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Questions tagged [clauses]

А clause is a unit of grammatical organization next below the sentence in rank and in traditional grammar said to consist of a subject and predicate.

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"None is" or "none are"

I was asked if the following sentences will create problems and what are the assumptions I have to make: (d) There are grammarians in the room but none of them is an American. (e) There are ...
user11488's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
15k views

before/after + past or past perfect

Before I met her I had a poor opinion of her. As person had a poor opinion before a particular time in past (before He met her) so I think there should be had had. There are some more example like ...
starun008's user avatar
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25 votes
5 answers
470k views

"Hope this help" or "Hope this helps"?

I often see people write "hope this helps" at the end of a communication, especially when they are trying to answer other people's queries about computer problems. Recently, my English ...
kitty's user avatar
  • 5,595
5 votes
1 answer
562 views

When dependent clauses require commas, when do they allow them, and when are they definitely incorrect?

I've been writing in English for many years, but there are certain recurring issues that come up in my writing, which I can't seem to resolve permanently. Primarily I have a problem with punctuation. ...
lea's user avatar
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3 votes
3 answers
844 views

prepositions at the end of What and Which/that clauses

I don't understand why these clauses led by what or that/which end with prepositions, why do we need a preposition at the end and what are the grammar rules. What clauses: We took an interest in ...
Fionna's user avatar
  • 129
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

Question and a sentence in the same sentence

We were also innocent people, but who helped us? What is wrong with the above sentence? Can't I put a question and a sentence in the same sentence. My grammar checking software throws following error:...
T2E's user avatar
  • 3,862
2 votes
1 answer
170 views

“the” vs. “a/an” + clauses

Here's the situation: I meet a friend and I tell her about yesterday: “Hey, John!” “Hi, Sarah!” “How was yesterday's trip?” “It was great. Karl took me to the countryside to show me his new ...
Dunno's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
119 views

Can you explain which word is connected to the word 'left'? What is the grammatical construct of the bold?

I am trying to understand the bold part of this quote from "Sky-high house prices in the most desirable cities are holding back growth and jobs": As transport costs started to fall at the beginning ...
tbp's user avatar
  • 313
0 votes
1 answer
283 views

How to know whether to use 'that' in clauses like 'I don't want that you go to Ireland'?

For me, both next sentences are correct : I don't want you to go to Ireland. I don't want that you go to Ireland. How do I know whether or not I should use "that" in a sentences like these?
cape's user avatar
  • 273
9 votes
1 answer
97k views

What is the difference between "it seems" and "it looks like"?

Many times while I talked to others or wrote some text messages I got confusion about which phrase I should use to express the actual meaning of the words It seems . . . and It looks like . ....
Ram_HW's user avatar
  • 251
7 votes
2 answers
13k views

How about someone do something?

Can "how about" be used in this way? I heard it in an episode of Grey's Anatomy: How about we don't talk to her anymore? Because from what I've learned after "how about" we're ...
Pedro's user avatar
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5 votes
3 answers
32k views

When do we put a comma before "so that"?

I am not sure where I got the idea that a comma must be added before "so that", but I have been doing this for a while now, and now I realized it might be ungrammatical, or is it? When would you add a ...
user avatar
5 votes
4 answers
4k views

"In such a people" — meaning?

"It would be well for us to admire what is worthy of admiration in such a people, rather than to carp about their errors." what is meant by in such a people? Is it (in such a people) a phrase or a ...
TzD's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
2k views

"Life changes; memories don't." A comma would be better?

I came across this sentence on a blog. Life changes; memories don't. The first time I read this sentence, I knew something was wrong. If I'm not wrong, a semicolon is used between two independent ...
Nick_inaw's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
178 views

Can sentences be joined when we need to say "such as X OR Y"?

When defining something, it can also be defined, for example, as A or B. If I give you a practical case to this situation, The idea behind the process is to find a common envelope. The ...
niro's user avatar
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4 votes
6 answers
2k views

"No more than" — comparing two clauses

I came across this sentence today: Even she, who believed herself to be a revolutionary, could no more have broken her marital bangles than she could have driven a stake through her husband's heart....
Man_From_India's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
139 views

how to understand this attributive clause?

“We believe a product that addresses the more than 70 percent of global wireless subscribers that are unsubsidized pre-paid is necessary in order for Apple to grow its EPS next year,” Piecyk writes. ...
Kaili's user avatar
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4 votes
3 answers
209 views

What is the subject? And where to put comma(s)?

A world in which there are monsters, and ghosts, and things that want to steal your heart is a world in which there are angels, and dreams and a world in which there is hope. ― Neil Gaiman May you ...
saySay's user avatar
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3 votes
3 answers
6k views

of which each VS. each of which

If Country exists, if Country is a natural necessity like bread, of which each of us must eat in order not to die of hunger, somebody must go to defend it. Would you please show me if the bold parts ...
nima's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
837 views

"I doing sth", "me doing sth", "my doing sth" as a subject or an object

I'm learning English and it sometimes confuses me what constructions, either clause or gerund, are acceptable as subjects or objects. In a question I asked previously, I asked about the grammaticality ...
Tom's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
158 views

What about "that"?

Consider this example: That 'that' that that guy used was ungrammatical. The four instances of "that" are all grammatical, but have different functions/meanings. What is the function/meaning of ...
Mark's user avatar
  • 148
2 votes
2 answers
4k views

The woman "with" a hat or the woman "wearing" a hat?

Which one is appropriate? The woman with a hat The woman wearing a hat There are no links available for this question. I just wanted to make sure.
NICS's user avatar
  • 21
2 votes
2 answers
458 views

Tense and aspect in 'since' clause

Consider: I have not heard from him since he lived here. (Activity) How long is it since you were in London? (State) John is now with his parents in New York city, it is already three years since ...
Kinzle B's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
286 views

Can "for -ing" form be used after a noun to indicate the purpose of the noun?

Is the following sentence correct? The most effective measure for stimulating the economy is reducing interest rates. In this context, the "for -ing" clause means that The purpose of the ...
Robbo's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
7k views

“I know who(m) you spoke to” or “I know to whom you spoke”?

I know who(m) you spoke to. I know who(m) it was given to. According to above noun clauses, can we move the preposition 'to' before 'whom'? For example, I know to whom you spoke. I know to whom it ...
Dinusha's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
217 views

Is "This is the only mammal that can fly" an independent clause?

We were taught that an independent clause must have a complete thought/idea. This is the only mammal that can fly. How can "This is the only mammal" be treated as an independent clause? ...
Tofail's user avatar
  • 11
1 vote
2 answers
61 views

Compound sentence with a common verb and an article

I have the following set of compound sentences: She is a doctorate in physics, a soccer player, and a pianist. She is a doctorate in physics and is a soccer player and a pianist. She is a doctorate in ...
user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
10k views

who is this VS. who this is

I don't know who this is I don't know who is this Though I know the first one is more acceptable, especially grammatically, eventually, I want to raise the following question: We could use the second ...
nima's user avatar
  • 5,857
0 votes
2 answers
354 views

*Why doesn't 'that-clause' come after 'want'?*

Cambridge dictionary says that we don't use 'want' with a that-clause : I want you to tidy your room before the visitors come. (Not : I want that you tidy your room ...) An website (https://www....
Sandip Kumar Mandal's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
714 views

correct usage of clauses referring to subject and object

I have a doubt on my construction. Here is my original idea. i have written it in 2 sentences. Outer bounds are fixed using method A. Method A leads to a closed polygon having preserved their ...
gnp's user avatar
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0 votes
2 answers
68 views

when I was growing up

a. All my friends when I was growing up have good jobs now. b. All my friends growing up have good jobs now. Are the above sentences grammatically correct?
azz's user avatar
  • 3,049
0 votes
0 answers
516 views

What is a "hollow clause"?

Source: the Cambridge Grammar of the English language. I saw this term "hollow clause" in a grammar book, but the grammar book doesn't explain thoroughly about it. It does say: Most non-finite ...
Bavyan Yaldo's user avatar
  • 3,027
0 votes
1 answer
2k views

make (it) clear what

I know some phrases can take clauses as objects: make sure that-clause/if, whether-clause/wh-clause I want to make sure that everything goes well. bear in mind that-clause/if, whether-clause/wh-...
moyeea's user avatar
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