In Constructions^x, Pronouns^x

Believer wrote: Thank you. Here in this sentence, what do you call the word 'their' grammatically? This will prevent their ever going to heaven. We feel the necessity for a possessive form more particularly when the gerund is the subject of the main verb : Your calling on us just at...

Grammar Geek wrote:What's wrong with the construction "This is my home, where I feel the most comfortable."? I don't agree that you can't use a comma. Hi Grammar GeekNothing is wrong with your construction. I am discussing another sentence with a relative pronoun in it: This is the factory...

Hello English teacher in Australia, I'm happy to respond to your post. It was quite clear from your initial post that you objected to "that" being the correct answer to the original question. You also denied the grammatical validity of two other like examples where "that' is used as a...

I guess you don't get out much, Anon. Here is a sampling of respectable online sources. Doing a bit of Google research yourself will turn up many, many more.The American Heritage Dictionary: Grammarians have sometimes objected to the so-called double genitive construction, as in a friend of my...

Dear Davkett, To tell you the truth, I knew before sending you this message that I should normally use "THAT" in # 1, 2, 7 and 8 because it introduces a defining relative clause. But if I inserted "WHICH" too, it was just to see if that relative pronoun could be accepted in such constructions...

It seems that there's no or little difference in meaning between (1) and (2). (3) and (4) seem to indicate a present impossible situation, and (5) expresses past regrets as you said. I'd also like to hear experts' opinions on this.wishing for the impossible: wish that + past tenses To express...

Pieanne wrote: Mister Micawber wrote:Did Mary say is the interrogative inversion, Pieanne-- no question.Yes, but I was trying to compare this kind of inversion (in reported speech) with constructions like "little did she know..." etc... In the former, there's no problem to put the subject after...

The problem isn't with the semi-colons. It's that odd construction with the Amy and the pronoun I. Is the speaker supposed to be Amy Potter?

Hela wrote:1) If "would rather" is used with a single pronoun, is the form of the verb that follows it a bare infinitive or a present subjunctive ? e.g. He would rather BE alone.The constructs like "would rather", "had rather/better", would/had sooner" have their origin in the Old English's...

Hello HelaIt's now early morning in Japan. So I am sober but still your two questions seem tough to answer. But let me try.First, I'll try the easier question, that is, the one about "one of the Xs". Quirk called this "of Xs" as "partitive of-phrase". You can find some explanation about it in...