Search found 320 matches
- Sat Sep 05, 2020 10:32 pm
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: one of the men
- Replies: 2
- Views: 2503
Re: one of the men
Thank you so much Erik. I agree, but it seems to me that (b) would be better if one used 'a certain man' instead of 'a man'. But I think (b) works as it is. b1. I told you that we didn't know if a certain man who was among the people standing there was a journalist or not. He started filming the inc...
- Sat Sep 05, 2020 8:58 am
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: one of the men
- Replies: 2
- Views: 2503
one of the men
a. I told you that there was this man among the people standing there, and we didn't know whether he was a journalist or not. He started filming the incident. b. I told you that we didn't know if a man who was among the people standing there was a journalist or not. He started filming the incident....
- Fri Sep 04, 2020 10:18 pm
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: knew not
- Replies: 2
- Views: 2455
knew not
a. The man who had been married we knew not how many times entered the room. b. The man who had been married we didn't know how many times entered the room. c, The journalist who had written we knew not how many books entered the room. d, The journalist who had written we didn't know how many books...
- Tue Sep 01, 2020 1:05 am
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: his ex-wife
- Replies: 3
- Views: 3034
his ex-wife
a. I met Tom's ex-wife at a dinner party last night. Could one use that sentence if one knows that Tom has more than one ex-wife and one hasn't been talking about a particular ex-wife? So context does not clarify which ex-wife I am talking about. I just say the sentence out of the blue. I think the...
- Sat Aug 22, 2020 10:54 am
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: that I know of
- Replies: 3
- Views: 3074
Re: that I know of
Thank you so much Phil.
The idea was that 'as far as I know Tom didn't talk to Jane' and 'I didn't see Tom talk to Jane' and "I didn't hear Tom talk to Jane' and 'I wasn't told that Tom talked to Jane.'
I guess the sentences just don't work.
Many thanks.
The idea was that 'as far as I know Tom didn't talk to Jane' and 'I didn't see Tom talk to Jane' and "I didn't hear Tom talk to Jane' and 'I wasn't told that Tom talked to Jane.'
I guess the sentences just don't work.
Many thanks.
- Sat Aug 22, 2020 10:49 am
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: kinds of birds
- Replies: 3
- Views: 3250
kinds of birds
a. Those are the kind of bird that live around this marsh and mate in the summer. b. Those are the kinds of birds that live around this marsh and mate in the summer. c. Those are the kind of birds that live around this marsh and mate in the summer. If they all belong to the same species, which of t...
- Sat Aug 22, 2020 9:16 am
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: more than I
- Replies: 4
- Views: 3185
Re: more than I
Thank you both so much.
Phil, your answers are absolutely amazing. Thank you so much.
Phil, your answers are absolutely amazing. Thank you so much.
- Sat Aug 22, 2020 4:43 am
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: that I know of
- Replies: 3
- Views: 3074
that I know of
a. Tom didn't talk to Jane that I know of.
b. Tom didn't talk to Jane that I know.
c. Tom didn't talk to Jane that I saw.
d. Tom didn't talk to Jane that I heard.
e. Tom didn't talk to Jane that I heard of.
Are the above sentences grammatically correct?
Are they natural?
Many thanks.
b. Tom didn't talk to Jane that I know.
c. Tom didn't talk to Jane that I saw.
d. Tom didn't talk to Jane that I heard.
e. Tom didn't talk to Jane that I heard of.
Are the above sentences grammatically correct?
Are they natural?
Many thanks.
- Thu Aug 20, 2020 12:43 pm
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: more than I
- Replies: 4
- Views: 3185
more than I
Would anyone use a. John loves you more than me. or b. John loves you more than I. instead of c. John loves you more than I do. ? I think (b) is correct, but it sounds archaic to me. I don't think (a) is ambiguous. I'd say it can only mean d. John loves you more than he loves me. But I am not entire...
- Tue Aug 18, 2020 10:33 am
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: so that
- Replies: 1
- Views: 2122
so that
a. This plan is so that you will be safe. b. The purpose of this plan is so that you will be safe. c. The plan so that you will be safe was devised by him. d. The plan for you to be safe was devised by him. Which of the above sentences are grammatically correct? Which are natural? I don't think (a)...
- Sun Aug 16, 2020 8:37 am
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: plan
- Replies: 1
- Views: 2479
plan
a. He came up with that plan for his wife not to leave him. b. He came up with that plan so that his wife would not leave him. c. That was his plan for his wife not to leave him. d. That was his plan so that his wife would not leave him. Are all these sentences grammatically correct? Do (a) and (b)...
- Mon Aug 10, 2020 5:52 am
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: because of
- Replies: 2
- Views: 2839
because of
a. He refused to close his bar because of the pandemic.
b. He refused to close his bar because there was a pandemic.
Are the above sentences grammatically correct?
He had to close his bar because of the pandemic and he refused to do it.
Many thanks
b. He refused to close his bar because there was a pandemic.
Are the above sentences grammatically correct?
He had to close his bar because of the pandemic and he refused to do it.
Many thanks
- Mon Aug 03, 2020 9:11 am
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: rather do this job
- Replies: 2
- Views: 3587
rather do this job
a. There are a lot of people I'd rather do this job than you. b. There are a lot of people I'd rather have do this job than you. c. There are a lot of people I'd rather did this job than you. d. There are a lot of people I'd rather have did this job than you. Are these sentences grammatically corre...
- Tue Jul 21, 2020 2:48 am
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: last night
- Replies: 2
- Views: 3290
last night
a. He showed me an article which he had written last night and which was about whales. Could 'last night' modify 'showed'? Could the sentence mean: Last night he showed me an article which he had written and which was about whales. I know that (a) is an awkward sentence, but it it grammatical. I wa...
- Wed Jul 15, 2020 10:19 pm
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: where he works part II
- Replies: 2
- Views: 3271
where he works part II
a. She knows the place her cousin works.
b. She knows the place where her cousin works.
Do these mean
1. She knows where that place is located.
2. She knows where the place is located and what it looks like.
3. She knows what kind of environment her cousin works in.
?
Many thanks.
b. She knows the place where her cousin works.
Do these mean
1. She knows where that place is located.
2. She knows where the place is located and what it looks like.
3. She knows what kind of environment her cousin works in.
?
Many thanks.