ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: Tips for getting fast and full responses (from me)

Lovely12 — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 13:48:50 GMT

thanks buddy its good work

Re: Tips for getting fast and full responses (from me)

Loojka — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 00:23:13 GMT

This was absolutely brilliant!

Re: Tips for getting fast and full responses (from me)

Robert1 — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 17:33:42 GMT

Hi John,

I show your note on this forum, that's great. I need some help in writing. If I write a sentence or parangraph and forward to you, can you please correct the grammar.

Thanks

Robert

Re: Tips for getting fast and full responses (from me)

Clive — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 04:24:10 GMT

Hi,

I am a Brasilian student that does want to learn English correctly. At this moment I am facing a difficult subject at school: The use of Present participle or Gerund. Could you please give some hints on how to differentiate them????

The following sentences, for instance, are they present participle or gerund??? Why???

It took the computer three seconds to solve the equation that has been confusing the mathematicians for several days.

Calming the residents, the firemen assured that the flames would soon be ***.

I would be so grateful if you could send me a quick answer!!!

We prefer to post comments here, so that others may benfit from reading them.' target=_blank>erpetuawizard@hotmail.com"> We prefer to post comments here, so that others may benfit from reading them.

Look at these three simpler examples, and then fill in the blanks below. That way, we can see more clearly what you understand and what you don't understand. OK?

A. Dancing is fun.

B. I saw a burning house.

C. Mary is cooking dinner.

Sentence ____ uses a present participle as part of the main verb structure, ie as part of the tense.

Sentence ___ uses a gerund.

Sentence ____ uses a present participle as an adjective.

Best wishes, Clive

Re: Tips for getting fast and full responses (from me)

Anonymous — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 00:54:23 GMT

Hello John,

The following sentences, for instance, are they present participle or gerund??? Why???

It took the computer three seconds to solve the equation that has been confusing the mathematicians for several days.

Calming the residents, the firemen assured that the flames would soon be ***.

I would be so grateful if you could send me a quick answer!!!

Thank you some much for your kind attention!!!!!

Re: Tips for getting fast and full responses (from me)

Clive — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 22:29:19 GMT

Hi,

You were in the park; is that correct?

You were in the park; is that right?

I wouldn't say the semi-colon is wrong, but it seems completely unnecessary. Like you, I'd favour a simple comma. I think that usually there would just be a very brief pause between the two parts of the sentence, and I think a comma reflects that adequately and simply. Possibly she thinks that a semi-colon makes it seem more formal and official.

I guess that's the price you pay for not being your own boss!

Best wishes, Clive

Re: Tips for getting fast and full responses (from me)

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 19:31:53 GMT

Dear John.... no, I am not breaking up with you! No, seriously, I have a rather large problem. I have been a court reporter for almost 30 years; unfortunately, I have been forced to retire. I am now doing some freelance work for another company and, in the past, I was used to being my own boss. Much to my chagrine, I had my transcript "edited" and I feel it is full of errors. Could you please give me your opinion and reasoning so that I can have a valid argument to support my argument. She puts a semi-colon after any statement that is followed by "is that correct" or "is that right". I put a comma in that situation.

My sentence sample:

You were in the park, is that correct?

You were in the park, is that right?

She puts:

You were in the park; is that correct?

You were in the park; is that right?

I have never seen the semi-colon used like this, please advise.

Thank you!

Holly Glenn

Re: How to improve my comprehend

Clive — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 00:23:53 GMT

Hi,

We'd be happy to help you, but first please post your question as a new thread.

To start a new thread, go to the Forum you want, eg General Grammar Questions, then click on the button near the top left that says 'Post'. On the next screen, you can give your new thread a simple name and post your message.

Best wishes, Clive

Re: How to improve my comprehend

Anonymous — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 23:18:44 GMT

I would like to start a conversation when I am at the party. how should I start and what appropriate subject should I bring out?

Re: Tips for getting fast and full responses (from me)

Clive — Sat, 22 Jul 2006 19:32:38 GMT

Hi,

Cant the above sentence be like this-I would have arrived earlier if I had got up earlier. Yes, fine.

One more problem I have confusion between the usage of dont and does'nt.For eg:He dont want to sit there <<< wrong and He does'nt want to sit there <<< right .Which one is correct between the two?

I don't want / you don't want / he, she, it doesn't want / we don't want / they don't want

To start a new thread, go to the Forum you want, eg General Grammar Questions, then clickon the button near the top left that says 'Post'. On the next screen, you can give your new thread a simple name and post your message.

Best wishes, Clive

Re: Tips for getting fast and full responses (from me)

Anonymous — Sat, 22 Jul 2006 10:17:28 GMT

Clive wrote:

Hi,

okay dear . My wife calls me 'dear'. You can call me 'Clive'. But if you want to write with a little bit more style, you can begin with 'Dear Clive,'.

jst a try...I could hv reach earlier if i had got up earlier

is this correct??

Just a try...I could have arrived earlier if I had got up earlier.

Don't abbreviate words. Use a capital for 'I'.

If you want us to look at more sentences for you, we'd be happy to. But don't keep posting them here. Please start a new thread. OK?

Best wishes, Clive

Thank you Mr. Clive

Cant the above sentence be like this-I would have arrived earlier if I had got up earlier.

One more problem I have confusion between the usage of dont and does'nt.For eg:He dont want to sit there and He does'nt want to sit there.Which one is correct between the two?

Sorry Mr Clive I dont know how to start a new thread

Re: Tips for getting fast and full responses (from me)

Clive — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 15:14:44 GMT

Hi,

okay dear . My wife calls me 'dear'. You can call me 'Clive'. But if you want to write with a little bit more style, you can begin with 'Dear Clive,'.

jst a try...I could hv reach earlier if i had got up earlier

is this correct??

Just a try...I could have arrived earlier if I had got up earlier.

Don't abbreviate words. Use a capital for 'I'.

If you want us to look at more sentences for you, we'd be happy to. But don't keep posting them here. Please start a new thread. OK?

Best wishes, Clive

Re: Tips for getting fast and full responses (from me)

Anonymous — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 12:24:28 GMT

Clive wrote:

Hi,

The best thing is if you write some sentences with different tenses and post them here. Then we can give you comments to help you. OK?

Best wishes, Clive

okay dear .thanx for the reply.

jst a try...I could hv reach earlier if i had got up earlier

is this correct??

Re: Tips for getting fast and full responses (from me)

Clive — Sat, 08 Jul 2006 16:50:24 GMT

Hi,

The best thing is if you write some sentences with different tenses and post them here. Then we can give you comments to help you. OK?

Best wishes, Clive

Re: Tips for getting fast and full responses (from me)

Anonymous — Sat, 08 Jul 2006 11:48:52 GMT

Hi john could you please help me?? i want to improve my english grammar.The problem is with tenses.i am from India in 12 th stardard.i will appear for board exams this year so want a good score also i will be in college next year so i need to be well versed in english.the major problem is that i am able to write in english(obviously after thinking a lot)but i hesitate to speak in front of my friends due to my grammar mistakes and tenses.Thank u john