In Noun phrases^x, Constructions^x, Clauses^x

When looking up tricky constructions or words, one can often go to the dictionary to view its proper usage. For example, www.dictionary.com shows this definition and usage note for nor: 1. (used in negative phrases, esp. after neither, to introduce the second member in a series, or any subsequent...

Hi, everyone. I'm wondering if I've understood the concept of 'grammatical subject' in the it -construction correctly and would be grateful for help. For example, in a sentence like, "It lay a dog on the bed" which clearly isn't right - would you call this an...

All of your examples are gerunds if we stick to modern terminology. Forget about the terminology verbal noun . It's total garbage! It has many different definitions, depending on the author and when the grammar book was written. __ The modern definition is given at ...

"33.6 Though the relative and interrogative pronouns and adverbs beginning with wh are identical in form, it is possible in most cases to tell whether a clause is relative or interrogative. What is relative in 'I insist on paying what it has cost,' but interrogative in 'I insist on knowing...

New2grammar wrote: I was pleased to discover that the rest of that first week wasn't much different from/than the first day. Which is correct, from or than ? Please explain. Thanks in advance. Usage Note : Different from and different than are both common in British and...

Usage Note: Different from and different than are both common in British and American English. The construction different to is chiefly British. Since the 18th century, language critics have singled out different than as incorrect, though it is well attested in the works of reputable writers....

"I've come across the term "adjective appositive" and "adverb appositive" a few times, and I'm just wondering if this is widely-used. Is it an incorrect description of a construction that should be called something else? I'm asking this because I always see appositives defined as nouns (or noun...

I've come across the term "adjective appositive" and "adverb appositive" a few times, and I'm just wondering if this is widely-used. Is it an incorrect description of a construction that should be called something else? I'm asking this because I always see appositives defined as nouns (or noun...

It seems to me that the ellipsis in these constructions is no worse than that in other "acceptable" constructions. Webster's Dictionary of English Usage likewise seems to find no good reason for its censure. And why do they perhaps partly because of novelty; but both he and others have...

What is the word sucks in " Homework sucks " ? Is it a verb or an adjective? If it is a verb, what does homework suck? This brings up an excellent point, and a wonderful opportunity to discover the beautiful syntactic structure of the English language. The question at hand is " Does an English...