences, as in "I
think; therefore, I am."
The colon, on the other hand, is used to separate a generalization in an
independent clause from a specification of the clause or part of the
clause (e.g., Some things cannot be tolerated: misspelling, slang, and
lack of punctuation among them.). The colon could be said to stand for
the word "specifically," and that can act as a kind of test; if you can
use the word "specifically" in place of the colon, then a colon is
appropriate, except when you don't have an independent clause already.
For example, it is not correct to write, "The reasons for this are: her
treachery, her wantonness and her stilletto." There is no independent
clause on either side of the colon; that is, you couldn't stop at the
word "are" and have a complete sentence. It would be correct if this
sentence began "There are several reasons to suspect her: . . ."; in
this case, you'd have a complete sentence even without the list of
specifics (By the way, it doesn't have to be a list of specifics; one
would suffice.).
Parentheses I have tried to demonstrate in this message. They may
contain examples, incidental information, a clarifying word (like a
name) or many other things. The main consideration in their use, as in
the use of the dash, is frequency; overuse of any special punctuation
quickly becomes annoying.
The dash is like an oversized comma, pairs of them often containing a
digression or off-hand remark. Dashes are sometimes useful when a
sentence becomes bogged down in commas--when it's hard to tell which
clause or phrase is essential--and some clarification is needed.
Contrasted with the hyphen, a dash separates; a hyphen connects.
The comma cannot be handled briefly, but a handbook such as The Elements
of Style can be illuminating concerning its use.
Ideally, none of these are really interchangeable, but in practice we
find that almost all of them are. Dashes and parentheses are commonly
used for identical purposes, but the dash is more appropriate if you
really couldn't leave out what it precedes or contains. Many writers use
commas where a semicolon is called for, and this has been acceptable for
some time, but purists never confuse the two.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
Could you refresh my memory on the correct way to write numbers? In particular, on when it is okay to just use the number and when it is necessary to spell it out?
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Dear Enquirer:
The number question is handled differently in many sources, but the rule
we teach is that generally, if the number can be expressed in one word,
then it should be. "Seventeen" is one word; "twenty-two" isn't, so the
numeral should be used. Some teachers have set an arbitrary limit, such
as numbers under ten, or including ten, as the only acceptable ones to
write out, but if the reason for this is brevity, then why can't "fifty"
be included? It's as short as "eight" is. For this reason, the "one
word" rule makes more sense. Also, exceptions can be made for numbers
involving money, percentages, measurements, and writing that is of a
statistical nature, such as lab reports, but even if it's a long one, a
written-out number is the only form that can begin a sentence.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
When does the period (or other puctuation mark) go outside of the parentheses and when is it inside?
And when does the period, etc. go outside of the quotation marks . . . ?
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Dear Enquirer:
Generally speaking, the rule is "always" or "never."
Periods and so on always go outside of parentheses that occur
in a sentence--that is, if the punctuation mark
in question belongs with the sentence and not with the
material in the parentheses. As far as quotation marks go,
periods, commas, question marks and exclamation points always
go inside (when they are part of the quoted material),
while colons and semicolons never do.
This changes, however, in the case of parenthetical citations,
which involve both parentheses and quotation marks.
All of this can sound very confusing, so maybe an example
is the best way to get this across.
I gave it to him (my son). Period for the sentence goes outside.
It was old (My father had given it to me.). Period for the sentence goes outside, but the parenthetical material is a sentence and needs a period of its own
He said, "Thank you." Period for the sentence goes inside.
He said, "Thank you"; I said, "You're welcome." Semicolon goes outside.
Fifty percent answered, "Don't know" (Bean 198). Period for the sentence goes outside of everything when parenthetical citations are involved.
Did he say, "Thank you"? Question mark is not part of the quoted material.
He said, "What is truth?" Question mark is part of the quoted material. No extra period is needed.
The Virtual Tutor
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Dear Virtual Tutor:
What is the correct way to cite something that is obtained from the internet? Is it alright to simply write a web address, such as http://www.electronic-school.com/067f2.html?
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Dear Enquirer:
The Modern Language Association is leaning toward using the HTML enclosures < >, so that a web site would be listed first by author (if known), then by title, the date posted or updated (if known), the date of access, and then the internet address.
For example:
"The Electronic School." 3 Mar. 1997. 16 July 1998. <http://www.electronic-school.com/
 067f2.html>.
Note that the electronic address can be divided after a slash mark. This is important for the appearance of the citation listing because so many addresses are long and have no spaces. This in effect puts them on a separate line on most word processors since without a space they won't fit at the end of a line.
This is the newest version of the MLA standard, and since it is so clean and simple, something like it will probably prevail in the other style manuals. I hope that answers your question.
The Virtual Tutor
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