In Verbs^x, Conversations^x

I know Paco through many on-line conversations, so I know he is more than capable of comprehending a complex English sentence. The question is subtle and requires some subtlety to answer it. I'm sure, from my past experience with this student, that he understands at the level I have given the...

Hello Paco and Roro I hope you don't mind if I take a few steps back. I was struck by this passage on the Yates and Kenkel 'We're Prescriptivists. Isn't Everyone?' page: For example, one of the most notorious prescriptions is never to end sentences with a preposition. This style was given...

I went to Circuit City, one of the electronic shops in the area, for a new portable PSP product from SONY which *have (agreement) just *been released. I *was a mystery shopper who *wants (tense) to buy one of *this hottest PSP, which *could play movieS, music, and video games in one single...

CalifJim wrote: You are compounding the problem here, however, by using "number of" together with "there is/are", which, at least in relaxed style, can almost always be "there is" no matter what the grammatical number of the following expression. So, "there is" can be used, but not in very...

Examples 1 and 2: The paraphrase (after the equal sign) is incorrect. "He seems that he" is impossible in English. You must change the first word to "it": It seems that he ..." In every other respect, the two sentences are fine. Example 3 cannot be rephrased as you suggest. Your first attempt...

The prescriptive rule has it that 'neither' and 'either' take the singular verb, so "Neither has windows" ('neither' is the subject) and "Either one of them has it" ('one' is the subject). In everyday conversation, however, it is quite common to hear the plural verb with 'neither' if a plural...

Re: In fact, scientists who study chatty human behaviour estimate that two-thirds of our conversations-including idle e-mail exchanges-are devoted to divulging secrets. i) In fact, scientists --main subject ii) who study chatty human behaviour --adj. clause qualifying the noun "scientists" ...

1. In fact, scientists who study chatty human behaviour estimate that two-thirds of our conversations-including idle e-mail exchanges- are devoted to divulging secrets. (What's the subject here? I can't seem to figure it out. I think there are two subjects here. I can't figure out the secondary...

There are some possible differences of meaning in this structure, though: a) – as you do – etc. This is a humorous formation. The 'as you do' means 'as one is accustomed to do', but it is always used ironically and parenthetically: the verb phrase must relate to an activity that is unusual...

Hello CJ I am interested in Eladio's questions and your answers,because I also have troubles in "abnormal" usages of progressive tenses. Could you help me by giving additional answers? a.- “Are you suggesting that my friend Benny is a liar?" OK I understand "suggest" is a momentary...