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You are here: Experts > Arts/Humanities > Writing > General Writing and Grammar Help > follow-up questions
Expert: Ted Nesbitt - 10/26/2009
Question
1.Follow-up question:
Ex: The new software we installed (will/would) make our
department more productive.
My previous question:
Can I say, “The new software we installed made (has made) our department more productive.“?
Your answer:
[YES, "has made" is perfect.]
My follow-up question:
I wonder if we can say “will make” or “would make” in the above sentence.
(By that I mean that the new software was installed, but it hasn’t been used. Once it is operated, it will make the department more productive.)
2.
Ex: My previous question: Can I say, “You didn’t tell me sooner so that I couldn’t help you.”?
Your answer:
NO, there is a problem with time in this sentence as well.
CORRECT: You didn't tell me sooner so I COULD NOT HELP YOU. or You didn't tell me sooner OR I WOULD HAVE HELPED YOU.
My follow-up question:
I feel a bit confused here because your edited sentence is very similar to my original sentence. The only difference is that you left out the word “that.” I wonder what the difference is between the two. Please clear it up for me.
3.Ex: The child usually goes to bed at 10 p.m. It’s 10 minutes after 10. He could fall
asleep at the moment.
Your opinion: *** He could fall asleep at ANY moment.
My follow-up question:
(1.)
I wonder why I can’t use “at the moment” in the sentence. By using “at the moment” I mean that it is 10 minutes after 10 and the child could fall asleep at this moment (10:10)
(2.)
Or could you give me an example to show me how to use “He could fall asleep at the moment” in a context rather than “He could fall asleep at any moment.”?
4.
Ex: The child usually goes to bed at 10.p.m. He didn’t answer our phone at 10:10 p.m. He could have fallen asleep at the moment last night.
Your opinion:
*** He must have fallen asleep BEFORE 10:10 p.m.
My follow-up question: I wanted to insert “He could have fallen asleep at the moment last night” in a context. Could you help me come up with a better way to say it?
Answer
Question:
1.Follow-up question:
Ex: The new software we installed (will/would) make our
department more productive.
My previous question:
Can I say, “The new software we installed made (has made) our department more
productive.“?
Your answer:
[YES, "has made" is perfect.]
My follow-up question:
I wonder if we can say “will make” or “would make” in the above sentence.
(By that I mean that the new software was installed, but it hasn’t been used.
Once it is operated, it will make the department more productive.)
**** YES, you can. And the reason you gave in your explanation is correct.
2.
Ex: My previous question: Can I say, “You didn’t tell me sooner so that I
couldn’t help you.”?
Your answer:
NO, there is a problem with time in this sentence as well.
CORRECT: You didn't tell me sooner so I COULD NOT HELP YOU. or You didn't
tell me sooner OR I WOULD HAVE HELPED YOU.
My follow-up question:
I feel a bit confused here because your edited sentence is very similar to my
original sentence. The only difference is that you left out the word “that.” I
wonder what the difference is between the two. Please clear it up for me.
*** Oppo -- Here's your original sentence: “You didn’t tell me sooner so that I
couldn’t help you.”?
I left out "that" in order to make the sentence clear. By using "that" you are introducing a different idea that is difficult to explain. EXAMPLE: She saved her money SO THAT she could buy a new dress. That sentence makes sense, because it explains WHY she saved her money. However, your sentence contains a NEGATIVE expression in the dependent clause: "I could NOT help you." Let's apply the same negative expression in the "dress" sentence: She saved her money SO THAT she could NOT buy a new dress. What was logical is no longer logical.
When I changed your sentence from "so that" to simply "so," I am explaining that I could NOT help you, BECAUSE you did not tell me sooner. If you HAD told me sooner, I WOULD have helped you.
The best sentence is the second version that I gave you: You didn't
tell me sooner OR I WOULD HAVE HELPED YOU.
In this version I am saying that I WOULD HAVE HELPED YOU, IF ONLY YOU HAD TOLD me sooner. Because you did NOT tell me [sooner], I am now in no position to help you.
3.Ex: The child usually goes to bed at 10 p.m. It’s 10 minutes after 10. He
could fall
asleep at the moment.
Your opinion: *** He could fall asleep at ANY moment.
My follow-up question:
(1.)
I wonder why I can’t use “at the moment” in the sentence. By using “at the
moment” I mean that it is 10 minutes after 10 and the child could fall asleep at
this moment (10:10)
*** I suggested that you do not use "at the moment," because it is NOT common usage. The correct expression is "at ANY moment," not "THE moment."
(2.)
Or could you give me an example to show me how to use “He could fall asleep at
the moment” in a context rather than “He could fall asleep at any moment.”?
*** No, I cannot give you such an example, because we do not talk/write that way. There ARE instances in which "at the moment" can be used, but not in the instance you write about. EXAMPLES: (1) At the moment the professor gave him the examination, he realized that he had not studied enough. (2) "I could not have killed her. At the moment of her death, I was 500 miles away at a business conference."
4.
Ex: The child usually goes to bed at 10.p.m. He didn’t answer our phone at 10:10
p.m. He could have fallen asleep at the moment last night.
Your opinion:
*** He must have fallen asleep BEFORE 10:10 p.m.
My follow-up question: I wanted to insert “He could have fallen asleep at the
moment last night” in a context. Could you help me come up with a better way to
say it?
*** This is another case in which I find "at the moment" inappropriate. Here's another way:
When I called him at 10:10 last evening, he must have fallen [or been] asleep, because he did not answer his phone. Oppo, in this sentence "been" is better than "fallen." "Fallen" is a process that takes a little time. We do not "instantly" fall asleep. I would not use "fallen asleep" in this kind of sentence. Here's where it CAN be used: She had fallen
asleep in her father's arms, before he put her in her bed.
Ted
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