466
You Asked Me This Question / Re: Constructing paragraphs
« on: October 06, 2010, 03:05:46 PM »
I swear, I really came across a 'rule' such as that. But I do believe you, of course.
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467
You Asked Me This Question / Constructing paragraphs
« on: October 05, 2010, 06:22:27 PM »
I learned sometime ago that lead sentences of succeeding paragraphs must vary. That is, if Paragraph 1 started straightforwardly, the lead sentence of Paragraph 2 must begin or end with a modifier. Should that be followed strictly?
Thank you.
Thank you.
468
Use and Misuse / Re: Should writers finish their compositions first before editing?
« on: October 05, 2010, 06:01:13 PM »
Thank heavens! At least I got something right!!
469
Use and Misuse / Should writers finish their compositions first before editing?
« on: September 21, 2010, 05:48:22 PM »
One writing quirk I had was that I cannot write without writing down first. That is, literally penning my thoughts on paper before producing a final copy. It was laborious, all right, but what can I do? It was what worked for me in my high school and college years.
I have to adjust on that though when I began working. I was able to, but I developed another problem. Mindful of my grammar incompetency, I can't help fussing over what I've just written. I learned somewhere that that should not be the case. Writers must finish their compositions before editing. Is that always true?
I have to adjust on that though when I began working. I was able to, but I developed another problem. Mindful of my grammar incompetency, I can't help fussing over what I've just written. I learned somewhere that that should not be the case. Writers must finish their compositions before editing. Is that always true?
470
Badly Written, Badly Spoken / Re: How to correct
« on: September 14, 2010, 07:03:33 PM »
It has been five weeks.
I didn't hear him say it again, and I do not know how to correct him out of the blue.
I didn't hear him say it again, and I do not know how to correct him out of the blue.
471
Use and Misuse / Thank you
« on: September 14, 2010, 06:42:28 PM »
Thank you for bothering to check out the song, Mr. Carillo. Thank you too for clarifying a mundane problem.
472
Use and Misuse / When and if the action is done
« on: August 25, 2010, 05:28:56 PM »If all else fail, would you be there to love me?
When all else fail, would you be brave to see right through me?
When all else fail, would you be brave to see right through me?
About six years ago, a song with these lyrics has been my favorite. I think it was the best definition of love so far: It should be beyond failures. It should be beyond expectations.
Recent events in my life led me to rethink if I had interpreted those lines right. Just what is the great semantic difference of if and when that the composer of this song chose to end it with those verses?
473
Use and Misuse / A question on the form "I have had..."
« on: August 18, 2010, 05:00:50 PM »
Just as I am still confused about the usage of has, have and had, I would at times come across books and articles that pepper their content this way: "I have had..." Could you please give a clear Rx on this?
474
Badly Written, Badly Spoken / How to correct
« on: August 10, 2010, 06:54:55 PM »
I somehow can't believe Prof. Lagman's list of 70 commonly mishandled English idiomatic expressions until I heard my physiotherapist said ‘irregardlesss’ the other day. I was tempted to correct him right then and there, but I realized that I myself commit grammatical mistakes from time to time. I consoled myself thinking that he is a healthcare worker anyway, but he mentioned the word again the next day. How could I correct him without hurting his ego?
475
Use and Misuse / Re: I was wondering what I were to do
« on: August 03, 2010, 06:41:18 PM »
Thank you. Your reply worried me though: If I who used to belong to pilot classes in my grade school and high school years was still confounded with the the second language's moods, what could have happened to my schoolmates who were in 'lower' sections? Scary.
476
Use and Misuse / I was wondering what I were to do
« on: July 27, 2010, 04:38:00 PM »
Elementary English taught me that the first-person personal pronoun I should be succeeded by the past form of the verb "to be", which is were, to make sense. But till now, I find it more 'comfortable' to follow it with was. Movie director Gene Fowler, Jr. did so too in his 1957 film, I Was a Teenage Werewolf, as well as baseball player Chris Malec of the Camden Rivershark in a recent interview with The New York Times. Frank Lloyd thought otherwise though in his 14th film, If I Were King, as well as Robert Mackey, a reporter in the same American daily newspaper. Which indeed is correct? Can I get away with using I was?
477
Use and Misuse / Re: Poisoning the minds of children is ok?
« on: July 06, 2010, 08:55:22 PM »
I wonder why no one replied to this post yet when 33 people have already read it.
I assumed it's because no one can practically do anything about this problem. I remember my college professor who told us about his correspondence with the Department of Education (DepEd). He had asked them why is the department so keen in providing a computer for each student. The DepEd answered that it does not want our generation to lag in the 21st century. My professor retorted that how could it even consider the future timeline when most Filipinos haven't had their taste of the 20th century yet.
The thing is, almost everybody in his or her right mind is doing something. But each one can only do so much. Probably the DepEd preferred to address meeting every Filipino student obvious needs first. Quantity versus quality.
Probably too, there is just a dearth for able grammarians and writers in this 7, 107 islands. Maybe you could help?
In the end, as my friend said, it all boils down to one thing: pray. Not so bad if we would also do something.
I assumed it's because no one can practically do anything about this problem. I remember my college professor who told us about his correspondence with the Department of Education (DepEd). He had asked them why is the department so keen in providing a computer for each student. The DepEd answered that it does not want our generation to lag in the 21st century. My professor retorted that how could it even consider the future timeline when most Filipinos haven't had their taste of the 20th century yet.
The thing is, almost everybody in his or her right mind is doing something. But each one can only do so much. Probably the DepEd preferred to address meeting every Filipino student obvious needs first. Quantity versus quality.
Probably too, there is just a dearth for able grammarians and writers in this 7, 107 islands. Maybe you could help?
In the end, as my friend said, it all boils down to one thing: pray. Not so bad if we would also do something.
478
My Media English Watch / For a balikbayan box costs a fortune
« on: June 29, 2010, 08:44:51 PM »
Probably the writer just wants to hyperbolise what happened. Almost everybody, after all, knew of someone working abroad. Probably the writer decided to rely on that fact, certain that their target market would realize instantly how precious the water that was lost.
Although I agree that no one has the right to mislead anyone, I believe that the writer has just intended to make prospective readers understand how the spill became an issue. Almost every balikbayan box is hard-earned. Every drop of water is like a treasure too, especially at that time when no one needed to suffer further from human's irrevocable neglect.
Although I agree that no one has the right to mislead anyone, I believe that the writer has just intended to make prospective readers understand how the spill became an issue. Almost every balikbayan box is hard-earned. Every drop of water is like a treasure too, especially at that time when no one needed to suffer further from human's irrevocable neglect.
479
Students’ Sounding Board / Sexist jargons
« on: June 22, 2010, 07:24:42 PM »
Good day! I just would like to know your opinion in using both 'he' and 'she' as pronoun for a third-person subject. Some media outfits are still only affixing 'he' when the third-person subject is unknown and I'm still getting you-must-be-a-feminist-stare whenever I decide to just use 'she' in some of my writings. What should I keep in mind?