In English grammar^x, Clauses^x

Philip wrote:My ear prefers "If you promise to leave tomorrow, I'll tell you the truth now", just because I don't like the future in the if-clause. I've never looked for an authoritative source to back me up....and there may well not be one.Thanks for the reply, Philip. One of my English...

Anonymous wrote:I have seen similar putative sentences. "I am suprised that he should feel lonely."(1) "I am suprised that he feels lonely." I don't remember the exact sentences in Quirk's "A Comprehensive English Grammar". I wonder if the first sentence can be written as "I will be suprised...

Clive wrote:For the original question, I'd favour 'were'. I think you'd commonly hear 'were' or 'was' in such a sentence. I think you'd seldom or never hear anyone speak so carefully as to say 'had been' in a case like this. Very interesting! Looks like each person has a different opinion on...

Hello everybody, I've been wondering about a certain construction in English for a while now. I can't seem to find the way to use it anywhere on the various sites on English grammar. If you have the main verb 'require' and have a clause as the object, the verb in the clause becomes an...

Diamondrg wrote:Can someone explain why "having viewed" is wrong and whether "viewing" and "to have viewed" are correct? The question you are raising may relate to the problem to what extent we can use nonfinite clauses as a post modifier for nouns. This problem is, however, one of the subjects...

Recently, I picked up a few English grammar books in a bookstore with the intention of improving my grammar. However, I found that those books were the usual boring way of learning a language. They started with nouns, describing what a noun is and the various form of nouns and e.t.c. I personally...

Hi, The following is and extract taken from a grammar book by B.D Graver (advanced english grammar); "When the relative pronoun (expressed or understood) is the object of a preposition is a defining relative clause, the preposition is often placed at the end of the clause." What...

When we talk about a subjunctive construction, I think it is easier to understand it without the 'inserted clause, I would think' becasue that way one can clearly see the cause-and-effect relationship beteween the conditional clause and the main clasue. 1. If someone tells you that you may...

Dear Clive, Thanks for recommending the google hits. I actually have looked at them. In fact, a few of the hits are conversations in which I am taking part or documents I have created. Actually I have quite a few grammar books related to Pali and Sanskrit too (with which Pali shares...

When it is finished, the building will be opened by the Prince of Wales. When finished, the building will be opened by the Prince of Wales. Once he was convinced of the necessity of the move, he worked with persistence and diplomacy until the college found a new home. Once convinced of...