Search results for 'tag:Regards tag:Grammar' matching tags 'Regards' and 'Grammar'

Re: Touch-typing

Cool Breeze — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:40:17 GMT

Grammar Geek
When I can simply think a common word and have it appear on the screen, it's a lot faster than words that require thinking about, like sillouette.

Sillouette? I don't touch type. I use five or six fingers. I learned to type that way at an early age. I was four years old when I used to sit in my daddy's lap and tried to familiarize myself with his Remington typewriter. I was too strong and managed to break the s key.

With regard to music, I have hundreds of LPs and EPs and a player (Dual CS 505-3) that still works but I rarely play the LPs. I have burned the music I like on CDs. I have six 78s as well but my record player doesn't support that speed. Besides, a different stylus would be needed for them. In the old days record players used to have two styli, which made it possible to play 33s, 45s and 78s on the same player.

The 78s are on a wall as a decoration. The attract some attention especially among my young guests.

Re: Confusing Grammar question

Cool Breeze — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 07:33:47 GMT

Anonymous
1.) The person at the door was he/The person at the door was him.
The person at the door was I/ The person at the door was me.

2) It has changed/It has been changed.
Do these sentences mean the same thing? Is one of them grammatically awkward/incorrect? both of them seem to be "present perfect". is that true?

1. Both are correct but he and I are used in very formal writing only. The grammatical subject is the person.

2. The first sentence is in the active voice and the second is in the passive voice. Both are correct and mean different things. At least usually, it has been changed suggests that somebody has intentionally changed "it". However, English is often rather vague and inexact with regard to structures like this, and it may be possible to find examples where no such intention is involved.

Re: participle as a subject

Cool Breeze — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 09:38:04 GMT

CalifJim
Your question opens up a good many sticky points in the terminology. Do we (Can we) talk about certain structures by naming them without regard to their function in context? Or not? Probably not. Is love a noun or a verb? Only context will tell.

Hmm... this seems to be another case of varying terminology. I have no objection to calling a participle an adjective, I'm just not used to that. Nor am I used to many other grammatical terms used here, like "a noun phrase". Don't get me wrong! I certainly don't mean there's anything wrong with it or that it is worse or better than the terms I am used to. I just had never heard it before I hit these forums. I can guess at the meaning of such expressions, of course.

The terminology must sometimes be confusing to learners whose native languages are so different from English that they don't even have verbs, let alone participles or gerunds! I can't start using terms I am not familiar with and thus I use the terms I learned to use in school ages ago. Hopefully I'll still be of use and assistance to some learners, at least to those who come from European countries. I'm sure I sometimes just confuse native speakers of English.

That tradition is centuries old in Europe. It is probably based on early grammarians' work and analysis of Latin. For example, "my" and its equivalents in all the grammar books that I have read and that deal with Finnish, Swedish, German, English and Latin grammar is invariably called a pronoun. In America, I think it's a called a possessive adjective? Perhaps in Britain too. Of course it isn't used instead of a noun and thus the name is misleading, but grammarians just call it a possessive pronoun anyway. It is a matter of what has been more or less consciously agreed upon. I have seen the term "dependent possessive pronoun" used to refer to "my", and the term "independent possessive pronoun" has been applied to words like "mine" because they don't need a noun after them. Therefore they are "independent". If I began to use such terms here, I'm sure I would confuse people even more!

Yes, context will tell, and I think it is plain to see in all cases. In Finnish, there are no such problems - if that is a problem at all. A noun cannot be mistaken for a verb. Nouns and verbs are always different words.

Cheers, CB

Re: participle as a subject

CalifJim — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:48:17 GMT

Cool Breeze
I am walking. Walking is an adjective?

"allegedly" See below.

From Introduction to the Grammar of English (Huddleston, Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics)

... participles are said to be 'verbal adjectives'.

First example given:

He was telling the truth.

Later:

... a present participle ... allegedly has adjectival properties. I say 'allegedly' because it is difficult to see any significant functional resemblance to an adjective ... [in the first example on the list].

He goes on to say that the -ing words in such examples are clearly verbs, while in other contexts they are clearly adjectives.

_____

With respect to the original question then, I suppose the more accurate description is that participles are either parts of verb phrases or are adjectives. In either case, a participle -- being verb or adjective -- cannot be the subject of a sentence unless it is in the cleft sentence structure, as illustrated earlier in the thread by GG. I think that's the only structure that allows a participle or an adjective to be promoted to the status of a noun phrase so it can be a subject.

At least that's my claim. Maybe someone can provide a counterexample. That would be instructive.

Edit:

'Destroyed' is the best description of that town.

Here a participle (adjective) is promoted to a noun and is the subject of the sentence. So there are cases other than the cleft sentence structure that allow it. Nevertheless, note the quotes. It works in the same way that anything in quotes can be promoted to subject:

'Xygneoowytoeyy' is a nonsense word.

'got into the truck' is not a complete sentence.

_____

Your question opens up a good many sticky points in the terminology. Do we (Can we) talk about certain structures by naming them without regard to their function in context? Or not? Probably not. Is love a noun or a verb? Only context will tell.

Cool Breeze
To hear him sing is an unforgettable experience.

to hear him sing is a sentence with a non-finite verb used as a noun phrase in a higher level sentence. The idea is that the terminological identity of a word or group of words may change depending on which level in a hierarchy of clauses it is considered. At the lowest level of the "tree", to hear is indeed an infinitive (a non-finite verb), but in the context of the whole sentence (higher in the hierarchical tree), to hear him sing is the subject of the main clause, is nominal in nature, and is called a noun phrase. (Infinitives are often nominal in nature, so this is not surprising; for example, [I want + noun phrase] can take either of these forms: I want some pizza. I want to sing.)

Cool Breeze
Using an infinitive as a subject may not be common in American English

Actually, infinitives are used in AmE as subjects. The location geographically or historically has nothing to do with it. But infinitives (and their complement(s), if any), taken together, can make noun phrases.

To be absolutely precise, it is a noun phrase (NP) that must be the subject of a sentence. I oversimplified by saying 'noun or pronoun'.

Re: Three out of every four automobile owners in the U.S also own a bicyle

Avangi — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:02:12 GMT

Kprasadreddy
Three out of every four automobile owners in the U.S also own a bicyle

One out of every four automobile owners in the U.S also owns a bicyle

Kprasadreddy
Thanks but can you explain the grammar behind it?

In your first example, "three" is the subject of the sentence. The prepositional phrase "out of etc." modifies "three." The plural subject requires the plural verb, "own."

The subject of your second sentence is "one," which is singular and takes the singular verb "owns."

The separate issue, "bicycle(s)," is something I'm not sure about. If you say "'Three people own a bicycle," it could be interpreted to mean that they all share in the ownership of a single bicycle. In the present example, context would rule that out; but "Three people own bicycles," could mean that A owns one, B owns one, and C owns five - equals seven bicycles all together. (You might argue that that doesn't matter.)

Best regards, - A.

Re: Which language is most difficult language for people to learn?

Cool Breeze — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:18:45 GMT

Hi Forbes

I agree with you completely. Of course grammar includes syntax. I wrote about the very first experiences of a person who is beginning his language studies. All such experiences are very subjective!

I don't think there is an objective way or method to measure and compare the difficulty of languages. I honestly believe that just like people prefer different tastes and colours and whatever, they also vary in their ability to learn languages (and other things as well). If somebody thinks and says that a certain language is easy or difficult for him, it is his subjective view but he is certainly right. At least he feels that way. He may have a very superficial knowledge of the languages he is studying but if he finds one language easier or more difficult than other languages he is certainly right.

I know from experience that even if someone has a flair for languages, not all languages are equally easy for him. A language that is easy for some may be difficult for others. That's a fact. There are teachers who have been teaching languages for 35 years to thousands of students in Finland. They have noticed the differences.

Learning a foreign language is extremely subjective. Every student studies at least two foreign languages in comprehensive school in Finland. After that, in secondary school many students study a third foreign language. Some take up a fourth language. Students and teachers have a lot of experience in foreign language acquisition here.

With regard to English, most students never get far enough in their studies to really comprehend the intricacies of the language. They don't have to: graduating from comprehensive school calls for nothing special and it is possible to pass the nationwide Matriculation Examination, which is required if you want to graduate from secondary school, with very low language skills. Perhaps that is just as well. There are other things than languages that are also important. For many it's enough to be able to use basic English on their travels abroad and to exchange a few words with foreigners.

It's no wonder many students consider English easy. They never get far enough to encounter the difficulties, apart from the spelling, pronunciation and idioms!

Cheers, CB

grammar questions

Anonymous — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:02:16 GMT

(1) While at Oberlin, Lucy developed a like-minded friendship with Antoinette Brown, who would later become the first woman to become an ordained Protestant minister in the United States.

Is repetition of become necessary in "who would later become the first woman to become an"? Please rephrase.

(2) The attention and special treatment accorded young athletes continues into adolescence. Green recounts the favorable treatment accorded him and his young teammates; how the other kids gaze at them starry eyed and adults fawn over them simply because they are talented athletes.

Should it be âaccorded to young athletesâ? Please rephrase if necessary.

(3) He stretched the patience of the school superintendent by his disregard for class attendance despite being excused from afternoon classes to attend football practice. Nor did Thorpe make much use of the paid tutors that were provided Carlisle athletes.

Should it be âprovided to Carlisle athletes.â Please clarify.

(4) However, Rose preferred rubbing elbows the common people to the celebrity circuit.

Is any preposition missing after âelbowsâ? Please check.

(5) The modified relationship with the press when Michael Jordan was playing in the NBA in the 1980s and â90s are reflected in journalist David Halberstamâs book on the Chicago Bulls star.

Should it be âis reflectedâ? Please check S-V agreement.

(6) Seldom did alcohol go any farther than that, as drunkenness wasnât tolerated among the players in the Negro League ball parks. Winter League play in Latin America was an another matter.

Should it be âwas another matterâ? Please check.

(7) The team managerâs imprudent conduct coupled with a club environment conducive to imbibing alcohol were prelude to a tragedy.

Should it be âwas preludeâ? Please check.

Re: Grammar- is using versus is by using

26TMNTJG2PG — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 11:58:07 GMT

I have recently found 'by using public transport' in the following sentence is closely connected with the prepositional phrase in LEO. Therefore, it should be a prepositional phrase that followed 'One way of lowering fuel consumption is'.

One way of lowering fuel consumption is by using public transport. - Your above assertion can only be correct if (the preposition) by is necessary. Let us see the functions of a preposition stated below to determine this.

The best time to practice water conservation is before a water shortage. (prepositional phrase = noun functioning as a complement - Besides it also tells us about the time.)

As for the noun phrase 'using public transport', it can also function as a gerund phrase according to the example below shown by LEO - gerund phrase is just a general name. One way of lowering fuel consumption is using public transport.

One of Serena Williams' biggest disappointments after her semifinal defeat was losing her spot for tennis singles in the Olympics. (gerund phrase = complement - Besides it also tells us about the disappointments.)

A preposition shows in what relation one thing stands to another, i.e. what one thing has to do with another in respect of Place, Situation, Circumstance and Time.

Unlike the following sentence which indicates a situation or circumstance, the preposition by is necessary:-

We learn more by not taking answers at face value.

Regards.

Re: Please check my grammar mistakes...

Grammar Geek — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 14:55:30 GMT

Hello Riyasknr

Never post information in the forums. Just leave a blank space.

Dear Sir,

My name is <<name>> and my SB account number is <<number>>. I have been a customer of your bank since August 2004, although I have not used this account for the last two years.

Recently, I wanted to use my account, so on the first of the month, I spoke to teh bank manager <<at the branch office located in ____>>. He said that the first thin I must do is deposit the minimum balance of Rs.1000, so I deposited Rs.2500 to my account on 3rd June 2008.

Yesterday, I went to the bank to inquire about using the Online Banking Service. I gave the online banking application to bank manager.

He spoke to me in an extremely disrespectful way, challenging my desire to use the online service and telling me I first needed to maintain the minimum balance. When I told him that I had already I deposited Rs.2500, he didn't seem to hear me and didn't give me any suitable answers. I was very displeased with how he treated me.

I am enclosing my online banking application and request that you activate my online banking service soon as possible. I would also appreciate it if you addressed the bank manager's rude and disrespectful behavior with him.

Regards,

If you want the person you're writing to to address the person's behavior, you must tell him which bank office this happened at, and the manager's name, if you have it.

Re: Please check my grammar mistakes...

siva-gobi — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 14:03:33 GMT

21.06.2008

Dear Sir,

I'm (<<name removed by moderator>>) holding SB account (<<number removed by moderator>>) in your bank since August 2004.

Last two years I didn't use my bank account. Now I would like to continue account that's why, frist of this month I spoke to bank manager. He said, immediately you put minimum balance Rs.1000. That's why, I deposited Rs.2500 to my account on 3rd June 2008. Yesterday I went to bank regarding Online Banking Service. I gave Online banking application to bank manager. He says... Why do u want online service?... you are putting 300, 500... First you keep your minimum balance. Why you are coming often to bank. He is was talking like unrespectable. I ~~said~~ told, ~~already~~ I already deposited Rs.2500. He is was not hearing ~~my words~~ what i am saying . He didnât care to give a proper answer to me. Please tell to him for talk kindly to customers. Please accept ~~my online banking~~ ~~application~~ and active my online banking service soon as possible.

Iâm very appreciating your early action and promptly service.

Thanking youâ¦

Regards,

Urâs riya