Grammatical questions

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Guest

#71317 Mon, 31 Jan 05 10:40 PM

I have some doubts about the grammar. I know that the sentences below are ungrammatical but I don't know how to explain WHY. Could you help me? This is for an exam.

1. Why the following sentences are ungrammatical:

a) Never watch I television.
b) Which programmes watched you?

a) Would you like an information?
b) He hasn't read much book.

2. What is the grammatical difference between forms such as "my" and "mine", or "their" and "theirs"?

3. How might the following contrast be accounted for?
a) They have referred to the book. c) He went to the station.
b) The book has been referred to. d) The station was gone to.

4. How can the contrast between c) and f) be explained?
a) She spoke to the manager. d) She put on a coat.
b) Who did she speak to? e) What did she put on?
c) To whom did she speak? f) On what did she put?

5. Say how the two subordinate clauses in a) and b) differ from each other, both with respect to their internal structure and their external distribution.
a) The woman claimed she'd seen a ghost.
b) The claim the woman made was false.

6. Describe the external distribution of the subordinate clauses in the examples below, and explain why c) is ungrammatical.
a) We consider their going to the beach unfair.
b) We consider it unfair that they went to the beach.
c) We consider that they went to the beach unfair.

Guest

Clauses, Difference between, Grammar, Whom

MrPedantic

#71335 Tue, 01 Feb 05 12:12 AM

Hello Guest

Since this is for an exam, I don't feel I should give detailed replies. But you may wish to consider:

1. Why the following sentences are ungrammatical:

a) Never watch I television.
b) Which programmes watched you?

Look up Inversion in your grammar book.

a) Would you like an information?
b) He hasn't read much book.

Look up Count Nouns and Uncountable Nouns.

2. What is the grammatical difference between forms such as "my" and "mine", or "their" and "theirs"?

Look up Possessive Determiners and Possessive Pronouns.

3. How might the following contrast be accounted for?
a) They have referred to the book. c) He went to the station.
b) The book has been referred to. d) The station was gone to.

Look up Present Perfect Tense, Past Perfect Tense.

4. How can the contrast between c) and f) be explained?
a) She spoke to the manager. d) She put on a coat.
b) Who did she speak to? e) What did she put on?
c) To whom did she speak? f) On what did she put?

Look up Interrogative Pronouns.

Why not work on these ones first, and post your suggestions, after looking up the relevant sections? If you're still having trouble, we'll then give you more help, and go on to your other questions.

MrP

MrPedantic