Search results for 'tag:English grammar' matching tag 'English grammar'

Free English grammar and pronuciation books

Anonymous — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:50:21 GMT

He guys if you have time you can download for free at

http://www.englishgrammarliterature.blogspot.com/

Re: English Grammar books (pdf)

Sakota — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 09:44:36 GMT

here http://englishforums.tradepub.com/ you can find big choice of professional magazines, white papers and download them for free. Just keep reading and your English will improve

http://englishforums.tradepub.com/

Re: Punctuation within quotes?

Anonymous — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 11:14:23 GMT

Thank you. I understand what you have given as guidance for punctuation within quotes. However, could yould you clarify the following:

If a single "slang" word is put in quotes and comes as the last word in the sentance, e.g. .... the universe is made of strange "stuff". Then doesn't the period go outside the quotation mark and not inside. It looks so strange if you put it inside.

I am very interested in getting this right, since I am an English writer, and used to English grammar, but I am preparing a manuscript for an American publisher, therefore am quite prepared to defer to the American rules! I have referred to the Chicago Manual of Style, but have not so far found the answer to this particular query.
Thanks.
Jodi.

Re: passive voice

Goodman — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:54:10 GMT

Huevos,

So am I correct to assume that your classification of âexhaustedâ is adjectival in nature? Perhaps, this is the difference between how you and I see it. For pure fact finding interest, I have done some more investigative research: Bear in mind, my sentence was âI am completely exhausted from â¦â

Your answer was âItâs activeâ.

http://www.perfectyourenglish.com/grammar/passives-agents.htm

English Grammar

Passives: Agents

In most cases, the subject of an active verb (the agent) is not mentioned in the corresponding passive sentence. If it does have to be mentioned, we usually use an expression with by.

They gave me a warm welcome. (active)
I was given a warm welcome by them. (passive)
Children love toys. (active)
Toys are loved by children. (passive)
They built this house. (active)
This house was built by them.
Her attitude shocked me.
I was shocked by her attitude.

It should be noted that by is not the only word with which the agent can be introduced. After the past participles of some 'stativeâ verbs (verbs which refer to states, not actions) other prepositions can be used instead of by.

The state of his health worries me. (active)
I am worried about the state of his health. (passive)
Snakes scare me. (active)
I am scared of snakes. (passive)

With is used when we talk about an instrument which is used by an agent to do an action.

He killed the snake with a stick. (active)
The snake was killed (by him) with a stick. (passive)

__
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-gl/2003AprJun/0312.html

Passive voice is a verb where the action is done to the subject of the
clause, often by something. (The verb "done" there is the first verb in the
passive voice in this email). The pattern is that there is a subject, a
verb,
perhaps an agent (the thing that "does" the verb to the subject, and
possible
other stuff too.

Something that seems to confuse people is the pattern of the subject, the
verb to be (is, are, will be, was, etc) and an adjective or participle - a
description of the subject.

For example, "I am confused" is technically in the passive voice. However it
is a description of me like "I am tall" which is definitely not in the
passive voice. The confusion comes about because english uses a similar
pattern to make passive voice.

I suggest that we do not discourage this simple form, whether it is a
passive
construction or a simple description.

"I am confused by the passive voice" is the third time I have used the
<<<passive voice>>> in this email. It has the pattern subject - "me", a
verb - "confuse", and an agent - "the passive voice" - the thing which did
the confusing.

For most verbs in english (and many modern european languages) the passive
voice is made by combining the past participle (often "something-ed") with
the verb to be. (That was the fourth example: subject is the passive voice,
verb is to make, agent is the whole description of how to make it). For
example, The example I have used here is the verb "to confuse" - the passive
of "to confuse" is "to be confused".

Continues..on website.

Hope this resolved the difference of interpretations.

Re: Whitesmoke.com review

leegrandin — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 15:24:47 GMT

I don't think White smoke can improve english writing skills, but it is an amazing english grammar correction software, you can save more time for editing & proofreading.

Re: What is the general formula for unsaturated fat?

Feebs11 — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:27:17 GMT

Not really an English grammar problem!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unsaturated_fat

some questions about my cartoon again.

enkidu — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:07:13 GMT

some questions about my cartoon again.
Can you write those sentence more basic way, as to compare with my translations
Thanks beforehand.

I detect the foothold of anarchy rearing its ugly head=?

"listen to that baby purr=? (He says about his car)

Compound crumbles as we like to say (after failing his new fuel invention)
Spip, the pop of prudence=? (Spip is a kind of rodent)

Pull over, jessica cominâ through: It means: Pull over, jessica is coming?=

I sure had you going, did not I Pen?=?

this sentence needs

enkidu — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:05:49 GMT

i was swallowed by a stackable washing machine. Cold water wash, rinse, spin and not even dried.

1- i was swallowed: Means they cheated m
2-Cold water wash, rinse, spin and not even dried; I could not analysis this sentense, what is subject, which one is object

my thanks to those who spare time...

Tense mix-up overload

neverness — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 13:48:51 GMT

Hi all,

This is my first post, and i really hope someone can help me here.
I was writing this piece, when it suddenly struck me that there seems to be little tense consistency in my writing.
For example, consider this (just a contrived piece):

"Nick sat down, thinking about all that had happened, wondering where it would take him, wondering if it made any sense to stay any longer. He took out his cellphone and began dialing a number, even as a million doubts assaulted him. A loud song blared out from the speakers but he didn't take note..."

I've bolded the areas where I feel the conflicts occur. It really sounds alright, but does it comply to conventional English grammar. I mean, is it alright, or should I be doing something differently here.

I would be really grateful to anyone who could explain the rightness/wrongness of this style. I just can't seem to be able to make sense out of it.

Thanks in advance.

Re: in at last vs. at least in

Huevos — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 11:29:53 GMT

Cool Breeze
Your comments help me understand why some native speakers consider English grammar difficult.

The truth is if you are from my generation and British you didn't learn grammar at school. For this reason many native English speakers are at a severe disadvantage discusing the grammar of their own language compared with foreigners who have learned it through cognitive process.