Topics

1

You Asked Me This Question / Plural form of "thank you" when used as a noun

« on: April 08, 2019, 04:19:43 AM »

Hi, Mr. Carillo!

I'd like to ask two questions regarding the first paragraph in the column of Solita Collas-Monsod dated March 23, 2019 in opinion.inquirer.net.

     "A hundred million thank you's to Conchita Carpio Morales and Albert del Rosario.  For taking up the cudgels for more than a hundred million Filipinos who have stood helplessly by as China made inroads into Philippine territory and sovereignty over the past 20 or so years."


1.  What is the plural form of "thank you" when used as a noun and is a hyphen needed to indicate that the two words belong together as a set phrase to be considered a noun?

2.  Couldn't the whole paragraph be one sentence instead of two?  In elementary we were taught that there are at least 3 to 8 sentences in a paragraph.  


Thank you!

2

You Asked Me This Question / Is "very" such a useless word?

« on: November 05, 2018, 03:14:29 AM »

Hi, Mr. Carillo!

Just now, I came across an FB post with the caption "how to avoid the word very."  The list was quite long.  I got the impression that "very" is a useless word and people who use it have a limited vocabulary or are simply lazy to think of a more appropriate word. 

Can you please tell me if indeed the word "very" should be avoided?  Oh yes, I also use "really" instead of "very."

Thank you!

3

You Asked Me This Question / “Words don’t come easy”

« on: September 19, 2018, 04:38:22 AM »

Hi, Mr. Carillo!
I came across the song “Words don’t come easy” and a friend pointed out that it should be “words don’t come easily” since an adverb is used to modify the verb “come.”  Well, “easy” sounds fine to me and could actually modify “words.”  Am I right?

4

Use and Misuse / code words/catchwords

« on: January 22, 2018, 05:16:25 AM »

Hi, Mr. Carillo!
Three days ago, I sent a question but it was never posted.  The question I asked was about some kind of code words/catchwords being used instead of the usual terms like:

1.  curate vs organize, set up
     Curate used to belong to the museum crowd.  Now, it's a fashionable word among events organizers, stylists and wedding coordinators.  I see it all the time on instagram.

2.  epiphany vs realization
     I feel that the word epiphany should be used for an earthshaking or more intense experience.  It's not the case nowadays.

3.  impacted vs affected
     I don't remember the word impacted being used in recent times the way it's being used now.  It was always about the wisdom tooth pushing through the gum (impacted tooth).

I'm so eager to hear your answer!  Thank you! ^^

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You Asked Me This Question / Code words/catchwords vs. usual terms

« on: January 18, 2018, 08:55:47 AM »

Hi, Mr. Carillo!

Some kind of code words/catchwords are being used instead of the usual terms like:

1.  curate vs organize, set up
     Curate used to belong to the museum crowd.  Now, it's a fashionable word among events organizers,
     stylists and wedding coordinators.  I see it all the time on instagram.

2.  epiphany vs realization
     I feel that epiphany should be used for an earthshaking or more intense experience.

3.  impacted vs affected
     I don't remember the word impacted being used in recent times.  It was always about the wisdom tooth
     pushing through the gum - impacted tooth.

I'm so eager to hear your answer!  Thank you! ^^

6

You Asked Me This Question / The use of "so" at the start of a sentence

« on: July 22, 2017, 07:26:45 AM »

Hi, Mr. Carillo!

I'm here in San Francisco, USA and I noticed that most people start their sentences with "so" either as a response to a question or as a narration of an event.  Is this grammatically correct?  Should I just accept it as something peculiar to the native speakers of California?

I would love to hear your answer at the soonest time possible!  Thank you.

7

Use and Misuse / Learnings

« on: July 01, 2016, 05:02:35 AM »

Hi, Mr. Carillo!
Is the use of the word "learnings" as a noun acceptable? Also, when do you use "on my mind" and "in my mind?"
I'd appreciate an immediate response to my questions.  Thank you.

8

Use and Misuse / use of about, in terms of and when it comes

« on: January 19, 2013, 01:34:44 PM »

Hi, Mr. Carillo?
How do I respond to a question asking me how to use the expressions "when it comes to," "in terms of," and "about?"  These expressions are similar in meaning but I'm sure there are certain rules on their usage.
I would really appreciate an immediate reply from you.  Thank you.

9

Use and Misuse / swan song

« on: August 19, 2012, 11:05:11 PM »

Hi, Mr. Carillo!

1.  I read the following in the column of Carmen N. Pedrosa.
            
            "President Aquino's unconscionable use of power is encouraged by the swan song that
             this is the way forward for the country."
      
      It can be inferred that swan song means that one big thing or achievement that Aquino will
      be remembered for even if he's no longer president.  It's like a testament to how well he has
      run the country.  However, the word swan song is not in the dictionary.  I wonder why.

2.  Does the phrase "not that I know of" mean no?  Can it also mean "I guess?"

3.  Am I right when I say that the past perfect tense can never be used alone in a sentence since it expresses an action completed before another action indicated by a simple past verb?  The past perfect tense should also be used sparingly.

Please enlighten me.  Thank you.

10

Badly Written, Badly Spoken / "On the rise" vs. "on the increase"

« on: July 29, 2012, 01:26:05 AM »

Hi, Mr. Carillo!
When do you use the expressions "on the rise" and "on the increase?"  Can they be used interchangeably?  

Your immediate reply will be appreciated.  Thank you.

11

You Asked Me This Question / "refudiate" as word of the year

« on: November 29, 2010, 10:14:50 PM »

Hi, Mr. Carillo!

Why did Oxford Dictionary choose "refudiate," a word mangled by Sarah Palin, as word of the year?  Can you please tell me the objective in choosing a word for the year?

Thanks a lot!

Maria Balina

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You Asked Me This Question / Concerns about the usage of "the both of you" and "at the end of the day"

« on: September 26, 2010, 01:17:23 AM »

Hi, Mr. Carillo!

These are my questions.

1.  When do you use "the both" and "both?"  As far as I can remember, there was no need to put the article the before both.  I must belong to a different generation!  

2.  Why are the words carnapper, holdupper, and jetsetter used?  Does the suffix "er" justify the use of these words when referring to a person? I've checked my dictionary and these words do not exist.

3.  I've noticed that President Noynoy Aquino has used the cliche "at the end of the day"  a few times.  I respect Pres. Aquino's ghost writer Manolo Quezon but I am bit disappointed at the use of such a cliche.

Thanks a lot!

13

You Asked Me This Question / "brownouts"

« on: April 10, 2010, 02:58:31 PM »

Hi, Mr. Carillo!

Is "brownouts" the correct word to use to refer to the outages we've been having lately? 

14

You Asked Me This Question / Denied/ Refused

« on: November 09, 2009, 12:23:00 AM »

Hi, Mr. Carillo

Filipinos usually say, "I was denied a US visa."  I think the correct word is refused.  Am I right?