Search results for 'tag:Articles tag:Pronouns' matching tags 'Articles' and 'Pronouns'

Re: Â«...clean grimy hands...Â»

MissMandy — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 22:40:19 GMT

Unless you are talking about specific hands, you do not need an article of any sort. Generic plurals just don't need articles. I would guess that the author was looking for poetic writing, or else he would have probably added the pronoun "your" just as he did for "weary faces". But it isn't necessary.

Hope that helps!

~Miss Mandy

Â«...clean grimy hands...Â»

Ant_222 — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:40:31 GMT

Hi, evetybody.

Below is the third and so far the last question concerning LOTR:

Tom Bombadil: "You shall clean grimy hads and wash your weary faces."

Neither an article nor a pronoun modifies "hads". How is that possible?

Thanks you very much in advance,
Anton

Re: Correct or Not

Eimai_Anglos — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:42:56 GMT

"why was late reply" is not a sentence. It has no meaning. In English a sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a punctuation mark (. ; : ? !)

In addition, you seem to have omitted a definite or indefinite article or a possessive pronoun and mixed up the word order.

"Why was his reply late?"

"Why was the reply late?"

Sentence combining using dependent(relative) clause

Raen — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:14:09 GMT

Here is a practice:

Q: A minute passed in complete silence. Terri announced her wedding plans then.

I wrote: A minute passed in complete silence when Terri announced her wedding plans.

A: A minute when Terri announced her wedding plans passed in complete silence.

Grammar rules say: The adjective clause is used to modify a noun or a pronoun. It will begin with a relative pronoun (who, whose, whom, which, and that) or a subordinate conjunction (when and where). Those are the only words that can be used to introduce an adjective clause. The introductory word will always rename the word that it follows and modifies except when used with a preposition which will come between the introductory word and the word it renames.

It seems to me the official answer is a strict product of the rules and does not sound natural to me. If "when Terri announced her wedding plans" is to highlight/modify "minute" (as the grammar rule indicates), shouldn't the article "A" be a definite "The" specifying the time in a period of ONE MINUTE when the wedding plans were announced?

I just thought the length of time (a minute) was more of a figurative speech when the silence occured as a result of Terri's announcing her wedding plans not the precise minute that it took to announce her wedding plans. Any thoughts? Thanks a lot.

Raen

Re: nominative and objective pronouns.......confusing!

Cool Breeze — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 21:20:46 GMT

Avangi

When the majority of native speakers prefer an incorrect usage, grammarians respond.

Avangi, I couldn't agree more! You have arrived at the nitty-gritty of language! (Zero article!) That's the only way it happens, no matter what usage experts say, sometimes for a long time! Some people have been objecting to using like as a conjunction in sentences like Do like I say! for about 150 years. They are late. It has been used that way for 500 years and no one objected to it until the mid-19th century. I am of course liberal enough not to object to anyone being opposed to using like as a conjunction. I am just wondering WHY?

Tracking the mountain lion (Gapped sentences, CAE)

Tanit — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 13:16:58 GMT

This quiz is given by the University of Cambridge as a free sample of Paper 1 (Reading), Part 2 (Gapped Sentences) of the ESOL Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE).

This type of test assesses how well candidates understand the structure of the text and the development of the theme (so pay attention to demonstrative pronouns and adjectives, time references, sequence of verb tenses etc.)

You are going to read an extract from a magazine article. Six paragraphs have been removed from the extract. Choose from the paragraphs A â G the one which fits each gap (1-6). There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use.

Good luck!

___________________________________

Tracking the mountain lion

Rupert Isaacson joins a volunteer project to protect mountain lions in Idaho, USA.

[test]
After two hours of trudging up the mountainside through deep snowdrifts, the dogs began to bark. There, in our path, was what weâd been looking for: the paw print of a mountain lion. It belonged to a female that had recently passed by. Kevin and Ken, the houndsmen, consulted briefly with John, the biologist, while the four hounds whimpered with excitement, straining at their leads, eager to begin the chase.
1 "D|A|B|C|E|F|G"
I carried one of the two rifles, followed by a pilot lugging measuring instruments, and a doctor and a postman struggling with cameras and radio antennae. Six others puffed and panted their way behind us, all of them â like me â professional cityfolk unused to such strenuous exertion.
2 "F|A|B|C|D|E|G"
When we finally caught up with the dogs they were bunched up at a rock, behind which an angry female mountain lion snarled and spat, swiping with its claws. We kept back, ready to run if it made a bid for freedom, while John crept down the mountain behind it. Having approached the lion quietly from below, he took his rifle from his bag, loaded it, took aim and shot.
3 "A|B|C|D|E|F|G"
We moved in, briskly efficient, photographing, measuring and weighing as John had taught us. Having changed the battery in its radio-collar, we brought the silken-coated creature round with an injection. Snarling and unsteady, it slunk away into cover and we began the long trek down the mountain.
4 "C|A|B|D|E|F|G"
However, our initial prejudices soon faded, as we realised the pair had more in common with us than weâd thought, and as the skill and dedication which they put into the project became apparent. This was most noticeable the next day, when our task was to provide a mother and cubs with new batteries in their collars. As we reached the point in the canyon where the pines grew thickest, suddenly a large male lion went streaking across the snowy plain. Ken and Kevin set off through the sagebrush.
5 "G|B|A|C|D|E|F"
While this was happening, Ken and Kevin crept up behind and tried to drop a pitifully small lasso â made from the dogsâ leads â over the lionâs head. Sensing their presence, the animal whirled around, slashing with its claws. I went in with the hounds again, and a surreal dance developed.
6 "B|A|C|D|E|F|G"
Of course it wasnât always so dramatic â many of our days in the mountains were quite mundane. But for me, the best thing about the trip was watching hunters and environmentalists sharing an adventure and putting money and energy into conservation, all the while showing that really they are two sides of the same coin.[/test]

_____________________________________________

HERE ARE THE PARAGRAPHS YOU CAN CHOOSE FROM:

A The dart hit the lioness in the back of the leg. It flinched, growled and then turned sleepily back to the hounds. Like a tiring boxer, its slashing movements became slower and slower until it slumped into the snow, unconscious.

B Finally, on the fifth or sixth try, the houndsmen managed to drop the restraint over the lionâs head and tie it around a sagebrush trunk. Quickly and efficiently they did the same with one of its hind legs, then I helped them to sit on the protesting lion until John arrived with the tranquilliser.

C On the way, John told me he had recruited Ken and Kevin, two hunters, to assist in the lion study because of their local knowledge. At first my fellow volunteers felt uncomfortable with this. How could these men kill animals one day, then try to protect them the next?

D The men exchanged nods, then bent down to set the animals loose. And with a whoop, they were off, bounding through the snow, leaving the rest of us to lumber after them, each laden with his allotted encumbrance.

E Kevin barely had time to reply before the lion reached out a massive paw and swiped at the rifle. With impressive speed, John seized his own rifle, and â what seemed like a split-second later â the creature lay motionless on the ground, a tranquilliser dart in its tawny side.

F This motley crew formed the ten-strong paying volunteer group taking part in a University of Idaho study into the effect of habitat fragmentation on wildlife. Our task was to radio-collar mountain lions and gather data on their feeding habits, with the ultimate aim of persuading state authorities to curb urban growth and adopt more wildlife-friendly forestry practices.

G They sprinted effortlessly over the rocky ground, while I stumbled along in their wake. After five kilometres we spotted the lion. âQuick,â said Ken, thrusting the houndsâ collars into my hand. âYou distract it for a moment.â Scarcely able to believe what I was doing, I found myself letting the straining dogs lunge at the lion just enough to make it come at us, then jumping back in time to avoid its claws.

Sentence Analysis

Anonymous — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 12:49:24 GMT

I have to analyse the following sentence, but I'm really stuck...

"Amanda's practical solutions of what had seemed an insoluble mystery descended on the family like a balm."

I have to cut this sentence into constituents and cut those up in nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, pronouns, prepositions etc.
For now I have this:
'Amanda's practical solutions of what had seemed an insoluble mystery' = the subject of the whole sentence and is a Noun Phrase
'descended' = the main verb of the sentence,
'on the family' = a Prepositional Phrase
'like a balm' = a Prepositional Phrase

The two prepositional phrases don't give me any trouble (both start with a preposition, than have a determiner article and end in a noun).

The Noun Phrase is what gives me trouble...

'Amanda's practical solutions of what had seemed an insoluble mystery' has two constituents, I'd say...
'Amanda's practical solutions' = Noun Phrase
'of what had seemed an insoluble mystery' = ???
I really can't get beyond this point... How should I analyse this?

I really hope someone can help me with this sentence...

Re: Grammar point, please help clarify this

Huevos — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:50:05 GMT

Raen
1. As far as I know, all 3 articles are "always" followed by a noun and/or adjective+noun. Why are they labeled as "adjectives" when coming before a noun or adjective+noun? Why not just call them adjectives to begin with? and why can't they stand as their original identity which is "articles".

Here's what Wikipedia says: An article is a word that combines with a noun to indicate the type of reference being made by the noun. The three main articles in the English language are the, an and a. It is sometimes wondered which part of speech articles belong to. Despite much speculation, articles are adjectives, as they do describe nouns; Linguists place them in a different category, that of determiners.

Raen
2. "my, your, our, their" are always adjective. A layman would say why not the other possessive pronouns: "her, his, her, its...". What's so special abut the first 4?

Wikipedia says no on this: Depending on the theory the grammar subscribes to, English "possessive adjectives" are determiners or pronouns: possessive determiners,[1] possessive pronouns,[2] dependent genitive pronouns,[3] weak possessive pronouns,[4] and so forth. They are not adjectives, because they can be substituted for and cannot co-occur with another determiner such as an article or a demonstrative.

So the answer to your question: "So would you say this particular grammar point is widely accepted by native-speakers and/or linguistic community?", is no.

Re: Grammar point, please help clarify this

Raen — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:12:17 GMT

Thanks Huevos for you enlightment. But could we, just for the sake of arguement, allow me to examine the merit of this grammar point:

It says: There are 7 words that are "always" adjectives: articles "a", "an" and "the" and possessive pronouns "my", "your", "our" and "their".

1. As far as I know, all 3 articles are "always" followed by a noun and/or adjective+noun. Why are they labeled as "adjectives" when coming before a noun or adjective+noun? Why not just call them adjectives to begin with? and why can't they stand as their original identity which is "articles". An example in the practice that asks us to identify the part of speech for each word:

Q: Both the big girl and a small boy were happy with the results.

A: Both - conjunction, the - adjective, big - adjective, girl - noun, and - conjunction, a - adjective, small - adjective, boy - noun, were - verb, happy - adjective, with - preposition, the - adjective, results - noun.

Both "the" were identified as adjective. Why can't they just be "article"? What is the big idea for them to be labeled as "adjective"?

2. "my, your, our, their" are always adjective. A layman would say why not the other possessive pronouns: "her, his, her, its...". What's so special abut the first 4?

Anyway, I know it's not good to over think. But this is just one of the grammar points I find hard to comprehend. Thanks to everyone for their imput, and thanks for the good-will wish on my test, I sure hope I'll pass.

Regards

Raen

Re: Grammar point, please help clarify this

Huevos — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:08:46 GMT

Raen
So would you say this particular grammar point is widely accepted by native-speakers and/or linguistic community?

Whether or not people choose to accept it is irrelevant, it's a fact. Have a look at this:

smooth coat
chihuahua
domesticated
dog
canis
caninae
canidae
carnivora
mammal
chordata
animal

Now when you see a chihuahua ask the owner if it is a "chordata". Most would say no, it's a "chihuahua", but of course it is a "chordata", it's just that someone who doesn't understand the heirarchy or is not familiar with greater terminology wouldn't even know what a chordata was.

Words follow a similar heirarchy with lexical classes within lexical classes, within lexical classes. In the case of your question "adjectives" are a super class that contains, among others, determiners. Then in the determiner class we have, among others, articles, possessive derterminers (possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns), etc. And so on and so forth.