Yet Another English Grammar Question: Which is correct? Based on my facial expression right now, you would think I [were/was] excited. The former sounds wrong, but reading about subjunctive moods makes me think it's right. Does it matter whether I intend to imply that I was not in fact excited?
posted by phrontist on Nov 23, 2009 - 27 answers

Is English much more difficult than most languages to speak and to write? [more inside]
posted by ragtimepiano on Nov 23, 2009 - 37 answers

GrammarFilter: A friend and I have been discussing this construction: "would have had to go" vs. "would have had to have gone." It seems they are both correct and are almost always interchangeable, so it would seem the former, simpler version is preferable. Thoughts, explanations, examples otherwise? Are they both correct? [more inside]
posted by Badasscommy on Oct 26, 2009 - 10 answers

Tell me everything you know about this sentence construction: "Are you finished your lunch?" [more inside]
posted by peep on Oct 22, 2009 - 91 answers

Grammarians: Is it OK to take liberties with the word "win" when publicizing a contest or draw? [more inside]
posted by wackybrit on Oct 5, 2009 - 15 answers

Please hope me with this seemingly-basic English grammar/spelling question! Which is correct: "long-sleeve t-shirt" or "long-sleeved t-shirt"? Is there supposed to be a hyphen between "long" and "sleeve(d)? [more inside]
posted by radioamy on Oct 2, 2009 - 38 answers

So which sentence is proper English grammar: "If you eat like Bob and me, you will be healthy." or "If you eat like Bob and I, you will be healthy."
posted by 256 on Aug 14, 2009 - 73 answers

In There Will Be Blood, Daniel Plainview delivers the line: "I have a competition in me." Could this be described as grammatically correct, strictly speaking? Or is it idiomatic, but not strictly correct? Is Plainview saying, essentially, "I have a [sense of] competition in me," a sentence that, were it to be spelled out as such, would lose its rhetorical punch? Could it be argued as a case of poetic metonymy or something of the kind? [more inside]
posted by Busoni on Aug 8, 2009 - 27 answers

I want to ask several questions in a row in a research proposal. What is the grammatically correct way of doing this? [more inside]
posted by hiteleven on Jul 23, 2009 - 15 answers

In Return of the King, Aragorn says: "I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me." What precisely does he mean by this? My confusion is with the phrase "take the heart of me." Is this a standard idiom?
posted by Busoni on Jul 15, 2009 - 15 answers

Genuinely dumb question to waste on the brain trust here but: when nouns end in x, do you indicate possession with just a quotation mark or do you need to include the s? [more inside]
posted by christhelongtimelurker on Jul 13, 2009 - 23 answers

Good examples of intercultural communications based on ideograms or common concepts? [more inside]
posted by Bio11 on Feb 22, 2009 - 13 answers

Why is Sudan frequently referred to with an article, as in the Sudan?
posted by christhelongtimelurker on Jan 28, 2009 - 11 answers

When should I use "instructive" and when should I use "instructional"? [more inside]
posted by gmm on Jan 21, 2009 - 7 answers

GrammarFilter: Origins and form of "As well he should"? [more inside]
posted by coolhappysteve on Dec 9, 2008 - 6 answers

Please help me with a quick English grammar question. [more inside]
posted by Slenny on Dec 5, 2008 - 42 answers

I need help with a pronoun issue. In the following sentences, what noun is the word it replacing? [more inside]
posted by amyms on Dec 5, 2008 - 11 answers

In a sentence such as "When I was younger, I would swim a mile before going to work every day," what grammatical tense is in play? [more inside]
posted by woodblock100 on Nov 18, 2008 - 14 answers

In French, the singular of eye is "oiel" and the plural is "yeux." Are there any nouns in English that have completely different spellings of the singular and plural like this?
posted by Crosius on Sep 26, 2008 - 27 answers

Which preposition is the correct choice in this context? [more inside]
posted by FireStyle on Aug 26, 2008 - 35 answers

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

What is the difference between "no more than" and "not more than"? [more inside]
posted by Arasithil 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 by gman on May 29, 2008 - 122 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 by whatzit on May 15, 2008 - 36 answers

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

I need recommendations for the best Spanish review/dictionary. [more inside]
posted by greta simone 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 by afx114 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 by Jon Mitchell 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 by jason's_planet 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 by sarahkeebs 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 by Dee Xtrovert on Jul 29, 2007 - 28 answers

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

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

"From *date* until *date" or "From *date* to *date*"? Grammarians hope me! [more inside]
posted by Joseph Gurl 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 by stavrosthewonderchicken on Dec 12, 2006 - 23 answers

Correct use: "consists of" vs "consists in" [more inside]
posted by primer_dimer 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 by Sangermaine on Aug 8, 2006 - 16 answers

Did "based on" beget "based off of"? [more inside]
posted by Mr Stickfigure 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 by Jase_B 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 by daveirl 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 by pelican 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 by plexiwatt on Dec 6, 2004 - 18 answers

"One is not amused..." Personal pronoun, or third person generalisation? [MI] [more inside]
posted by benzo8 on Nov 6, 2004 - 9 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 by Dick Paris 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 by grumblebee 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 by MiguelCardoso on Jan 30, 2004 - 30 answers