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

Re: ...who are the only ones...

Huevos — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:54:58 GMT

Tanit
The use of qualitative research has therefore been considered to be necessary in order to obtain information from X, who are the only ones able to add extra information about Y.

It's a bit long winded but seems ok to me.

Could be substituted with "is".

Redundant.

It's not clear if "X" is singular or plural. Needs to concord with the number of the verb "to be" in the subordinate clause.

Other possible choices:

who are the only ones that can add extra information

who are the only ones that could add extra information

who are the only ones that are able to add extra information

The use of qualitative research is necessary to obtain information from X, who are the only ones that could add extra information about Y.

Re: one of those who and one of whom

Avangi — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:08:53 GMT

"Who threw the stone?" (reply) "It is one of those who are angry." I don't think "one" is the subject of anything here. It's a predicate nominative, or "complement" of the verb "is." "It" is the subject of the sentence, and "who" is the subject of the relative clause, "who are angry." The relative clause modifies "those," which is object of the preposition "of." Those who are angry are a group of angry people, one of whom threw the stone. But you would have to rephrase the sentence in order to make "one" the subject.

"Nobody in this group is angry. It is one of those who is angry." (Note that "who" may be singular or plural.) This time, "one" is still the verb complement. "Who is angry" is still a relative clause. The chief difference between these two interpretations lies in the answer to the question, "In the relative clause, what does "who" refer to?" In the first interpretation it refers to "those." In the second one it refers to "one." But that doesn't entitle "those" and "one" to be called subjects.

Your sentence "It is one of whom are angry" has a couple of things wrong with it.

"One" is now the bona fide subject of the clause, "one of whom is angry." "Whom" is object of the preposition "of," but unfortunately it has nothing to refer to.

A group of people are partying in the next room, one of whom is angry. In this sentence, "whom" refers to "group."

Re one of those who / one of whom, the difference is often only a technicality. She decided to give it to one of those who love her. She decided to give it to one of those whom she loves.

The key lies in the subject and object of the clauses. In "who love her," "who" is the subject, "love" is the verb, and "her" is the object. In "whom she loves," "she" is the subject, "loves" is the verb, and "whom" is the object.

"Who" and "she" are nominative case, "whom" and "her" are objective case.

Best regards, - A.

Memos show Clinton turmoil

Jackson6612 — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:05:10 GMT

Memos show Clinton turmoil

Question: I would have written ''Clinton's turmoil''. Why didn't the author use apostrophe?

BY CRAIG GORDON AND TOM BRUNE | <email addresses removed by mod.>
August 13, 2008

Question: Why is semicolon used instead of comma to separate the email addresses above?

WASHINGTON - In a fresh postmortem (=an examination of a plan or event that failed, done to discover why it failed, =autopsy) on Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential bid (=attempt to obtain or do something), newly published staff memos (=a short official note to another person in the same company or organization) and e-mails reveal a campaign hobbled (=to hobble something or someone means to make it more difficult for them to be successful or to achieve what they want) by internal rivalries (=a situation in which two or more people, teams, or companies are competing for something), faulty planning, bloated (=more than needed, =excessive) spending - and perhaps most important, Clinton's own failure to make the hard decisions.

Clinton offered herself to voters as a hyper-competent (=extra competent) executive ready to be president from day one. But atop (=on top of something) her own campaign, she was a hesitant leader, who allowed bitter infighting (=when members of the same group or organization argue, or compete with each other in an unfriendly way) to fester (=If an argument or bad feeling festers, it continues so that feelings of hate or dissatisfaction increase) among staffers over whether to go negative against Barack Obama, according to the Atlantic magazine.

The most bare-knuckled (=characterized by disorderly action and disregard for rules) lines of attack came from Clinton's chief strategist, Mark Penn, who urged Clinton to highlight Obama's "lack of American roots" due to his upbringing in Indonesia and Hawaii - saying he could only win if he faced Attila the Hun ((?406-453 AD) a king of the Huns (=an ancient people from Asia) who attacked and took control of large parts of the Roman Empire. He is famous for being violent and cruel).

But Clinton didn't embrace Penn's flag-waving (=the expression of strong national feelings, especially when these feelings seem too extreme) approach (=way of doing something), which campaign aides (=someone whose job is to help someone who has an important job, especially a politician) insist was never seriously considered.

Question: Clinton didn't embrace Penn's approach because she did not consider it seriously. Therefore, what campaign aides were saying is redundant.

The article also says that Clinton at times grew frustrated and short-tempered - including on the morning after her stunning third-place finish in Iowa in January, when aides on a call were silent. Clinton's camp dismissed the story as "inside-the-Beltway gossip" and "old news." And former campaign aides sharply disputed the notion of Clinton as an indecisive leader, with one campaign veteran saying, "Nobody seems to want to remember the fact that we had so many successes and come-from-behind victories in this campaign ... and they are due in large part to Senator Clinton's leadership."

Question: What does the line including on the morning...when aides on a call were silent mean? If she finished third place, then why would the author describe it as stunning? What does call mean in when aides on a call were silent?

Question: What does the phrase inside-the-Beltway gossip mean?

Question: What does the line Nobody seems to want to remember...to Senator Clinton's leadership'' mean?

But the e-mails and memos offer vivid (=very clear and detailed) new details about what had long been reported - that Clinton's headquarters was beset (=to make someone experience serious problems or dangers) by caustic (=bitter) internal battles involving Penn and former President Bill Clinton, who wanted to forcefully attack Obama, and others who wanted the New York senator to take a more positive tack (=method, =way of doing something). At one point, it was Bill Clinton - and not Hillary - who approved the famed 3 a.m. phone call ad.

Question: what had long been reported is passive past perfect tense. Am I right?

Question: I think headquarters should take plural verb. What do you say?

Question: Why are the hyphens used in -and not Hillary-? I believe commas would do instead?

Adding to the turmoil was the fact that the campaign had little strategy and no money left to seriously compete in the post-Super Tuesday contests - having (=the form having with a past participle can be used to introduce a clause in which you mention an action which had already happened before another action began) burned through $106 million before Iowa. That allowed Obama to win 12 straight contests and effectively wrap up (=to finish a job, meeting etc) the nomination.

Question: What does burned through mean?

In the end, the campaign's strategy came to reflect some of the internal turmoil, as Clinton veered (=changed course) from attacking Obama to emphasizing her personal side.

Question: What does her personal side mean?

Penn did offer some advice in March 2007 that proved on the mark - Clinton's path to victory lay with women and lower- and working-class voters.

Question: What does proved on the mark mean? I couldn't find it in the dictionary.

But by the time Clinton finally settled on that strategy to win the later primaries, it was too late.

Excerpts from the memos

"All of these articles about his boyhood in Indonesia and his life in Hawaii are geared towards showing his background is diverse, multicultural and putting that in a new light ... It also exposes a very strong weakness for him - his roots to basic American values and culture are at best (=even when considered in the most positive way) limited. I cannot imagine America electing a president during a time of war who is not at his center fundamentally American in his thinking and in his values." Strategist Mark Penn, from a March 19, 2007, memo to Hillary Rodham Clinton advising her to attack Barack Obama for his "lack of American roots."

Question: What does centre mean in the above context?

"The right knows Obama is unelectable except perhaps against Attila the Hun, and a third party would come in then anyway." Penn, from the same memo.

Question: Does right refer to right wing in the above context?

"This has been a very instructive call, talking to myself." Clinton, before angrily hanging up on a staff conference call the day after coming in third in Iowa in January. "She complained of being outmaneuvered (=to gain an advantage over someone by using cleverer or more skilful plans or methods) in Iowa and being painted as the establishment candidate," according to the Atlantic - but was met with near-silence.

Question: I would have written This has been..., talking to me. Why did she use myself?

Question: What is a conference call? Is it some kind of telephone call which address many poeple?

Question: Why is in used in coming in third?

"STOP IT!! I have help my tongue for weeks. After this morning's WP story, no longer. This makes me sick. This circular firing squad that is occurring is unattractive, unprofessional, unconscionable, and unacceptable ... It must stop." Robert Barnett, a Clinton lawyer and Washington insider, from a March 6, 2008, e-mail to campaign staff after a Washington Post story detailed the infighting.

Question: What does I have help my tongue for weeks mean?

Question: What does This circular firing squad mean?

Question: Were the comments in the last paragraph made by Robert Barnett?

Re: anybody/nobody/someone

Avangi — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 07:16:44 GMT

The key is the verb "to make" in this case. It's followed by the bare infinitive - to make [to] agree to do

If instead of "make" you use "force," which is followed by the complete infinitive, you can better see how the form works.

Someone tries to force someone to agree to do something. There are three "complete" infinitives in this sentence. The only simple present verb is "tries," which follows your rule. Infinitives don't change from singular to plural.

Furthermore, the second "someone" is the direct object of "force," rather than a subject, and therefore is not required to agree with the verb.
The same thing is true of "someone" in the definition you have quoted from the dictionary.

Another example which follows your rule would be: Unless someone agrees to pay for this meal, we'll all have to wash dishes. Here, "someone" is the subject of the clause, and the verb is singular, to agree.

I know I didn't approach you question from the right end. If your dictionary quote were something like, "in the movie, someone agrees to do something terrible," "someone" would be the subject of the sentence and would follow your rule. But in your example, it is not the subject.

- A.

Edit. I hope you can follow this mess. I should have scrapped it and started over, but I have to go to work! Sorry.

Re: Is It Congested ?

Goodman — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:44:46 GMT

Hi cute,
If you use âeveryoneâ which is singular in context, then you shouldnât use âthemâ and âthemselvesâ as pronoun.

Yes, it's congested in my view.

The relative clause is quite awkward and unnatural in tone and also has agreement problem with singular and plural. âWhichâ refers to âfearsâ here. Then âsometimes causes..â is not correct.

I gathered this is what you tried to say:

Most people have some forms of subconscious fears which inhibit them to confront them and to realize what it is like to live without these fears.

Re: gas hike

Cool Breeze — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:46:02 GMT

New2grammar
The government has been known for strictly regulating (the) prices of essential goods, which makes the country extremely competitive in the global economy.

The prices is better because of the of. I would leave prices in the plural since the goods don't all have the same price. A comma is naturally needed after goods because the entire main clause is the antecedent of the relative clause.

Re: done the homework that given

Cool Breeze — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:22:31 GMT

Hi VT

I don't understand your last sentence, the relative clause, to be exact. My version:

Dora is an obedient, polite and helpful girl. She always does the homework [that/which is] given by her teacher. She also helps her friends if they need help. (?)

You cannot have is in the relative clause because friends is plural. An example of indeed: A friend in need is a friend indeed. (= a real friend). The second sentence is technically correct and grammatical but I doubt anyone would say it. It's obvious that teachers give homework to their students. Why mention that? I would just say: She always does her homework.

Re: was/were

CalifJim — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 21:47:18 GMT

There were 24 issues in total that were published.

The verb in a "there" construction agrees with the following noun.

The subject of the relative clause (that) refers back to issues, so again -- plural.

Re: adjective phrases

Velimir — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 08:09:33 GMT

Hello Anonymous,

In your sentences there is no adjective phrases.A phrase is a name used in the english grammar to label a group of words which acts as a single unit in the syntax of a sentence,which means that you need at least two words to label some part of the sentence a phrase. Words,phrases and clauses are three building blocks of speech and proper distinction between these elements is an essential step and the starting point in every analysis.
Adjective phrase consists of the head of the phrase,i.e adjective, and various pre-modifying and postmodifying elements.For example,

It is too hot for this time of the year.

In this sentence the whole phrase "too hot for this time of the year" is an adjective phrase which functions as a subject complement. We could say this same in a brief manner :

It is hot.

but we felt like we wanted:

1. to accentuate the meaning of hot by premodifying the head "hot" with the intensifying adverb "too"

2. and also to specify that we refer our assertion to some particular part of the year

Therefore,you get adjective phrases when you're trying to convey more information about what you mean or feel about the matter in question.

The first sentence you've quoted for example should be analysed like:

1. Carnivores are eaters of meat.

Carnivores - plural form of noun ,acts as the subject of the sentence

are - linking verb

Eaters of meat - noun phrase ,acts as a subject complement

The other two sentences follow the same syntactic pattern : subject -> linking verb -> subject complement

Best regards

Please Check

Verymaddhatter — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 10:40:55 GMT

1. Do not place a phrase or clause:
A. in a sentence. B. at the beginning of a sentence. C. at the end of a sentence. D. too far from the word it is meant to modify.
Answer D.

2. In every sentence, the subject must agree with the:
A. object of the preposition. B. verb. C. intervening expressions. D. none of the above
Answer B.

3. A collective noun, which refers to a group, can be:
A. singular. B. plural. C. a preposition. D. both a & b
Answer A.

4. Indefinite pronouns can be:
A. singular. B. plural. C both a & b D. neither a nor b
Answer C.

5. Titles used before a proper name or in direct address are:
A. sometimes capitalized. B. always capitalized. C. never capitalized. D. none of the above
Answer B.

6. Capitalize the names of:
A. ships. B. trains. C. planes and spacecraft. D. all of the above
Answer D.

7. The titles of books, magazines, songs, and stories are:
A. always capitalized. B. sometimes capitalized.C. never capitalized. D. none of the above
Answer A.