the NO No's in basic grammar!

[tcha]

I posted this thread for questions regarding grammar ( usage ) anyone who can contribute is very much WELCOME- this is for the benefit of those studying grammar and basic sentence construction...

I searched for this...

Fact: It's wrong to start a sentence with and or but.
Question: But why is it wrong? There's no law against occasionally using and or but to begin a sentence.

Explanation:

Over the years, some English teachers have enforced the notion that and and but should be used only to join elements within a sentence, not to join one sentence with another. Not so. It's been common practice to begin sentences with them since at least as far back as the tenth century. But don't overdo it or your writing will sound monotonous.

:leprechaun:

source; grammarphobia

[tcha]

Fact: Use It is I, not It is me.

Explanation:
Here's another ordinance that's out of date. It's OK to use It is me, That's him, It's her, and similar constructions, instead of using the grammatically correct but more stuffy It is I, That's he, and It's she.

Similarly, it's fine to say, Me too. The alternative, I too, is still grammatically correct, but unless you're addressing the Supreme Court or the or any higher office you can drop the formality.

source: grammarphobia

[Maria_maria]

A note on prescriptive grammar:

What is prescriptive grammar?
Prescriptive grammar is what we call traditional grammar rules. The most infamous of these rules is do not split an infinitive (i.e. To boldly go where no man has gone before), and do not end with a conjunction (i.e. Then what should I end with?). Prescriptive grammar describes rules based on what it thinks language should be... rather than how it is actually used.


The grammar that describes how language is actually used is called descriptive grammar. It provides details about how the speakers of a language string words together in actual usage. In fact, in descriptive grammar, it's okay to split your infinitives.

How did prescriptive grammar come to be?
Most rules in prescriptive grammar come from Latin which was once perceived to be the perfect language (don't ask me, I don't know how that came to be). In Latin, infinitives are represented in just one word (amare - to love, regere - to rule), that means it was basically impossible to split an infinitive. In English, infinitives are made up of two separate words, to + base form of verb -- to categorically say that we shouldn't split infinitives is unreasonable.

Is prescriptive grammar wrong?
Not at all. In many cases, prescriptive grammar is where we derive our norms (i.e. capitalize the first letter of the first word in a sentence, subject and verb must agree in number, etc.), especially in writing.

When grammar studies first took place (in the olden times of course), the only text that they (olden times scholars) considered were written text because they considered them to be the superior form of text (more superior than spoken text). Hence, the conventions of writing were the ones that were translated into prescriptive grammar which, sadly, are the rules that are taught to ESL/EFL learners. The result of such formal rules is an unnatural textbook type of English.

In my opinion, strict grammar rules should be applied to written English -- but with careful scrutiny. Tcha is right about that rule regarding starting your sentences with but and and -- she said that it's okay and acceptable to do so, but use it sparingly so your text won't look funny. But is it wrong? Tcha says, it's not wrong and she's right!

When in doubt about spoken grammar, I have always maintained that learners should strive to express themselves with little conscious attention to grammar when they are in informal situations. The more important part of communication is your intended meaning and the ability to repair a breakdown in communication. The place for conscious grammar (of course with the intention that the correct structures become unconscious and automatic in informal situations outside) should be in the classroom.

:music-smiley-546:

Enjoy English!

[tcha]

Which of the following grammar mistakes annoys you the most?

1. Third conditional:
If I would have known about the party, I would have gone to it."
This is INCORRECT, although commonly used, especially in American English.
The correct form is:
If + had + past participle, would + have + past participle
* "If I had known about the party, I would have gone."
2. Don't vs Doesn’t
"He don’t care about me anymore."
This is INCORRECT.
Doesn't, does not, or does are used with the third person singular - words like he, she, and it.
Don't, do not, or do are used for other subjects.
* "He doesn’t care about me anymore."
3. Bring vs Take
"When we go to the party on Saturday, let’s bring a bottle of wine."
This is INCORRECT.
When you are viewing the movement of something from the point of arrival, use “bring”:
* "When you come to the party, please bring a bottle of wine."
When you are viewing the movement of something from the point of departure, use “take”:
* "When we go to the party, let’s take a bottle of wine."
4. Fewer vs Less
Sign at the checkout of a supermarket: “Ten items or less”.
This is INCORRECT.
You can count the items, so you need to use the number word “fewer”. These nouns are countable.
* "Ten items or fewer."
If you can’t count the substance, then you should use “less”. These nouns are uncountable.
* "You should eat less meat."
5. However
"We were supposed to go to the dance last night, however, it was cancelled because of lack of interest."
This is INCORRECT.
A semicolon, rather than a comma, should be used to link these two complete sentences:
* "We were supposed to go to the dance last night; however, it was cancelled because of lack of interest."
This is CORRECT.
It should be noted that there ARE situations in which you can use a comma instead of a semi-colon:
* "The match at Wimbledon, however, continued despite the bad weather."
There is only one complete sentence in this example. It is not a compound sentence.