Search results for 'tag:Nouns tag:Clauses' matching tags 'Nouns' and 'Clauses'

Re: Questions on the word but

Avangi — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 01:05:08 GMT

wholegrain
1) Can "but" be used instead of that when an idea of doubt, fear or distaste?

2) Can "but" mean that...not, therefore "There never is a tax law presented but someone will oppose it" means "There never is a tax law that someone will not oppose"?

Hi, wholegrain.
I think it's a gross oversimplification to say that "but" is substituted for "that" in your example. "That" is just a relative pronoun, while "but" in your example (IMHO) is a conjunction connecting two independent clauses. (I may be all wet!)

I never saw a tax law which/that someone didn't oppose. To me, this is a relative clause, or dependent clause (surely not indepent) where "that" serves as direct object of the verb "to oppose." (In your example, "to oppose" has its own direct object, "it.")

In you example, "someone will oppose it" is an independent clause, so I'd take "but" as a conjunction. I cant think of another common conjunction or conjunctive phrase which can replace it in this example. The sentence would probably have to be rewritten, as you have done.

Perhaps you realize this: << that.....not, therefore >> , but what you say is a little hard for me to follow. (Does question 1) apply to the example in question 2), or is there no example for question 1) ?)

- A.

Re: HELP! (noun/adjective/adverb clauses)

Anonymous — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:19:58 GMT

don't feel bad im in 8th grade and learning this right now and i dont get it eather. Good luck!!

"I did what I thought was right"

Starstuff — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 06:55:49 GMT

Could someone explain why sentences such as "I did what I thought was right" are grammatical? (I understand it's grammatical only when "I thought" is absent.)

I''ll just use another example as a comparison: I know the sentence "I heard what the news said was wrong" is correct because "I heard" here is followed by a noun clause, which is "(that) + a complete sentence". Similarly, "I thought what I did was right" is also correct.

Lastly, is "I did that what I thought was right" grammatical (though unnatural)? It just doesn't make sense to me.

Thanks for any help.

Re: Noun phrases containing relative clauses...help!

Anonymous — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 23:30:30 GMT

actually "one thing I"d really miss" is the noun phrase acting as the subject of the sentence
the verb : is

Re: Conditional:Auxiliary Commentary Words?

Mister Micawber — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 09:26:02 GMT

You wrote this as your partical response to the overall question:
I think that the "good morning's" are inappropriate.-- No
I think his "how are you's" are inappropriate. -- No. His "how are you"s are inappropriate. I don't think we need the "?".

Your technique (if I can call it that) is new to me. Anyway, how do you make distinctions as to which phrase/clause is appropriate to put an "s" after putting quotation marks around it: why not "good morning" but "how are you"?

I don't understand your question. The '-s' goes outside the quotation marks, as I indicated in both italicized sentences.

And I wrote this:
Thank you. So if the word is specifically referenced to by context, we should use the definite article to indicate specifcity of it like you did with the noun 'power'. Is that right?

-- Yes again.

The problem I have is that it is hard to distinguish situations where the detinite noun is necessary

-- It takes some practice.

We value freedom of press.
Order for proclamation of the King's Peace

In the two examples above I feel can use the detinite noun and not use it with little difference, if at all.

-- As they stand, the first should have no article and the second should: freedom of the press is a general freedom, but the King is a specific king. That at least is the presumption that the reader should make.

I thin the same goes to the original sentences with the word 'power' except you are very sure the reference it to a specific group of people and situation needs to be specific, but I feel, in most wriiting situations in the real world, don't need the definiteness brought by having placed 'the' before the likes of the word 'power'.

-- I agree that there is often an option; nevertheless, in your sentence, a specific power source is implied-- i.e the power supplied at where 'they' are.
.

Re: The woman did so/such without hesitation

Clive — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:44:34 GMT

Hi,
A wise woman traveling in the mountains found a precious stone. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry. The wise woman generously opened her bag to share her food with the traveler. When the hungry traveler saw the precious stone, he asked her to give it to him. She did so/such without hesitation ...

Do both so and such fit in the above to you? "So' here is a pronoun representing a clause, roughly speaking 'the thing that he asked her to do'. 'Such' can also be used as a pronoun, eg 'Such were his words' but it doesn't work well if you try to use it instead of a clause.

If no, could you dig up a reason? I wouldn't absolutely say that it is wrong to use 'such' here, but it sounds wrong. It doesn't fit well. ie It's not idiomatic.

Best wishes, Clive

Re: to being

Mister Micawber — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:24:22 GMT

.
It seems bad grammar to me there; however, I can say 'When it comes to being impatient, Mister Micawber takes the cake'.

Being impatient is a non-finite clause acting as a noun. When it comes to cake, Mitsy bakes the best. When it comes to = in the case of.
.

that or which

Anonymous — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:04:55 GMT

Hi,

I tried to find some good information of "which and that" distinction online and have acquired some good information, thanks to them.

In the suite101.com's website with what I would call an online search phrase of "That or Which? Don't Misuse These Relative Pronouns." it had this as an exception to the usual rule of that for a restrictive clause and which for a non-restrictive clause.

Exception to the Rule

Like a number of grammatical rules in English as well as other languages, this one has an exception. The exception should only be used when a sentence has more than one dependent clause or when âthatâ has been used in another role. Take a look at the following example.

That idea, which has been discussed thoroughly, no longer needs to be addressed.

If âthis,â âthat,â âthese,â or âthoseâ has already been used to either as an adjective or to introduce the first clause, use âwhichâ to introduce the next one, whether the information is essential or nonessential.

1. Can you tell me what it means by its last sentence?
2. I think I heard that 'which' is used for a restrictive clause that doesn't have commas. What confuses me is that it seems to be the words that describe the recommendation for the use of 'that'. I think I also heard that 'which' can and should be used for some restrictive clause cases -- and with which I agree.

Re: whomever or whoever?

MrPedantic — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 14:19:34 GMT

Except where the relative pronoun is the subject of the following clause, e.g.

1. I'll give Â£10 to whoever wants it.

MrP

Re: subject verb agreement ^^

Avangi — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:46:43 GMT

they bring         news is

laptops are       she brings

laptops are        they bring

There's an "understood" which she brings. This relative clause takes the pronoun out of contention for subject of the sentence, since it is instead subject of "brings" in the clause. The clause modifies "news."

shorts are

pair is    (one pair)

pairs are      What do you mean by "one noun"?   In "pair of shorts," "shorts" is object of the preposition, and not part of the simple subject. The prepositional phrase then modifies "pair."

music and writing are          her talent lies     OR her talents lie   (talent may be countable or uncountable)

no effort!

Once you identify the verb, think a little bit about what the subject really is   -   what/who is performing that exact action, etc.

Edit. Kooyeen's "music and writing is" raises a thorny problem. I'm not sure of the solution.

Where did you do your undergraduate work? (reply) Harvard and Yale. / I did it at Harvard and Yale. / Harvard and Yale is /are where I did my undergraduate work.