Search results for 'tag:Plural words tag:Grammar' matching tags 'Plural words' and 'Grammar'

Re: Hopefully easy question on capitalization

Clive — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 20:57:22 GMT

Hi,

I am an attorney working for the government. The duties of my job position mostly involve considering legal requests called "petitions." My job title is "Petitions Attorney." I am unclear as to when the first letters in "Petitions Attorney" should be capitalized.

This is a matter of style and convention rather than of grammar. The usual convention is not to capitalize, unless it is in a context where you really want to stress that this is your job title.

eg I ask you what kind of work you do. Here, I don't really care about your official job title.

eg I am reading the employment section of your resume. I expect it to tell me the job titles for your previous periods of employment.

Finally, as a general comment, I would say that in modern English, writers try to avoid having a lot of capitals in a sentence. Except, of course, at the start of a sentence.

Are the following correct or incorrect? I wouldn't say they are wrong, but I don't think I'd capitalize.

I am a petitions attorney.

My coworkers include 10 other petitions attorneys.

Petitions attorneys are a type of attorney working for the federal government.

Petitions attorney John Smith has worked for the government for 10 years.

Five petitions attorneys were transferred from location X to location Y.

I look forward to learning the correct way to capitalize the words in the sentences above.

Are you sure your title uses the plural word 'petitions'? Usually, in such compound expressions, the first noun is singular.

eg We say 'car mechanic' but not 'cars mechanic', 'book seller' but not 'books seller'.

Best wishes, Clive

genitive as a noun -- long question

Believer — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 09:29:26 GMT

Hi,

I think it has been noted in this forum that a genitive (I think it means a noun that has or is from a verbal root) can be (made it to be) a countable noun, possibly like this "a barking of a dog need not be heeded." Here, a barking can be said to be an instance of barking.

1. Why has the person who supposely has written the sentence "a barking of a dog need not be heeded" didn't write it as "A dog bark need not be heeded" or "A dog's barking need not be heeded" eventhough the last one is similar to the first and original one?

2. Why don't I see instances where the plural word "barkings" is used when "barking" can be used as a countable noun? Should I judge its relative acceptance and relative level of usage based on how many times and how frequently I encounter the word in my daily communicative situations (that is in written form as well as in verbal form?)

3, It is my presumption that not all genitives can be readily accepted as a noun, nor its plural form welcomed wholeheartly by some quarters of grammar (linguistic??) academians, but like a fad it can be accepted and be in fashion, so to speak, in due time or as the circumstances allow (like when many people start to use routinely); thus, it should be used circumspectively, being aware of the fact that the act of using a genitive isn't done often. Do you agree or is the logical base of my assumption shaky?

4. In the case of the "reading" in a phrase "a reading", should we resort to looking at the content of the (whole?) writing to determine whether it is being used as "an instance of reading" (that is the act or activity of reading) or a reading, which normally means "an event of reading in front of an audience"?

Note: I am trying to invite more confusion into the matter but to satisfy my curiosity on the matter.

I think this kind of thing can be said to apply similarly to the content in quotation marks. Can it also apply to a parenthetical content? If it can be applied to a parenthetical content, as well as a forementioned content in quotation marks and a genitive, then can you tell me how it can be done for the parenthetical content (I think when you say "a perenthetical content", you are making a reference to some content in parentheses like what I am using to write this parenthetical content)?

Re: need some help with the grammar on the paragraph below

Brunate — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 21:57:47 GMT

I have also been a business studies teacher all my life. I assumed that because you have various customers, they might each require a different solution for their individual needs. Therefore I used the plural tense for solutions to match the plural word "customers" - but not knowing exactly what your business is, and the number and variety of solutions you have, I used the plural. You can say: "We take great pride and responsibility in delivering your goods", if you are directing this remark towards the goods which are being provided for this individual firm.

Quite a tricky piece of English. Having said all this, I hope your customers will be very happy with the goods, the services and your letter. Best wishes

Re: Are or is?

Buddhaheart — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 06:46:08 GMT

According to Answers.com, although "none" is etymologically derived from OE "one", it has been used as both a singular and a plural word from that time on as evident in the Bible, works of J. Dryden & E. Burke and many present day well known authors. Today "None" is considered to be shortened form of "not one; no one & not any" as any lexicons will tell you.

Depending on the context, it can take a singular or plural verb. This seems to be the view of most people. I wonât go too far to say thereâs only one correct form, i.e. the singular!

Examine the example "There is none left." If the context is I need another red pencil but not one is available, the singular verb makes sense. In "None of us are grammarians", the plural verb makes sense as "none of us" here means "not any of us". The plural sense (all of us) is implied. In Anonymous question, the plural form "are" is acceptable (IMO).

The indefinite pronoun is actually used as a plural subject more often than not. To the purist & strict theorist, this sounds odd and unsettling. Well, the English language, like any other isnâât really an exact science.

To add confusion, hereâre some more lexicon & grammar text examples:

"None have (has) arrived yet.ââ
"There is none of it left."
"None of the apples are rotten."

"None of my children has/have blonde hair."

"None of his poems are well known."

""None but fools have ever believed it."

Plural in words with suffix -ment , say equipment

Thayk — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 16:42:42 GMT

I have learned that you can't just put an s to the plural word that has a suffix -ment. like, for instance equipment. any clarifications on this grammar rule?

Re: help me with simple grammar check .thanks

Clive — Mon, 04 Jul 2005 04:42:52 GMT

Hi Vincent,

'Parts' is a plural word so you need to say 'need' as the verb form.

'Do you have any cubicle furniture that has parts that need to be repaired?'

Your sentence is also not in good style. Why don't you just say

'Do you have any cubicle furniture that needs to be repaired?'

Best wishes,

Clive