Expert: Ted Nesbitt - 11/6/2009

Question
1.Do both sentences of each set below have identical meanings?

It was said that John was a child prodigy when he was young.
John was said to be a child prodigy when he was young.

It occurred to me that I had to hand in a report before I went to school.
It struck me that I had to hand in a report today before I went to school.


You should allow for his age and don’t ask him to do too much work.
You should consider his age and don’t ask him to do too much work.

This article as a whole is well-organized.
This article is overall well-organized.

I need to carry on with my work.
I need to continue with my work.

The watch that John gave me is a genuine Swiss make.
The watch that John gave me is a genuine one made in Swiss.

My girlfriend’s birthday and mine are on the same day.
My girlfriend’s birthday coincides with mine.


2.Are all the sentences below grammatically correct?

John is not stable in his academic performance.

Long term exposure to second hand smoke could pose a threat to our lungs.

Global warming has made it necessary for us to reduce CO2 emissions.

He was pulled over by the police because of speeding
( Can I say, “..because he sped”?)

During his forties, the novelist lived in the mountains, where he wrote many of his famous works.

Time is much limited; therefore (or consequently) , we must concentrate on the essentials and ignore trifling details.

The train left when I was about to get to the station.

He is optimistic about his mother’s illness.

He is pessimistic that the stock market will recover (bounce) soon.

His judgment (or love for his children) is disinterested.


3.Are all the sentences below grammatically correct?

It rained on and off all day.

I have two brothers: John and David. The former is doctor and the latter is a lawyer.

I am in favor of going to the beach on foot rather than by car.

The model is posing in front of the media.

(Do the conversations below make sense?)
A: Hi, Mary? (on the phone)
B: Yes. That is funny! I was about to call you. ( Or I was on the point of calling you.)

A: Is John considered a good student in your class?
B: No, he is mediocre.

4.  Ex: There are very large quantities of oranges on sale in the market.
        A vast/large quantity of imported beer has been sold.

Can I say, “ There is a large quantity of oranges….”in the first sentence and “large quantities of imported beer” in the second sentence? What’s the difference?


Answer
Question:
1.Do both sentences of each set below have identical meanings?



It was said that John was a child prodigy when he was young.

John was said to be a child prodigy when he was young.

IDENTICAL



It occurred to me that I had to hand in a report before I went to school.

It struck me that I had to hand in a report today before I went to school.

IDENTICAL



You should allow for his age and don’t ask him to do too much work.

You should consider his age and don’t ask him to do too much work.

IDENTICAL

This article as a whole is well-organized.

This article is overall well-organized.

IDENTICAL

I need to carry on with my work.

I need to continue with my work.

IDENTICAL

The watch that John gave me is a genuine Swiss make.

The watch that John gave me is a genuine one made in Swiss.

IDENTICAL

My girlfriend’s birthday and mine are on the same day.

My girlfriend’s birthday coincides with mine.

IDENTICAL



2.Are all the sentences below grammatically correct?



John is not stable in his academic performance.

YES

Long term exposure to second hand smoke could pose a threat to our lungs.

YES, BUT SECOND-HAND IS USUALLY HYPHENATED

Global warming has made it necessary for us to reduce CO2 emissions.

YES

He was pulled over by the police because of speeding

YES

( Can I say, “..because he sped”?)

YES



During his forties, the novelist lived in the mountains, where he wrote many of
his famous works.

YES

Time is much limited; therefore (or consequently) , we must concentrate on the
essentials and ignore trifling details.

YES, AND BOTH CONJUNCTIVE ADVERBS ARE APPROPRIATE

The train left when I was about to get to the station.

YES

He is optimistic about his mother’s illness.

YES

He is pessimistic that the stock market will recover (bounce) soon.

RECOVER = YES; IF YOU USE "BOUNCE," YOU NEED TO WRITE "BOUNCE BACK"

His judgment (or love for his children) is disinterested.

YES



3.Are all the sentences below grammatically correct?



It rained on and off all day.

YES

I have two brothers: John and David. The former is doctor and the latter is a
lawyer.


YES

I am in favor of going to the beach on foot rather than by car.

YES

The model is posing in front of the media.

YES

(Do the conversations below make sense?)

A: Hi, Mary? (on the phone)

B: Yes. That is funny! I was about to call you. ( Or I was on the point of
calling you.)

YES -- BOTH OF B'S ANSWERS ARE GOOD



A: Is John considered a good student in your class?

B: No, he is mediocre.

YES

4.  Ex: There are very large quantities of oranges on sale in the market.

        A vast/large quantity of imported beer has been sold.

THESE ARE BOTH CORRECT

Can I say, “ There is a large quantity of oranges….”in the first sentence

YES

and
“large quantities of imported beer” in the second sentence? What’s the
difference?

YES

*** "Quantity" is a non-count noun, so using the singular form is preferable.  However, there are instances in which you want to use the plural for specific meanings.  For instance, the market has just received many crates of five DIFFERENT KINDS of oranges or twenty DIFFERENT BRANDS OR TYPES of beer from many different countries.  In order to show that these items are vastly different from each other, they might choose to advertise using the PLURAL FORMS.

Ted