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

Re: Parsing-- struggling to parse this, any help appreciated

AlpheccaStars — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 16:45:31 GMT

Communication is supremely important for all social animals.

Communication - subject
is supremely important for all social animals. - predicate
is - linking verb
supremely - adverb
important - predicate adjective modifying communication
for all social animals. - prepositional phrase (adverbial)

It is the glue that links numbers of individuals into a larger whole.

It - pronoun, subject
is the glue that links numbers of individuals into a larger whole. - predicate

is - linking verb
the glue - predicate noun phrase
that - relative pronoun (glue), subject of the dependent adjectival clause: links numbers of individuals into a larger whole.
links - verb
numbers - direct object of verb "links"
of individuals - prepositional phrase (adjectival)
into a larger whole - prepositional phrase (adverbial)

This is as true of ants and bees as it is of humans.
This - pronoun, subject
is as true of ants and bees as it is of humans. - predicate
is - linking verb
as - adverb
true - adjective (this)
of ants and bees - prepositional phrase, 2 objects (adverbial)
as - correlative conjunction, introducing the dependent adverbial clause "it is of humans"
it - pronoun, subject
is - linking verb
of humans - prepositional phrase (adverbial)

Some of the characteristics of complex society (organised communities, a hierarchical structure, and a division of labour) that bespeak the importance of communication in human life appear to have parallels in the animal world.

Some - pronoun, subject
of the characteristics - prepositional phrase (adjectival)
of complex society - prepositional phrase (adjectival)
(organised communities, a hierarchical structure, and a division of labour) - appositive noun phrases
that - relative pronoun (some), subject of the dependent adjectival clause: bespeak the importance of communication in human life

appear to have parallels in the animal world. - predicate
appear - linking verb in main clause
to have parallels in the animal world. - infinitive phrase, predicate nominative
parallels - direct object of infinitive (to have)
in the animal world - prepositional phrase (adverbial)

Re: Pronoun Case. Please Help.

CalifJim — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:39:41 GMT

Eddie88
here is a post which I thought slightly contradicted your point:

Yes. I thought you asked again because you were puzzled by my overly long reply the first time.

I didn't know which kinds of cases you wanted to know about -- the preposition immediately after the pronoun or the preposition after the pronoun with any number of words in between.

No words in between:

They threw him out the door. (Here him has nothing whatsoever to do with out.)

Words in between:

The man whom we bought the gift for is on the train. (Here whom goes with for because the uninverted form is for whom.)

The man [We bought the gift for him] is on the train. becomes

The man [We bought the gift for whom] is on the train. becomes

The man [whom we bought the gift for __ ] is on the train. becomes

The man whom we bought the gift for is on the train.

Only the specific word whom has this property.

Eddie88
could the pronoun ever be the subject of the sentence, but have a preposition preceding it?

Never, never, never!!

Eddie88
how is the contraction isn't written in full? For example, 'this is the right book, isn't it?

Is this written like this: 'this is the right book, is it not'? So, does it and not switch order in formal academic prose?

isn't = is not

However, in modern English a negation (not, n't), can only be moved to the left of the subject if it is expressed as n't. It must stay to the right of the subject if it is expressed as not.

It is. It is not. It isn't.

Is it? Is it not? Isn't it?

So you can't have forms (in modern English) such as Is not it? or Is it n't?

Same here:

It does. It does not. It doesn't.

Does it? Does it not? Doesn't it?

Not Does not it? or Does it n't?

It has nothing to do with academic prose.

Re: One of many problems faced by English learners is their own misconceptions.

Avangi — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:27:00 GMT

Jackson6612

Avangi
either "learners of the English language," or "English language learners."
Why is article the essential here? There is only one English language. e.g. I'm learning Chinese language these days. Is there any need to specify Chinese language using the? The use of the is justified in sentences as in ''I'm learning the Southern American English dialect nowadays. The article is required in all of these. I honestly have no idea why. My guess is that "language" is the object of the verb "to learn," and would require an article if it were used without "English" as a modifier. To qualify for standing without the article, a "subject of study" must be one of a few very well-established courses. "I'm majoring in Romance Languages at university." Here, Romance Languages is the recognized name of a well-established course of study, as is Chinese. In the case of a dialect, the indefinite article would be used if there were more than one. Avangi
<<One - - is their own misconceptions.>> IMO there should be number agreement here. Possibly, "One - - - is dealing with their own misconceptions."
Yes, there should be number agreement between verb and object. If I followed your suggestion then the sentence would read: One of many problems faced by learners of the English language is that they are dealing with their own misconceptions. Is that what you suggested? That would be fine. I was considering "that they are" to be optional, as the gerund "dealing" may serve by itself as predicate nominative following the being verb "is." Avangi
This is about "learners." You refer back five times with "they." At some point you might remind the reader who "they" are. Eg, "these learners," "the students," something else of your choosing.
Is choosing'' used as a present participle in the above context? I'd say functionally it's a gerund, serving as object of the preposition "of." The other option, "choice," would of course be a noun.
Avangi
<<During the learning process, they should stop taking the machinery of their native tongue for granted.>> As the final sentence of the first paragraph, this seems enigmatic. It's very well phrased, but the meaning is less than obvious (to me.) I feel like I want an additional sentence by way of (=as means of, as a type of) explanation, or clarification. Optionally, you could make your "machinery" image a little easier to connect up.
How can I make the machinery image a little easier to connect up? How did I know you were going to ask me that danged question?? During the learning process they should remind themselves that the machinery of their native tongue was a long time in [the] building and fine-tuning, and they must be willing to devote an equal effort to the new language. (I'm not sure I have your intention right.)
Avangi
In the second paragraph, at first blush (=when first thought of or considered) the antecedent (=a word or phrase which a pronoun refers back to) of "They" would seem to be "English speakers."
Yes, you are right. I will be more careful about such constructions in future.
Avangi
Have you verified that "idiomaticness" is a word? Or is it a "nonce (=occurring, used, or made only once or for a special occasion) word"?
It is a proper word according to the Merriam-Webster's dictionary.

Congratulations on your hard work. - A.

Edit. "Why is the article "the" essential here?"

Re: One of many problems faced by English learners is their own misconceptions.

Jackson6612 — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:13:32 GMT

Hi Avangi,

Avangi
either "learners of the English language," or "English language learners."

Why is article the essential here? There is only one English language. e.g. I'm learning Chinese language these days. Is there any need to specify Chinese language using the? The use of the is justified in sentences as in ''I'm learning the Southern American English dialect nowadays.

Avangi
<<One - - is their own misconceptions.>> IMO there should be number agreement here. Possibly, "One - - - is dealing with their own misconceptions."

Yes, there should be number agreement between verb and object. If I followed your suggestion then the sentence would read: One of many problems faced by learners of the English language is that they are dealing with their own misconceptions. Is that what you suggested?

Avangi
This is about "learners." You refer back five times with "they." At some point you might remind the reader who "they" are. Eg, "these learners," "the students," something else of your choosing.

Is choosing'' used as a present participle in the above context?

Avangi
<<During the learning process, they should stop taking the machinery of their native tongue for granted.>> As the final sentence of the first paragraph, this seems enigmatic. It's very well phrased, but the meaning is less than obvious (to me.) I feel like I want an additional sentence by way of (=as means of, as a type of) explanation, or clarification. Optionally, you could make your "machinery" image a little easier to connect up.

How can I make the machinery image a little easier to connect up?

Avangi
In the second paragraph, at first blush (=when first thought of or considered) the antecedent (=a word or phrase which a pronoun refers back to) of "They" would seem to be "English speakers."

Yes, you are right. I will be more careful about such constructions in future.

Avangi
Have you verified that "idiomaticness" is a word? Or is it a "nonce (=occurring, used, or made only once or for a special occasion) word"?

It is a proper word according to the Merriam-Webster's dictionary.

Re: "all IS well" ?

AlpheccaStars — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:48:17 GMT

All as a pronoun (noun) can be used as a singular or plural. - Examples from the dictionary:

9. the whole quantity or amount: He ate all of the peanuts. All (of them) are gone.
10. the whole number; every one: all of us.
11. everything: Is that all you want to say? All is lost.

As an adjective, it modifies plural nouns, so the verb is plural:
quantifier; used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class; "we sat up all night"; "ate all the food"; "all men are mortal"; "all parties are welcome" [ant: some, no]

Re: Neither

Anonymous — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 10:37:25 GMT

Yeah, but I was wondering if every authority would agree to it.

For instance I found this in the dictionary of modern english usage:

The proper sense of the pronoun (or adjective) is "not the one nor the other of the two". Like either, it sometimes refers loosely to numbers greater than two (Heat, light, electricity, magnetism, are all correlatives; neither can be said to be the essential cause of the others); but none or no should be prefered; cf. EITHER

This restriction to two does not hold for the adverb (Neither fish nor flesh nor fowl)

Re: Can adjectives be plural?

AlpheccaStars — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:55:13 GMT

Hi Anon:

The answer to your question (Cna adjectives be plural?) is no.

English does not inflect adjectives for case, number or gender agreement with the nouns they modify.

English does inflect nouns and pronouns (for number, not case or gender).

Cubs is a noun, a proper name for a sports team. (I like the Cubs). It is used as an adjective.

Re: holding

AlpheccaStars — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:54:39 GMT

In grammar, "an array" or "the array" are singular. "The arrays" is plural. Array is a countable noun.

That is why they use the article "an" or pronoun "one" before "array", and the article "the" before "arrays".

Certainly "group" and "herd" also mean "many", but grammatically speaking, these words are singular.

Definitions from Dictionary.com

5.    a large and impressive grouping or organization of things: He couldn't dismiss the array of facts.
6.    regular order or arrangement; series: an array of figures.
7.    a large group, number, or quantity of people or things: an impressive array of scholars; an imposing array of books.
8.    attire; dress: in fine array.
9.    an arrangement of interrelated objects or items of equipment for accomplishing a particular task: thousands of solar cells in one vast array.

Example sentences:

An impressive array (group) of scholars makes up the review panel.
The large array (arrangement) of solar cells collects sunlight for electricity.
The vast arrays (lines) of heavily armed troops compose a formidable army..
A large array (list) of examples makes an impressive argument.

Note: I think definition 9 applies best to your original quote. The molecules are interrelated (acting together) to form a blanket.

Re: FORM

Mister Micawber — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 13:34:44 GMT

.
I suppose that you want your sentences PARSED. I'm not going to do all of them for you. I'll do the first one:

Where -- adverb
are -- linking verb, simple present
you -- pronoun subject

I -- pronoun subject
've been waiting -- verb, present perfect progressive
for -- preposition
2 -- cardinal number as adjective
hours-- noun object of preposition

(for 2 hours -- prepositional phrase acting as sentence adverb)

Re: Which one is correct

Mister Micawber — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 22:04:07 GMT

.
pair: noun, plural 'pairs', 'pair'.

When used without a modifier, 'pairs' is the only possible plural: Pairs of skaters glided over the ice. When modified by a number, 'pairs' is the more common form, especially referring to persons: Six pairs of masked dancers led the procession. The unmarked plural 'pair' is used mainly in reference to inanimate objects or nonhumans: He has three pair (or pairs) of loafers. Two pair (or pairs) of barn owls have nested on our property.
'Pair' signifying two individuals can take either a singular or plural verb, but it is usually followed by a plural verb and referred to by a plural pronoun: The guilty pair have not been seen since their escape. (Random House Dict)