| Subject | Date Asked |
|
| inquire | 11/18/2009 |
Q: how are you? I hope you are ok. I just wonder if you could help me,I'm an Engineering student in Msc ...
A: Elfarra, The best writing book I've found is Writing Tools: 50 Essential Tools for Every Writer by ...
|
| diagramming question | 11/18/2009 |
Q: When diagramming "It is cold during the month of November," would the prepositional phrase "during ...
A: Teresa, It always warms my heart to hear of people discussing diagramming. :) The prepositional ...
|
| Sentences | 11/17/2009 |
Q: I have a few questions about the sentences below. 1. Ex: War is a part of human history. People not ...
A: In your first example, the singular "war" is used as a concept, as opposed to noting specific wars. ...
|
| Use of only and meaning... | 11/16/2009 |
Q: How should you use only in a sentence properly? This are my sentences - please can you let me know ...
A: AN Other, Words like "only" and "just" need to come directly before or after the word they modify ...
|
| So: the correct way to use it | 11/14/2009 |
Q: Why is it that many people put a comma before so when it should be a semicolon? Mind you that the ...
A: Luis, Thank you for your question. Actually, in some cases a comma is necessary with "so," namely ...
|
| Abbreviations in quotes | 11/11/2009 |
Q: In a quote, if someone says "Montgomery, Alabama," is Alabama written out or abbreviated?
A: :) As far as writing out "Alabama," it depends upon the use and context. For example, as email can ...
|
| What is the proper use for was/were? | 11/10/2009 |
Q: Is this proper: I noticed that Nikki and Andy WAS invited last year, but WERE not included in the ...
A: Rebecca, Since Nikki and Andy are two people, the plural "were" should be used in place of "was." ...
|
| Request | 11/6/2009 |
Q: Is it "upon request" or "on request? Thanks.
A: Marie, As far as I know, there's no difference between "upon request" and "on request," other than ...
|
| apostrophe | 11/5/2009 |
Q: Which is correct? The Yankees are World Series champions. The Yankees are World Series' champions. ...
A: John, In the case of "World Series champions," "World Series" is being used as an adjective to ...
|
| Redundancy | 11/3/2009 |
Q: After writing a book, I am concerned that too much Redundancy has been entered, specifically in the ...
A: Richard, It's good that you're looking at this. We writers, like anyone else, tend to fall into ...
|
| revivify | 11/2/2009 |
Q: A colleague asserts that the suffix -ify should not be used to change a verb into another verb. So ...
A: Scott, In general, a verb with the "ify" suffix comes from another word, not usually a verb, in ...
|
| "as below" vs "as follows" | 10/26/2009 |
Q: The question is that what is the difference between "as follows" and "as below". fir example which ...
A: Farhad, "as follows" means something that comes after. In modern American English usage, we don't ...
|
| plurals and verb case | 10/23/2009 |
Q: Is it 'a range of items is' or 'a range of items are'? I think it is ' a range is' as there is only ...
A: Paula, If you're asking about subject-verb agreement, you want to pay attention to "range." "of ...
|
| quotations to set off a word | 10/22/2009 |
Q: If you want to set off a word or stock symbol by using quotation marks and the word is at the end of ...
A: Christine, Whether you're quoting a word or drawing attention to a word, the rules are the same. ...
|
| And vs Or | 10/21/2009 |
Q: Which is correct: "Individuals from over 125 different countries or territories visited our site." ...
A: Stacy, Thank you for your question. :) I'd use "Individuals from over 125 different countries and ...
|
| Sentence/ Grammar structure | 10/20/2009 |
Q: I have some more. We are confused about which of these sentences are independent and dependent ...
A: Monica, Let's see if this helps.... An independent clause is one that has a subject and its verb ...
|
| Grammar/ Sentences | 10/17/2009 |
Q: I have another. Could you show me the dependent and independent clauses, simple sentence, adjectival ...
A: Monica, I'll do my best!! **"I don't much care where-"** This is incomplete, so I'll break it ...
|
| Grammar | 10/15/2009 |
Q: Which is correct: A limited number of rooms HAS been set aside A limited number of rooms HAVE been ...
A: Richard, Those pesky prepositional phrases always confuse the issue of subject/verb agreement. :) ...
|
| Grammar/ sentence structure | 10/13/2009 |
Q: I have to analyze a conversation between Alice and Cheshire Cat in Alice's Adventure in Wonderland. ...
A: Monica, Thank you for your question, and I'll break down the sentences as much as possible. ** ...
|
| Sequitur type Wordplay query | 9/14/2009 |
Q: Quick question (which is rare for me). In writing/wordplay is there a specific term for conjoining ...
A: Alex, Well, "pure evil" (if you think of "pure" in the sense of innocent) and "sweet revenge" are ...
|
| colon usage | 9/13/2009 |
Q: The King James Bible translation of the second commandment reads: A. Exo 20:4 Thou shalt not make ...
A: Harold, First, the bible, as revered a text as it is, is not an example of proper grammar. It was ...
|
| one sentence | 9/11/2009 |
Q: Does this sentence sound good to you: He has graduated from University(Department of English ...
A: Luke, I'm not sure why the "has graduated" instead of "graduated." Also, different cultures state ...
|
| Use of question mark | 9/10/2009 |
Q: If you are "wondering if", is it okay to use a question mark. For instance: "I was wondering if ...
A: Tina, Actually, this is not a question. It's a statement. If you took out the "if you would be ...
|
| punctuation | 9/7/2009 |
Q: In the following sentences, are commas necessary or proper after the state name and year? "I went to ...
A: Jack, If you use a city and state in the middle of a sentence, you should put a comma after the ...
|
| enlightenment | 9/6/2009 |
Q: Is it correct to say: I had two enlightenments. (Is the word "enlightenment" countable?) What ...
A: Luke, I wouldn't use "enlightenment" in this way. It is a noun, but it's not an item that you ...
|
| sentences | 9/4/2009 |
Q: 1. Ex: If a person is very smart and talented, if others can’t count on him then it’s useless no ...
A: Oppo, Sentence #1 is too long and unwieldy. You always have to look at whether every concept is ...
|
| proper format | 9/1/2009 |
Q: I am telling a story within a story and not quite sure how to format/punctuate the ...
A: Bud, The way I'd do it, so that you don't have to do single quotation marks within double quotation ...
|
| a question | 8/31/2009 |
Q: Is it OK to ask someone: Have you already worked out/figured out when/what dates you want to run the ...
A: Luke, There is no preference over "worked out" and "figured out," although I would say that "worked ...
|
| conversations | 8/30/2009 |
Q: I have created some conversations below. Do all of them make sense? A: What was the weather like ...
A: Oppo, Here are my comments: A: What was the weather like earlier? B: The sky was very clear this ...
|
| Quotations | 8/29/2009 |
Q: When you are quoting something from a book in your paper, what are some lead-ins to the quote that ...
A: Dawn, So that you're not always using that "he said" convention, here are some suggestions. Please ...
|
| Essay title...help!! Please? | 8/27/2009 |
Q: I need help with coming up with a catchy title for my essay. My essay is about a wedding that went ...
A: Jessica, I'll give you any suggestions I have, but I'll give you some ideas to get you going, ...
|
| August - plural/possessive | 8/26/2009 |
Q: When writing an e-mail to inform clients of billing for the month of August I find that the computer ...
A: Jenna, First, Microsoft can't be trusted for true grammar. I was writing a story about a girl whose ...
|
| Grammar | 8/23/2009 |
Q: 1. What’s the difference between “give me a high five” and “give me five”? 2. A: What do you call ...
A: Oppo, The difference between "give me a high five" and "give me five" depends on the context. They ...
|
| she/her | 8/21/2009 |
Q: Which is correct? It gives she and Lulu something to giggle about. or It gives her and Lulu ...
A: Donna, The correct pronoun is "her," and the sentence is more correctly written as "It gives Lulu ...
|
| from/since | 8/20/2009 |
Q: I have a question about the sentence below: To tell you the truth, from/since the very beginning I ...
A: Luke, Unless you rewrite the sentence to convey the timing of this sentence (that it happened in ...
|
| out of practice | 8/20/2009 |
Q: But I haven't written anything in years. I've always thought there was no way I could write and ...
A: Mark, There are a lot of people out there who would tell you that you can't make a living writing. ...
|
| Proper punctuation for indirect quotes or paraphrasing | 8/19/2009 |
Q: I exclaimed to him, Look at this neat little bug! The man gasped and began yelling at me, Drop that ...
A: Mark, In your example, it's presented as a direct quotation/dialogue. If you truly want to ...
|
| from/since | 8/19/2009 |
Q: I have a question about the sentence below: To tell you the truth, from/since the very beginning I ...
A: Luke, The difference between since and for is a slight difference in meaning. "Since" expresses ...
|
| apostrophe | 7/24/2009 |
Q: I'm doing high school class work, i haven't been in school for many years. And I'm a little behind. ...
A: Rachel, One use of an apostrophe is in contractions. In the case of "it's," it only EVER stands ...
|
| Is vs. Are dilemma | 7/23/2009 |
Q: In the sentence "A group of us ____ leaving from work at 6:30," should the blank be filled with "is" ...
A: Topher, Such a good question! The verb that goes in the blank should be "is." As you noted, a ...
|
| Is this a proper sentence? | 7/21/2009 |
Q: Is there something wrong with the sentence- All sentences are three words long. I know it's not ...
A: Chris, Grammatically, there's nothing wrong with that sentence. It has a subject (sentences) and a ...
|
| word choices | 7/19/2009 |
Q: 1. I’d like to reschedule my appointment, but my days are really full. Does "my days are really ...
A: Oppo, Thanks for your questions! 1. Yes, "days are really full" means that one's schedule is full ...
|
| How to write | 7/15/2009 |
Q: Iwould like to know how can i encourage my students to write essays because they don`t like to write ...
A: Neveen, Let me give you a couple of suggestions. First, work with your students to tap into their ...
|
| past perfect or simple past | 7/12/2009 |
Q: Do you need to use the past perfect when the word BECAUSE is used in the sentence? Ex. She smiled ...
A: Jessica, No, you don't need to use the past perfect tense because the word "because" makes it very ...
|
| Pronoun | 7/11/2009 |
Q: Why does "you" take a plural verb for agreement? If I am speaking with you (singular), why is it ...
A: Because "you" is both a singular and plural pronoun, it just automatically takes the plural verb. ...
|
| word choices | 7/10/2009 |
Q: 1. Ex: Because we preview the chapter first, we can ask about any problems we are having with the ...
A: Oppo, In example #1, both ways are correct. I think the second, "Since we have previewed the ...
|
| subject/verb agreement | 7/8/2009 |
Q: In the following, which is correct, bring or brings?: The mission of XYZ is to be a center of ...
A: Fran, It depends what is bringing hope and healing. Is it the services? If so, then it would be ...
|
| plural/possessive | 6/21/2009 |
Q: A stadium is being named for my Dad and our family is planning to have a memorial plaque engraved ...
A: Nene, Congratulations on the stadium name. What an honor for your father and your family. You can ...
|
| contexual analysis | 6/16/2009 |
Q: In an essay, Joan Didion wrote: in Las Vegas, there is no "time," no night and no day and no past ...
A: John, I agree with you - it seems a bit contradictory that the regular news bulletins are an ...
|
| Italics in novels | 6/16/2009 |
Q: In writing novels or short stories, is the rule for using italics (for example, newspapers, ...
A: William, I think what you're asking is that if a character talks about a newspaper or book title in ...
|
| subjunctive case and nominative pronouns | 6/15/2009 |
Q: Is it correct to say: "I wish it were I" ?
A: Kathleen, It is absolutely correct to say "I wish it were I." When we use "wish," we often use ...
|
| Commas | 6/12/2009 |
Q: Which is correct? A. Dr. Jones, Susan's counselor, reported...... OR B. Dr. Jones ...
A: In your examples, Sentence A is correct. Susan's counselor is an appositive, something that ...
|
| singular/plural | 5/29/2009 |
Q: When I use a plural noun can I use it in the following way? 'Cytokines production' I see people ...
A: Muhammad, Thanks for your question. While in some cases, one could use a noun form as an adjective ...
|
| consecutive numbers in a sentence | 5/28/2009 |
Q: How would one write consecutive numbers in a sentence? For example, I've used 24 10m ladders in the ...
A: ) The rule of thumb is that when you have two numbers next to each other to write one of them out. ...
|
| agreement? | 5/26/2009 |
Q: Do you see anything wrong with this sentence: "Rebooting franchises is good for studios..." (taken ...
A: James, In your first sentence, "rebooting" is the subject (unless it's a phrase I'm not familiar ...
|
| Grammar | 5/24/2009 |
Q: 1. Do the conversations below make sense? A: Is the manager away from his desk? B: Yes, he is off ...
A: Yes, the conversations make sense. As far as "have it be easy," the "it" refers to the job. ...
|
| confused by the structure of "what kind of" | 5/23/2009 |
Q: Could you provide me with a clear explanation for the structure of "what kind of + Noun". I've come ...
A: Thuc, Thanks for your question. There is no set rule for what kind of noun needs to come after a ...
|
| It or that? | 5/23/2009 |
Q: I'm actually a grown adult, not a kid, but this is a question that has stayed in my mind a while. ...
A: Grammar Phobe, Actually, it's good that you're an adult, as this isn't a homework forum. :) With ...
|
| "There was" or "There were?" | 5/22/2009 |
Q: I was debating with myself whether I should be using "was" or "were" as in "There was/were a swarm ...
A: John, While you're right to look at countable nouns vs. uncountable nouns, one thing to notice is ...
|
| Knowing what word to use. | 5/22/2009 |
Q: I was wondering if you could help me. I'm writing a story about sharks. And I'm not sure, when I use ...
A: According to the dictionary, "waters" is customarily used in the following ways: - to denote ...
|
| grammar | 5/21/2009 |
Q: 1. I will have studied every tense by the time I finish this course. Shouldn’t it be “would have ...
A: Rajesh, Thank you for your questions! 1. Since we're talking about the future (after you finish ...
|
| Grammar and wording problems for website usage | 5/20/2009 |
Q: Dawn, thanks for answering my question at ...
A: AN Other, I'll give the meaning of a few sentences to get you started. :) And, yes, you may cut ...
|
| Plagiarism? | 5/20/2009 |
Q: If you have a report to do and you have to research articles online for it and you reword the ...
A: Corrina, Copyright law can be difficult for the lay person to understand. I would always err on ...
|
| Position of "only" and word meaning | 5/7/2009 |
Q: Dawn, depending on the position of the word "only" how is the meaning changed? These are my ...
A: AN Other, You are right to be confused about the position of the word "only" ("just" and "even" ...
|
| Gerunds for Lesson Titles | 5/6/2009 |
Q: I'm trying to find a list of suggested words in the gerund form that could be used in a lesson ...
A: Kris, I hope I'm giving you what you want. :) I took verbs that seemed to fit in with your topic ...
|
| Punctuation | 5/5/2009 |
Q: My editor suggests this way: Jake must achieve at least a C-minus in math, or jeopardize missing out ...
A: Marci, The colon indicates that a list is coming. "Hunting" by itself isn't necessarily a list, ...
|
| Modifiers | 4/30/2009 |
Q: Good morning, I need to know the rule of grammar which answers the followingIn the following ...
A: Carol, That's a very good question! Actually, it's unclear. "recruiting" *could* refer to only ...
|
| WRITING | 4/14/2009 |
Q: I was told the following has errors. I tried and could not see any. This is part of my website. ...
A: Joe, Thanks so much for your question. There are some grammatical and punctuation errors in the ...
|
| sentences and conversations | 4/12/2009 |
Q: 1.I have created some conversations below. Do they all make sense? A: Where is that Italian ...
A: Oppo, All the sentences sound just right. The only one I might have done differently was the ...
|
| Sentences | 4/10/2009 |
Q: 1. By the time I arrive at the station, the train will have left. Can I use the simple future tense ...
A: Oppo, 1. The difference between using simple future and the future perfect tense is to show that a ...
|
| Aunt | 3/28/2009 |
Q: When does Aunt need to be capitalized? The first two below I am confident are correct; My aunt. My ...
A: Kristen, In general, you capitalize a word like "aunt" when it's used with a name, a bit like ...
|
| Thesis statement | 3/27/2009 |
Q: can you please read my thesis statement on my english essay . I would like to know if there are any ...
A: Nyasha, Thank you for submitting your question. A few notes on your thesis statement: - A Room ...
|
| commas | 3/25/2009 |
Q: When writing something like: she said, as she walked across the room. What is the rule for the ...
A: ) First, the sentence example you gave isn't a complete sentence, so let me amend it a bit for the ...
|
| I have lived / been living | 3/24/2009 |
Q: Could you please tell me, which question is correct 1.How long have you been living in this flat? ...
A: The difference between the sentences is in the tense. The first sentence with "have been living" is ...
|
| Grammar question "his" vs "him being late" | 3/24/2009 |
Q: "I was bothered by his being late." vs "I was bothered by him being late." I believe only the ...
A: NatashaS, You are absolutely correct that the second is the properly written sentence: "I was ...
|
| A plural verb with a plural indefinite pronoun. | 3/13/2009 |
Q: Which sentence is correct? Many of us enjoys cycling. or Many of us enjoy cycling.
A: Tim, The correct sentence is "Many of us enjoy cycling." The trick is to get rid of the ...
|
| how to let memories speak | 3/12/2009 |
Q: I am trying to write a creative "memoir" of experiences I had in Russia just a couple years back, ...
A: Molly, What an amazing experience to travel somewhere like Russia. Of course, you want to capture ...
|
| punctuation for prepositional phrases | 3/10/2009 |
Q: Most frogs have voices and like to use them. Males are the main and in some species the only ...
A: Ryan, Like you, I also would put the commas, and so the sentence would read like this: Males are ...
|
| comma after "then" | 3/9/2009 |
Q: Could you please tell me whether in the following instructions the comma after "then" is appropriate ...
A: Angela, In your example, "then" is being used as a transition word, much like "however," ...
|
| conversations | 3/8/2009 |
Q: Do all the conversations below make sense? A: What color of T-shirt will you get? B: I’ll get it in ...
A: Oppo, All the above conversations make sense in that I'm able to follow the question and the answer ...
|
| acronym | 3/6/2009 |
Q: There is an organization called DATA which stands for Debt,Aid,Trade in Africa. But the founder says ...
A: Releasing funds means to give some money. It's usually that these funds are held (at a bank or in ...
|
| language arts | 3/4/2009 |
Q: sometimes called simple predicate? what modifies nouns and pronouns? what follows a linking or ...
A: With some of your questions, I wasn't completely sure of what you were looking for, but I've ...
|
| Help with editing, expression and sentence structure | 3/4/2009 |
Q: This is my entry to Allexperts in a long time and if it does not bother you, I would like you to ...
A: Min, Thank you so much for your kind comments about my writing. As you can probably tell, writing ...
|
| Pen pals | 3/3/2009 |
Q: I recently decided to be a pen pal to someone. I am disabled and unable to work, and thought this ...
A: Barbara, I'm happy to answer your follow-up questions; that's what I'm here for. :) Formal letter ...
|
| Proper verb tense when referring to past knowledge of future action | 3/2/2009 |
Q: Dawn. A quick question for you. Which of the following is correct? "I did not know that you had ...
A: David, These are always tricky. :) It has mostly to do with when the speaker knew that ...
|
| Sentences | 3/1/2009 |
Q: 1. Do all the sentences below have identical meanings? I Won’t be able to make the meeting. I won’t ...
A: Generally (and I'll go into more specifics for each one), the meaning is the same, but different ...
|
| Help with editing, expression and sentence structure | 3/1/2009 |
Q: This is my entry to Allexperts in a long time and if it does not bother you, I would like you to ...
A: Min, Thank you for your confidence in me. You should have more confidence in yourself. Your ...
|
| Pen pals | 2/28/2009 |
Q: I recently decided to be a pen pal to someone. I am disabled and unable to work, and thought this ...
A: What a nice thing for you to do - to be a pen pal. I'm glad you're following your heart and ...
|
| grass roots | 2/26/2009 |
Q: A musician was asked to take part in the Jubilee 2000 coalition and he said: I first thought my job ...
A: A grass roots movement is a way to get people involved in a movement, a cause, from the very ...
|
| rock out | 2/11/2009 |
Q: There was a group called Emergency Broadcast Network. I think they were a music group. And they had ...
A: 1. Emergency Broadcast Network took Queen's song, "We Will Rock You," and dubbed over with words ...
|
| Sentences | 2/9/2009 |
Q: 1. We’ll charge your account if you transfer money to another account. We’ll make a charge to your ...
A: Oppo, Thank you for your questions! 1. Both sentences are grammatically correct, but the first is ...
|
| subject vs object | 2/7/2009 |
Q: which sentence is correct? "it's me" or "it's i " please kindly help me and also tell me the ...
A: Rajesh, The correct answer is "It's I." "is" (part of the contraction "it's") is a linking/being ...
|
| 2 questions | 2/6/2009 |
Q: I'd like to ask you two questions. I cannot figure out some of the things this guy is talking ...
A: Luke, Boy, this is a tough one! "Outside of voyeurism" means that the idea of a fly on the wall ...
|
| Use of comma in address | 2/5/2009 |
Q: Is it proper usage to put a comma between the city and state in an address in a business letter? ...
A: It is absolutely proper to put the comma in between the city and state in a letter. Leaving it out ...
|
| Semicolon | 2/4/2009 |
Q: Can I use semicolon in between 2 questions? For example, is the sentence below grammatically ...
A: Ernie, Since you're doing two questions, I would separate them and write them as two sentences; ...
|
| a question | 2/4/2009 |
Q: Welcome back! There was a time in the life of the U2 band when they set off on a tour and they took ...
A: 1. I don't think he was necessarily saying that it wasn't elegant. I think he was just recounting ...
|
| questions | 1/24/2009 |
Q: One guy tells a story of another guy who had to go to Amsterdam and smuggle drugs home because he ...
A: Luke, Question 1: He was a slave to the drugs. Now, is it that he did that to himself? Well, I ...
|
| composition | 1/21/2009 |
Q: Is it incorrect grammar to put numbers at the beginning of a sentence? Example: 2009 is going to ...
A: Renee, You can always use numbers at the beginning of a sentence. The question is whether you ...
|
| multiple subjects but singular noun? | 1/18/2009 |
Q: I have a photo with two soldiers - one is East German, the other West German. I would like to write ...
A: Chris, To make it clear that we're talking about two different soldiers, I'd use your third option. ...
|
| him or his | 1/17/2009 |
Q: Which is the more grammatically correct "the cause of his switching to" or "the cause of him ...
A: Leendert, It depends upon the exact meaning of what you're trying to say. "his switching" focuses ...
|
| She/her | 1/16/2009 |
Q: Greetings, I just began writing a Staff Memo and would like to include grammar tips. Can you provide ...
A: ) The correct use would be "She and her husband enjoyed the symphony." Some grammar experts would ...
|
| plural form / agreement | 1/16/2009 |
Q: Which is the correct usage? 1. The Sons of Liberty was created........ 2. The Sons of Liberty were ...
A: Since the Sons of Liberty was an organization of people, it's a single entity, a group. That group ...
|
| with the exception | 1/16/2009 |
Q: how are you? I'm not sure I understand the quote below. However, student or not, I was still ...
A: Luke, Without more information or context, I would agree with your first instinct, that the writer ...
|
| infinitive ing? | 1/14/2009 |
Q: Is it to say "I look forward to continuing making similar contributions in the future."? Or is it ...
A: Infinitives are, by definition, constructed by "to" plus the root form of the verb. So, in your ...
|
| Proof Read question | 1/12/2009 |
Q: I was wondering if you would be able to "proof read" my letter. My primary concern is not my crappy ...
A: Stephanie, I answered this last night, and unfortunately the answer didn't take. Sigh. And it was ...
|
| Sentences | 1/12/2009 |
Q: 1. Whatever you do, make sure you do it right. Wherever you go, I’ll find you. However you do ...
A: 1. "Whatever" is a relative pronoun. "Wherever" is an adverb. "However" is also an adverb. 2. ...
|
| re: plural agreement | 1/11/2009 |
Q: Goldberg: I am hoping you can clear up some confusion for me. I am absolutely bothered by the modern ...
A: Kimberly, That's a very good question. :) The key is whether the noun is referring to the thing ...
|
| chops/wrapped | 1/10/2009 |
Q: Happy New Year! I'm not sure I understand this sentence:"As a sort of art event, they used plaster ...
A: Luke, I thought I had this last night, but it's not showing up. 1. Plaster of Paris is like ...
|
| prepositions? | 12/21/2008 |
Q: I appreciate you thoughts on this. Is the sentence "I have been working with you assess your ...
A: Dan, You are right; the correct sentence is "I have been working with you to assess your financial ...
|
| via/difficult/come out | 12/18/2008 |
Q: how are you? I have three pretty simple questions, I guess. 1. Mike got Albert B. to agree to ...
A: ) I'm doing just fine, thank you. :) 1. I'm not sure why the writer used "via"; it's not ...
|
| editing help | 12/16/2008 |
Q: I am teaching my son to write short stories, but I'm having a bit of trouble on the editing part. ...
A: Beth, Good question! Here's a great resource: ...
|
| Grammer: infinitive, gerund or other? | 12/13/2008 |
Q: I can't figure out the grammar rules for the following: 1. "You go to an orthodontist to have your ...
A: Monica, Thanks for the questions. :) 1. "to have" is an infinitive. The clue is the "to" before ...
|
| Grammar | 12/11/2008 |
Q: I'm going to get greedy and ask several related questions. 1. Let's say that someone has a medical ...
A: David, Happy to help. :) 1. "should have had the surgery" implies that there's a contrast or ...
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| grammar possessive forms | 12/11/2008 |
Q: How do you spell the possessive form of it? Is it's correct? Thank you so much for taking your ...
A: There is no apostrophe for the possessive form of "it." An example is "The dog dropped its bone." ...
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| contemplate a future without..... | 12/10/2008 |
Q: I was sent to a comprehensive school in north Dublin, which was not a place where I felt comfortable ...
A: Luke, I don't know that the school is directly responsible for the author's feeling of not having ...
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| Brought or took? | 12/8/2008 |
Q: Which is correct? I brought my children to school OR I took my children to school.(I think it is ...
A: S., That's an interesting one! "Bring" implies motion toward the speaker, and "take" implies ...
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| pronouns | 12/6/2008 |
Q: Your friend made a favorable impression on Father and I or Father and me. Which word is correct I or ...
A: ) The correct pronoun is "me" - Your friend made a favorable impression on Father and me. The ...
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| singular - possessive - class | 12/5/2008 |
Q: Ok - I'm having a brain freeze and don't know if the singular noun class as a possessive form would ...
A: Your question is one of my pet peeves. The answer varies on which style guide you prefer to use. I ...
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| personal letter | 12/4/2008 |
Q: I need to write a personal letter for a scholarship application. I have no idea what to include in ...
A: It's hard to write a letter like this when there are no guidelines and so much is riding on the ...
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| summary report | 12/3/2008 |
Q: I need assistance on how to write a summary report after undergoing a training.I need to submit the ...
A: Faity, Thanks for your question. :) Your company may have certain guidelines about what they're ...
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| Writer's Block - Completely hit a wall | 12/3/2008 |
Q: I have been working on this for a couple of weeks now and I just can't seem to get anything done. I ...
A: Jessica, It's very frustrating, indeed, to be stuck in the creative process. I have several ...
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| modify | 12/2/2008 |
Q: I'd like you to help me understand relative pronoun "which" in the following sentence. #1 She wrote ...
A: "which made her rich and famous" modifies "novel." The writer used "a" instead of "the" so as to ...
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| punctuation question | 12/2/2008 |
Q: I am editing a translation of a Buddhist Sutra. In it are instructions on how to conduct a specific ...
A: Jian, Thank you so much for a very intriguing question. To make it clear what is what in your ...
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| Usage of "any" as a modifier | 12/1/2008 |
Q: I work in an office where we are routinely preparing high level correspondence for signature by ...
A: As I get riled up by grammar issues myself, I would never tell you that you're wasting your time. ...
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| Correct word use? | 12/1/2008 |
Q: I'm not sure of the proper use of these words although I know their meaning. Is this part of a ...
A: Wow. :) "Verbiage" seems to be a bit much, too wordy. In addition, if you're using "verbiage," ...
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| Quotations | 11/30/2008 |
Q: Are the quotations around "ass" and "horse" needed in the following sentence: The names imply that ...
A: I wouldn't put quotations around any of it. It seems as if Ass Village and Lover of Horses are ...
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| grammar issue | 11/30/2008 |
Q: Is this sentence grammatically correct, or should there be a comma between 'unproven' and 'hunch'? ...
A: Joey, I'm sorry I didn't give you all the information you wanted. Thanks for writing back for more ...
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| grammer | 11/28/2008 |
Q: Which is correct? Did the women's lunches all cost the same amount? or Did the women's lunch all ...
A: Diana, In your example, I'm assuming that we're talking about each woman's lunch, as opposed to one ...
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| grammar | 11/27/2008 |
Q: Could you tell me what the difference in meaning is between these 3 sentences: 1. We have to go 2. ...
A: ) First, "is" is in the right place in your question. You could also put it right after "what," ...
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| Citation Punctuation | 11/27/2008 |
Q: How would I punctuate the following sentence: When asked who he is, Satan responds, "An angel," ...
A: Jenny, When including citations, it depends upon your reference. I use the MLA Handbook. So, in ...
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| eassay | 11/26/2008 |
Q: ANSWER: 11/25/08: Zoe, you mentioned on your feedback that my response was a little confusing. I'd ...
A: Zoe, Thanks for the clarification. First, describe the nature of your learning disability. ...
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| grammar | 11/24/2008 |
Q: I was corrected today when I said, "I done it wrong." I was using informal English and I know I ...
A: :) "wrong" is describing how it was done, not "it." "Wrong" CAN describe a noun or pronoun (like ...
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| what is the difference/what the difference is... | 11/23/2008 |
Q: I know that it is correct to say: I really do not know what IS so strange about it. And that it is ...
A: ) In your sentences, "is" is the verb for the subject "what." It is not the verb for the pronoun ...
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| much/many/so/such | 11/22/2008 |
Q: Goldberg. Welcome to Allexperts, hope you will stay with us for some time! I just would like to ...
A: ) Thank you for your nice greeting. :) What a nice introduction to AllExperts! All your examples ...
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| Punctuating in quotations | 11/22/2008 |
Q: I want help with punctuating this sentence Did she say, How old are you I would like references if ...
A: ) The correct way to punctuate this sentence is as follows: Did she say, "How old are you?" The ...
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