Messages

1

Use and Misuse / Re: Fused sentences are very serious, very annoying grammar violations

« on: April 16, 2023, 08:43:40 PM »

1. This is a run-on sentence and it can be corrected in various ways.
2. This is a run-on sentence that can be corrected in various ways.

2

Getting to Know English / Re: When even the passive voice won’t do

« on: July 06, 2022, 08:18:27 PM »

I see. Thank you for explaining.

3

Getting to Know English / Re: When even the passive voice won’t do

« on: July 05, 2022, 04:02:31 PM »

Like in your example sentences, Sir:

1. “No, Your Honor, it was the accusers themselves who fudged the data.”

2. “It was her that I wanted all along.”

Or, do you mean to say that in “it”-cleft sentences, it is not functioning as a pronoun?

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Getting to Know English / Re: When even the passive voice won’t do

« on: July 03, 2022, 04:00:47 PM »

When using “it”-cleft sentences, Sir, wouldn't I be questioned on the antecedent of it?

5

Your Thoughts Exactly / White lies

« on: May 20, 2022, 10:56:30 AM »

Would you tell your family that you have a debilitating illness or not?

I have asked myself that upon learning that someone recently found out that she has cancer. Apparently, she doesn’t want her children to worry about her because she plans to undergo every possible medical intervention first anyway.

                                   ARTWORK CREDIT: KINDPNG.COM

It’s evident though that she’d get hurt even more if her children would take her medical situation lightly. In her recent operation, the money she was given hadn’t been enough to cover her entire hospital bills, and the care she was accorded hadn’t been sufficient to make her illness less debilitating. I was therefore almost tempted to tell her children the truth about her real health condition if only to ease a bit of her worries—but then would that really of any comfort to her if I did so?

Knowing how it is to be seriously sick, I understand why she doesn’t want her loved ones to worry too much about her. No one would want to be gushed over with your ailment, right? It’s very stressful enough having to explain how you feel every now and then and to share with anyone what you’ve already been told by your doctor. It’s also not worth knowing that other people close to you won’t be able to lead “normal” lives just because you can’t lead your own life normally anymore.
 
But, of course, lies are lies—and letting your loved ones truly aware of what you’re going through is just being fair and honest to them. You won’t be withholding the truth from them. And by letting them know the facts about your health condition, you’ll find greater comfort in the depth of their sympathies.

6

Badly Written, Badly Spoken / The both of you, the both of us, and what matter

« on: February 05, 2022, 06:16:43 PM »

I often hear a judge in a beauty contest of an afternoon variety show use the phrase "the both of you." Other times, other Filipino celebrities would use the phrase "the both of us" in talk shows. Are these usages correct, Sir?

Last Wednesday, I heard my second choice for president use "what matter" in a statement. I quickly check the phrase in some online dictionaries to find out if it was right and wasn't really surprised that it was not. I then thought that, maybe, spontaneity in a morning interview just got the better of a nonnative English speaker. But then he had used "what matter" again two days later for not fewer than three times, making me sure that the phrase was being deliberately used. What should be done in that case, Sir?

7

Use and Misuse / Re: Dealing with annoying English grammar errors (3rd in a series of 14)

« on: November 21, 2021, 07:28:39 PM »

Uhm, "Improve your chances by taking by taking a moment to think clearly"?

8

Badly Written, Badly Spoken / With regard vs. As regards

« on: October 27, 2021, 12:04:02 PM »

I remember reading an essay of yours advising the use of with regard. With that in mind, will I be correct in thinking that the use of as regards in the following sentence is wrong?

He also urged other countries to translate commitments into action as regards the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

9

Advice and Dissent / Re: Did the Mazaua First Mass historians ever talk to one another? - 3

« on: October 01, 2021, 01:51:15 PM »

I'm sorry but I still believe that Maximillanus Transylvanus shouldn't have tinkered with Antonio Pigafetta's journal on the Magellanic voyage because he wasn't among the fleet. If he had given weight to what happened in Mazaua, the succeeding authors might have noted it.

10

Getting to Know English / Re: Avoiding improper uses of the conjunction “as”

« on: March 19, 2021, 09:56:49 AM »

Uh-oh.

I'd have to practice more then.

11

Getting to Know English / Re: Avoiding improper uses of the conjunction “as”

« on: March 18, 2021, 04:25:35 PM »

Major Metro Manila daily: “The rainy season began this week as the country went through the shortest dry season this year because of the La Niña phenomenon.”

Major Metro Manila daily: “The rainy season began this week after the country went through the shortest dry season this year because of the La Niña phenomenon.”

Another major TV network’s news website: “Tragedy struck on Holy Thursday as two people drowned and another one went missing in a river in Oriental Mindoro.”

Another major TV network’s news website: “Tragedy struck on Holy Thursday when two people drowned and another one went missing in a river in Oriental Mindoro.”

Another Metro Manila daily: “Camiguin province continues to experience an economic boom as the provincial government is eyeing close to P300 million in investments next year, officials said Thursday.”

Another Metro Manila daily: “Since Camiguin province continues to experience an economic boom, the provincial government is eyeing close to P300 million in investments next year, officials said Thursday.”

12

Getting to Know English / Re: When can history be told in the present tense?

« on: February 26, 2021, 11:00:01 AM »

Thank you for your explanation, Sir. I thought I should just use the present tense, whatever the case may be.

Anyway, shouldn't "disproven" be deleted in this last sentence of yours?

On the other hand, disproven principles proven to be false must be stated in the past tense: “The phlogiston theory held that an elementary principle, called phlogiston by its proponent, G. H. Stahl, was lost from substances when they burned.” (This theory has been displaced by Antoine Lavoisier’s oxygen theory.) 

13

Getting to Know English / Re: The art of avoiding needless voice shifts

« on: February 15, 2021, 04:23:45 PM »

Uh, may I ask why so, Sir?

From what I recall, collective nouns refer to people or things and require it as a pronoun since it is neither feminine nor masculine...

14

Getting to Know English / Re: The art of avoiding needless voice shifts

« on: February 12, 2021, 04:15:46 PM »

Uh, shouldn't it be “The baseball team took its time practicing, but it became a great fighting machine in the field.”

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Badly Written, Badly Spoken / Re: Which is correct: "go inside" or "get inside"?

« on: December 20, 2020, 12:46:09 PM »

Ah!

Thank you again, Sir!