What are some tips in having better speech? [more inside]
posted by InterestedInKnowing on Dec 14, 2009 - 9 answers

Are adverbs mere adjective spinoffs? [more inside]
posted by aswego on Nov 13, 2009 - 17 answers

How is "I should mind" used to mean "I don't really mind"? This and other grammar/language questions inside. [more inside]
posted by rossination on Oct 23, 2009 - 11 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

LanguageFilter: How can a native English speaker develop a better sense of grammatical cases? [more inside]
posted by mary8nne on Jul 22, 2009 - 16 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

I'm kicking around a concept for a theoretical piece I hope to work on in the near future, dealing with the way "femininity" and the "female" category are conceived of linguistically. Help me find some empirical data! [more inside]
posted by parkbench on Mar 24, 2009 - 24 answers

Looking for online grammar exercises, games, etc. that would enable me to do a few exercises here and there throughout the day. [more inside]
posted by variella on Feb 10, 2009 - 9 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

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

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

How can I best learn the French language, grammar, and pronunciation? [more inside]
posted by christopherbdnk on May 26, 2008 - 16 answers

On a recent trip to Kenya, we visited a school who is in need of simple French language instruction booklets for elementary-age children. [more inside]
posted by vanoakenfold on May 23, 2008 - 3 answers

Foreign language "bibles" (superlative, comprehensive language resources) for language-learning lovers? [more inside]
posted by zeek321 on Apr 3, 2008 - 10 answers

Please hope me! Or why hope for help? [more inside]
posted by TheRaven on Mar 27, 2008 - 23 answers

Are there any languages that do not contain gender-specific pronouns? (no he's or she's, just 'it')
posted by dinty_moore on Mar 4, 2008 - 19 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

Grammar Question: Is or Isn't? [more inside]
posted by philmas on Dec 8, 2007 - 57 answers

I need . . . adjectives! Is there a *scannable* online dictionary or some way in which I can search through giant lists just for the adjectives? [more inside]
posted by Dee Xtrovert on Oct 18, 2007 - 9 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

Is there a term for mangling two words to create a new word or term? [more inside]
posted by suki on Jul 17, 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

"Most all" - it is wrong. Right? [more inside]
posted by ClarissaWAM on Jul 2, 2007 - 45 answers

I'm looking for a mac word processor with French language support (spelling and grammar) to replace Microsoft Word 2004. [more inside]
posted by Frankieist on Mar 2, 2007 - 8 answers

Help me find evidence contrary to this analysis that claims the internet causes language to be "dumbed down". As Hemingway said: "Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?"
posted by Acey on Jan 14, 2007 - 23 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

Hawaiian has only eight consonants. Pirahã purportedly has even fewer phonemes and no numerals. What other languages have properties which would be considered unusual by Indo-European language speakers?
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane on Nov 16, 2006 - 33 answers

How do I learn what goes on "under the hood" of programming languages? [more inside]
posted by grumblebee on Aug 14, 2006 - 34 answers

Is there are any software that can perform a decent grammar check? [more inside]
posted by benji on Jul 17, 2006 - 4 answers

Usage and Grammar: What is considered the usage and style manual? [more inside]
posted by frecklefaerie on Feb 26, 2006 - 26 answers

[GrammarFilter] "the show was broadcast live" or "the show was broadcasted live"? [more inside]
posted by banished on Sep 7, 2005 - 9 answers

Spanish hyphenation rules/exceptions? Due to some new responsibilities, i need to improve my more-than-basic-but-less-than-fluent Spanish. Are there any online or purchasable cheatsheets/books outlining when/how to break words? (it's a general Latin-American Spanish and not pure Castilian) [more inside]
posted by amberglow on Aug 20, 2005 - 12 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

I know I'm being a bit of a hypertext pedant, but are there any grammatical rules for linktext? Any stylistic rules for linktext? Linktext is the stuff that goes in between <a> and </a>. I know to never use "click here" as linktext but I'm interested in other rules about syntax and style. (more inside) [more inside]
posted by revgeorge on Feb 9, 2005 - 23 answers

[Language(hat)Filter] In the famous line from the Aeneid "Quidquid id est, timeo danaos et dona ferentis", why is ferentis in the genitive? [plus intus] [more inside]
posted by sbutler on Jan 7, 2005 - 9 answers

What is the plural of "presence?" [more inside]
posted by werty on Dec 8, 2004 - 14 answers

[Grammar] Is there a preferred time to use "nobody" versus "no one?"
posted by davebug on Nov 22, 2004 - 15 answers

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

Where does the American construction doesn't know from come from? How is it used? [More Inside.] [more inside]
posted by MiguelCardoso on Sep 21, 2004 - 19 answers

UK versus American English usage question: In a recent post, the one on Chinese singing, I noticed that English speakers from England seem to use 'to' where most Americans would use 'from' or 'than.'
Example: "So 'bang' with a rising tone is different to 'bang' with a falling tone is different to 'bang' with a rising then falling tone."
Why is this, and how did this difference in usage originate?
posted by geekhorde on Sep 5, 2004 - 19 answers

Is it ever OK in prose to start a sentence with "and"? The general situation I'm thinking of is when you want to insert a sort of dramatic pause into the middle of a narrative sentence that has "and" (or any conjunction in it). [more inside]
posted by badstone on Sep 3, 2004 - 35 answers