Grammar Filter: what is the English equivalent to the "Double Future Tense"? [more inside]
posted on Jul 9, 2008 - 10 answers

What is the difference between "no more than" and "not more than"? [more inside]
posted on Jul 3, 2008 - 15 answers

How do you pronounce the word 'read' when used in the following context? -- 'John is dry (read: boring).' /rɛd/ or /rid/ Thanks!
posted on May 29, 2008 - 121 answers

Vagaries of the English Language, part n: I need to tell my boss why the contraction "I'm" cannot stand alone as a sentence. For example, "Yes, I am" is okay. "Yes, I'm" is not. I haven't been able to find any good logic for this case or that works for the different contractions in general ("don't" can also stand alone, "I'd" and "I've" cannot). Given this is about languages, and particularly English, "just because" is, alas, potentially the best answer.
posted on May 15, 2008 - 36 answers

GrammarFilter: True/False -- The following sentence can be grammatically correct. There's rockets. [more inside]
posted on Apr 29, 2008 - 53 answers

I need recommendations for the best Spanish review/dictionary. [more inside]
posted on Apr 21, 2008 - 4 answers

What are some other examples of using 'an' in front of a non-vowel like some do with 'an historic...'? [more inside]
posted on Feb 22, 2008 - 40 answers

A) "At the next stage in the process, the tea leaves ARE blended". B) "At the next stage in the process, the tea leaves WERE blended". Is A correct from a formal grammar standpoint? If so, which tense is it using, and how is it using the past tense of "blend"? If not, why not?
posted on Jan 11, 2008 - 19 answers

GrammarFilter: Is the sentence “If I were ______, I would have done _____” grammatically incorrect? If so, why? [more inside]
posted on Dec 5, 2007 - 13 answers

Explain tenses to me? Past/present/future, continuous/simple/perfect, and so on, in English. I can use them with fluency, but I need to be able to explain them (when each is used, how to form them). I've tried Fowler's, Chicago Manual of Style, and a number of other resources, but they seem to subtly contradict one another. Is there a simple, go-to reference for this?
posted on Sep 28, 2007 - 16 answers

In a sentence which begins, "I expect that the answer lay/lays/lie/lies not in the answers provided, but . . . ," which is the correct verb choice? [more inside]
posted on Jul 29, 2007 - 28 answers

What are some essential differences between UK and American English Grammar? [more inside]
posted on Jul 8, 2007 - 71 answers

Best book for "learning" English grammar? [more inside]
posted on Jun 28, 2007 - 28 answers

"From *date* until *date" or "From *date* to *date*"? Grammarians hope me! [more inside]
posted on Jan 9, 2007 - 7 answers

English grammar: 'could be Xing' versus 'can be Xing' -- how can we explain why one is correct and one isn't? [more inside]
posted on Dec 12, 2006 - 23 answers

Correct use: "consists of" vs "consists in" [more inside]
posted on Oct 6, 2006 - 9 answers

My girlfriend is Korean, and has been living in the US since 2000. Her English is fairly good, but she still makes a few grammatical errors on a regular basis, especially when writing. Can anyone recommend a good, and probably more importantly interesting to read, book on English grammar she could use to get better? [more inside]
posted on Aug 8, 2006 - 16 answers

Did "based on" beget "based off of"? [more inside]
posted on May 16, 2006 - 28 answers

Why does one not use the word "one" more often when refering to people in general? [more inside]
posted on Jan 10, 2006 - 24 answers

When Americans talk about things like bands and sports teams they use the singular but when people in the UK/Ireland do so they use the plural. Who's right? [more inside]
posted on Aug 11, 2005 - 22 answers

Which statement is correct? Does either of you recognize this person? Do either of you recognize this person? [more inside]
posted on Mar 19, 2005 - 19 answers

PunctuationFilter: I'm writing the copy for a CD insert booklet in which the title of a book is mentioned. Typically, I'd italicize it, but the entire piece is already in italics. What's the standard here?
posted on Dec 6, 2004 - 18 answers

"One is not amused..." Personal pronoun, or third person generalisation? [MI]
posted on Nov 6, 2004 - 10 answers

Academical? While listening to NPR this afternoon, a UVa student giving a tour used the word "academical" in describing a portion of UVa's campus . The use of "academical" struck me as sounding very odd although it is arguably correct. Is it all academic?
posted on Jul 3, 2004 - 10 answers

What does "normative" mean? Is it a useful word? I only ever see it used in obscure, academic writing, which makes me suspect it's worthless. How is it different from "normal"? My dictionary says it means, "Of, relating to, or prescribing a norm or standard: normative grammar." That sounds like "normal" to me, so why not just say "normal"? Can someone give me some clear sentences that use the word -- sentences that are not written in post-modern, complit speak? Can one use "normative" meaningfully in a sentence about real-world things, like butter, eggs or bricks?
posted on May 21, 2004 - 24 answers

Quite a few American MeFi users, notably Matt, write "not so big of a deal" or, as in the linked example, "too subtle of a point." Is this a legitimate American construction or is that of redundant and/or just plain wrong? If it's acceptable, is it in any way related to the colloquial English construction "Of a Saturday, I enjoy a walk in the park"?
posted on Jan 30, 2004 - 30 answers