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

Re: Grammar questions

Mister Micawber — Thu, 15 May 2008 02:12:49 GMT

1. (My husband Mark and I both do volunteer work) but (Ryan was only six years old) -- two independant clauses conected by the conj. but? -- Well, yes... BUT sample sentences should make some sense, Fernanda! There is no evident relationship between the two facts, so they should not even be in the same paragraph, much less the same sentence. 'I drive and my wife rides shotgun' -- two independent but RELATED clauses.

2. The principal has distributed a list (that shows the costs of buying supplies in developing countries)

the sentence between brackets is an adj. phrase and a postmodifier of "list", which is a direct object? -- Yes

3. Seventy dollars would buy (a well)

a well is a direct object in this sentence? -- Yes

4. We thought it was very nice (that he wanted to do something important)

the clause between brackets is a relative clause? which is its function? -- Yes. It is an adjective complement

5..that he wanted to do something important

is it a non-finite verb (to-infinitive)?-- 'To do' is.

Re: I thought a spider is/was an insect

CalifJim — Thu, 08 May 2008 21:30:44 GMT

Pter
And universal falsehood. What a phrase! This is important because we are not talking about something that is always true. As a result, we can only use the past tense in sentences starting with "I thought it was". The "was" is not the result of backshifting. It is used instead to indicate that the believe was hold true in the past but is now found to be false.

My apologies for introducing a joke! The "universal falsehood" reference is a complete joke! It doesn't matter whether what is reported is universally true or unversally false. What's important is that in the speaker's mind it is universally (or eternally, if you wish) true. In that way, in the right context, you can even have the reported speech: The scientist said that the earth is flat.

Consequently, the "was" truly IS the result of backshifting after "thought". It has nothing to do with beliefs considered true in the past but false in the present. You can banish all such logic from your mind. You came to believe some of these things because I put you off the track with my joke.

I don't know which sample sentences you are referring to, but after thought, knew, hoped, believed, and felt, you always need a past tense.

____

I didn't notice that it was not reported speech. (natural, normal)

I didn't notice that it's not reported speech. (also possible, less used)

You may find that each main clause verb has its own idiosyncracies with regard to backshifting. notice acts a little like a reporting verb. What you noticed may still be quite noticeable to your listener, and you may want to emphasize this fact. Nevertheless, keep this is mind: Backshifting is never wrong.

____

OK. I went back and found these. I think these are the samples you were referring to. The first choices shown are the ones that came to my mind first. It's not really more complicated than that. The second choice is also perfectly grammatical except as noted in the second sentence, where backshifting is required.

My professor said that spiders are (were also possible) insects! I didn't think they were (are not possible). I think he is (was also possible) wrong.

Re: It is no use trying to persuade him.

Angliholic — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:55:48 GMT

Cool Breeze wrote:
Kooyeen wrote:

That leads me to think that "It's no use to do something" is probably not idiomatic for most native speakers and therefore it's better to avoid it.
What do you think?

Hi Kooyeen

You are active as usual. That's very good! I did google for the infinitive as the subject of a clause and probably something else as well - I can't remember what, but the was in the early days of my membership here on these forums when some native speakers told me that some structures that had been accepted usage in English for centuries were no good. I knew full well that they were not common in everyday spoken English but that to me wasn't enough to discard them completely as incorrect. So I had to present some statistical facts to prove that I wasn't the only one using them.

These days I seldom get that response from native speakers and consequently I don't google either. I stand by what I wrote.

Cheers
CB

PS. I hope they'll clear up the mess in Naples before summer. If they don't, rats will have a heyday.

Thanks, my helpful friends.

To make sure, the second sample in the first post of this thread is always regarded as wrong here. What do you think (native speakers in particular)?

Third Conditional

Df2006 — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 16:04:56 GMT

I saw the following third conditional sample sentences from an educational webpage:

1. If I had not gone to university in Spain, I would not be bilingual.

2. If you had attended the training seminar, you would be familiar with the new operational procedures.

3. If we had not felt we could trust each other, we would not be partners.

4. If we had ordered the equipment last week, they would be here now.

Please can anyone confirm if these are correct?

I always thought the verb pattern for third conditionals should be:

(if clause) past perfect tense; (main clause) would/could/should + have + past participle

For example:

1. If I had not gone to university in Spain, I would not have been bilingual.

2. If you had attended the training seminar, you would have been familiar with the new operational procedures.

3. If we had not felt we could trust each other, we would not have been partners.

4. If we had ordered the equipment last week, they would have been here now.

Thank you very much.

Tense usage and subjunctive with "to remember"

N5pn4cya — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 23:12:10 GMT

I'm not sure if there is any prescriptive rule to what I read in a statement as follows:

...after all these years, I asked him if he remembered who I was.

The sentence sounded okay to me, but I was also confused as to whether the subjunctive should be at play here and if the past tense of remember is used correctly in a semantic way.

Semantically, remembering someone is a present state of consciousness and a continuous action. Therefore, one should ask if someone "remembers" you (e.g. I wonder if he remembers me), but not "remembered" you unless it is explicitly describing an instance where you were once "remembered" but now possibly forgotten (e.g. He remembered me yesterday, how can he forget who I am today?). I don't know if this interpretation is valid and if it should be a consideration at all.

Grammatically, subjunctive may be used for subjective, doubtful, hypothetical, or grammatically subordinate statements or questions, as occurring in subordinate that clauses after a main clause expressing recommendation, resolution, demand. In my sample sentence, does its subordinate if-statement in the hypothetical "if he remember..." and the main clause expressing question/demand in "I asked him..." qualify for the subjuntive tense?

I thought about rewriting that sentence into: I asked him if he remember who I am.

However, the verb agreement rule seems to reject such a revision.

Please help clarify. Also, which one(s) of the following is/are correct:

1- I wonder if he remembers me. vs. I wonder if he remember me. (Should here be a subjunctive?)

2- Two days ago, he remembered whom I was. vs. Two days ago, he remembered whom I am. (Suggesting that the object "I" is the same person, in all respect, now as he was then two days ago. Is this okay?)

3- He remembers who I am. vs. He remembers whom I am. (who or whom in the dative position when using "to remember"?)

Thank you so much!

Re: Conjunctions

Belly — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 13:51:25 GMT

Cool Breeze wrote:
Belly wrote:

I think there is a mistake here. But anyway, how could although and though can go with a gerund?

Expecting is not a gerund. It's a present partciple and though + a present participle is used as an active concessive clause equivalent in English:

Though living in Spain for years, he didn't learn the language properly.
= Although/Though he lived in Spain for years, he didn't learn the language properly.

Some grammarians object to the use of though at the beginning of a sentence; I see nothing wrong with it. Quite a few dislike although + a present participle as a clause equivalent.

CB

But it didn't fit the sample

_____feeling tired, she went on working

Re: If clauses and unless

Angliholic — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 15:57:55 GMT

Anicas wrote:
Is this correct/possible?

Unless Susannah had fought for her dream, she wouldn't have had the chance to study for an engineering degree.

Thanks

It seems that "unless" doesn't match past participles well in your sample, but it does make sense in the following context:

Unless Susannah fights for her dream, she won't have the chance to study for an engineering degree.

Re: which and that

Pioussoul — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 14:14:19 GMT

Inchoateknowledge wrote:

"I don't understand the function of the underlined that in this sentence and what 'that' refers to? Can you give examples to explain this?"

This is the question, right?

Inchoateknowledge wrote:

Note from these examples, that in statements when the preposition is placed at the end of the clause, we can use that instead of who or which or we can omit the relative pronoun completely

'that' has no reference, but plays an important role grammatically: nominal conjunction that links the verb note to its object (noun).

Morning

Morning to you, too. Actually, here it's about 9 PM.

Yes, that's the question, but does your sample match what the line in green describes?

Re: which and that

Pioussoul — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 13:08:52 GMT

Inchoateknowledge wrote:

I recommend that we settle this problem (simple sentence, one clause)

the red part is a nominal clause, and acts as the object of the verb.

'that' has no reference, but plays an important role grammatically: nominal conjunction that links the verb to its object (noun).

Hi, Inchoateknowledge, thanks for the effort, but it seems that you have missed what I meant.

Here I go it over again:

What does your sample have anything to do with the first question of this thread starter, which is quoted again below?

That is, does your sample match the first question?

Anonymous wrote:

1. Note from these examples, that in statements when the preposition is placed at the end of the clause, we can use that instead of who or which or we can omit the relative pronoun completely.

I don't understand the function of the underlined that in this sentence and what 'that' refers to? Can you give examples to explain this?

simon

Re: which and that

Pioussoul — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 09:14:49 GMT

CalifJim wrote:
A word used to introduce a clause complement of a verb is called a complementizer. Complements are underlined below.

I said the word.
I said that Jane would be late today.

CJ

Thanks for the explantion, CJ, but my confusion is still existent in that the first question of this thread starter quoted below and your samples don't seem to match very well.

First, neither of your samples end with a preposition. Second, the that in your sample is not interchangeable with who or which, is it?

I'm really confused--does my knowledge of grammar fool me, or modern grammar has changed so frantically that I have to relearn it?

Anonymous wrote:

1. Note from these examples, that in statements when the preposition is placed at the end of the clause, we can use that instead of who or which or we can omit the relative pronoun completely.

I don't understand the function of the underlined that in this sentence and what 'that' refers to? Can you give examples to explain this?

simon