The Grammar Doctor's Tip Archive Page 6

| SEPT 98 | OCT 98 | NOV 98 | DEC 98 | JAN 99 | FEB 99 | MAR 99 | APR 99 | MAY 99 | JUNE 99 |
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TIPS FOR JANUARY 2001

Let's say you write a sentence that begins, "You or your brother. . . ." The question is, should the verb be singular or plural? If the subject were only "you," you'd need a plural verb such as "have" (all "you" subjects take plural verbs). If the verb were just "brother," you'd need the singular form, "has." But in this situation, you'd use a different rule: the verb closer to the subject governs the choice. In this case, a singular verb is required since it's closer to the singular word "brother." If you reversed these subjects, a plural verb would be correct.
If "please" begins a sentence, it is not set off by a comma. Example: "Please reply within 10 business days." However, if "please" comes at the end, it is set off by a comma. Example: "Gather your belongings now, please." You may wonder why. In the first case, "please" is the verb, with "you" its understood subject. In the second example, "please" is also a verb. In this instance, though, it's part of a clause that begins with the understood words "if you. . . ."
What's the difference between "on to" and "onto"? A simple answer: "onto" means "on top of." In all other cases, use "on to."
If you write a sentence that contains a pair of parentheses, be sure to place marks of punctuation immediately after the closing parenthesis rather the after the opening parenthesis. Example: "If you want to know the answer (and I'm sure you do), stay tuned." [Not "If you want to know the answer, (and I'm sure you do) stay tuned."]
In the phrases "20 hours a month" or "two days a week," no apostrophe is needed, but why? You can find the answer by changing the plural words to singulars ("an hour a month"/"one day a week"). Since no "s" remains, these are not possessive situations. By contrast, "three weeks' vacation," when changed to "a week's vacation," still has the "s" and thus is part of a possessive.

TIPS FOR FEBRUARY 2001

Numbers from zero to nine are generally written as words. Some authorities include 10 in this category, but I find the zero-to-nine rule easier to remember because it includes only single-digit numbers.
Take special care when sentences have an inverted word order (not the common subject-verb-object order). In such cases it is common to have a subject-verb disagreement. For example: "In the middle of the gazebo was a fountain and two small trees." The subject is "a fountain and two small trees," so the verb should be "were." An inverted order such as the one in the above example often involves prepositional phrases that tell where.
Introductory adverbial clauses should always be followed by commas. For example: "If you build it, they will come." The reason for this rule, I've been told, is not only that we pause where the comma belongs but also that the "normal" position of these clauses is after the verb rather than before.
Be careful about the placement of colons. The following example is from real life: "The following items are needed for the snowstorm: victims, canned food, water, flashlights, blankets, and emergency medical supplies." (The colon should, of course, follow "victims.")
Two of the three major uses of the dash are to show emphasis or an abrupt change in thought. In the following example, no punctuation is required before the word "unless" unless the writer wants to use the dash for one of these reasons. Example: "This sentence doesn't appear to have a dangling modifier—unless you know that the Tennessee Oilers had the lead going into the fourth quarter." The writer emphasized the importance of the "unless" clause by using the dash.

TIPS FOR MARCH 2001

Update on the status of the spelling of "e-mail": I'm still holding out for this spelling, because it's consistent with spellings of "e-business," "e-commerce," and other words developed similarly.
About "Web site" I'm not so sure. I prefer the two-word version, as shown, but you'll also see "Website," "web site," and "website." "Website" matches the current style for words like "Webmaster," so "Website" may be the eventual spelling.
Generally, subjects that are fractions or percents, whether specific or general, sometimes take plural subjects and sometimes singular ones, depending on the prepositional phrases that modify them. For example, you would say, "Half of the peanuts WERE" but "half of the money WAS." Here's one that sounds wrong, even though it's right: "About half of the oil and gas required by 2010 HAVE not yet been brought to production status." The reason it sounds wrong is that "oil" and "gas" are singular, but of course together they make a plural. In such cases it might be better to reword the sentence.
Be careful not to write sentences so complex that they have no subject. Example: "But for these or similar vehicles to make a difference in total energy use will take a very long time." Technically, "for these or similar vehicles to make a difference in total energy use" is the subject of the verb "will take." But a prepositional phrase can't be a subject, so the sentence should be rewritten: "But it will take a very long time for these or similar vehicles to make a difference in total energy use."
Contrary to what you were taught in school, it is possible to use incomplete sentences. Examples: "Not to worry." "Enough said." "End of discussion." Use these sparingly to sum up, emphasize, or make a point succinctly.

TIPS FOR APRIL 2001

Here’s an example of a structure that’s often used incorrectly in speech, but I was surprised to read it in my local newspaper: “In the past, the city didn’t have as solid of a business mix.” The sentence should read, “In the past, the city didn’t have as solid a business mix.” (The word “of” should be deleted. Trust me that this is syntactically correct.)
Here’s another incorrect structure from the same newspaper: “‘We’re in an energy crisis now,’ Mr. Bush told reporters Wednesday, disputing suggestions that he had caved into corporate pressure.” Did you find the error? It isn’t a “Bushism,” but a reporter’s error. “Into” means “to go from one place to another,” but in this sentence that obviously isn’t the meaning. It should be written “in to” in this sentence. “Caved” is a verb, “in” is an adverb modifying “caved,” and “to” is a preposition.
"You" can be an understood subject, but sometimes there is a difference in meaning if this subject is present. For example, if you say, “Have confidence in yourself,” you’re giving the person an order: do this. But if you add the subject “you,” you’re probably making a statement of fact that means that the person already has confidence.
If you write a sentence such as “Do they have any more doughnuts?”, you must write “any more” as two words, and the sentence asks whether the supply has run out. But if you write, “Do they have doughnuts anymore?”, you mean something like, “Do these stores still sell doughnuts?” and, according to recent dictionaries, “anymore” is spelled as one word in such contexts. What a mess!
Words and phrases that are often unnecessary in any sentence include “located” and “which exist” (and there are many others). Example One: “The schools located in the northern part of town are in need of repair.” (“Located” can be deleted without changing the meaning.) Example Two: “Problems which exist in inner-city public schools are being addressed.” (Delete “which exist,” and the meaning is the same.)

TIPS FOR MAY 2001

Redundant words and phrases are very common (see April tips). Here’s another pitfall to avoid. If you use the word including, there’s no reason to use etc. as well because etc. is implied. Example: “My dogs have some irritating habits, including running in the house, fighting over food (or over nothing), barking at squirrels and large trucks, refusing to come in the house, etc.”
There are lots of problems with the use of “as well,” only one of which is the punctuation. The extra comma usually pops up when “as well” comes at the end of a sentence. Correct examples: “The team was hurt by baserunning errors as well as errors made by the infield” and “The team was hurt by baserunning errors as well.”
Placement of “as well” is also a concern. NEVER put “as well” as the beginning of a sentence. If you want to convey the idea suggested by “as well,” use a phrase such as in addition.
We all have to work hard not to confuse “lie” and “lay.” Most people use “lay” when they mean “lie.” For example, they say, “I need to lay down for a while” when they should say, “I need to lie (rest, recline) down for a while.” Here’s another example of this mistake: “This year’s event provides us with a better understanding of the challenges that lay before us.” (“Lay” in the present tense means “put” or “place.”)
On another verb front, be careful not to use the word “forecasted.” This verb is the same in all tenses, like “shut,” “cut,” “hit,” “cast,” and “broadcast.”

TIPS FOR JUNE 2001

Use brackets in a direct quotation to show one or more words added to make a sentence complete or to clarify the speaker’s statement. For example: “Results reflected in the [1999] report indicate significant progress has been made in corporate purchases over the past several years.” The words in brackets were not in the speaker’s statement, so “1999” was added to clarify which year the speaker was referring to.
Single quotation marks are needed only if double quotation marks are also being used in a particular context. For example: “We want these companies to be able to successfully compete with ‘big box’ retailers,” said the mayor. If there were no double quotation marks, the sentence would be punctuated thus: We want these companies to be able to successfully compete with “big box” retailers.
Terms such as “bachelor’s degree” and “master’s degree” are not capitalized in resumes or sentences. Note also that the apostrophe always precedes the “s” in these terms. Names of majors are not capitalized unless they are proper nouns such as English, French, or Japanese.
Like most prefixes today, the “non” prefix is not usually hyphenated, as in “nontoxic” and “nonconformist.”
There are many unwritten rules on word placement. Consider the word “worldwide” in this sentence: “One of the department’s jobs is to update the database and make the information available to anyone who needs it worldwide.” You won’t find an explanation of the reason in any style guide, but this word works much better after “available.”

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