Questions tagged [syntax]
This tag is for questions regarding the rules for the formation of sentences.
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'On' vs 'by', Which preposition should I use in the sentence?
I purchased it on/by open account from creditor.(Sense-through the means of)
Which preposition is suitable here? Why?plz explain..
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Can somebody diagram this sentence for me please?
No parking is allowed here.
No parking is a noun phrase (determiner + gerund), but I'm not quite sure for "is allowed here". Is "here" a determiner? Thanks in advance.
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What's the meaning of bolded text in the sentence?
One closes Berger's book newly conscious of the significance of smart questions - but also vaguely uncertain about how exactly to cultivate them in service to worthy change. Some questions are harder ...
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negative sentence form - they have many friends
What the negative form of the offer - They have many friends. Will be?:
They have no friends.
They have not many friends.
which one is correct and why?
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"Thinking little at all about nothing in particular"
If the bold part is removed, the sentence is ok. But as it is, it sounds weird. Could you help me fugure out the syntax of it? What is "little"? What does "at all" have to do with ...
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Is "any" alone as a subject singular or plural?
When using "any" alone, is it singular or plural or does it depend on the meaning?
For example do I say "any is fine/ok" or "any are fine/ok"?
Does it depend on what &...
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''it seems it was only yesterday'' vs ''it seems like only yesterday''
What's the difference entre : ex.1 : It’s been over a year since we met, but it seems it was only yesterday.
ex.2: It’s been over a year since we met, but it seems like only yesterday.
Does the verb &...
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What is the syntactic function of "a lot more" in this sentence?
I think we’re going to see a lot more of her.
As far as I know, "a lot" is a quantifier, as is "more".
I would like to know which function one or the other represents - In ...
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Denotation and connotation of the phrase
As doctors often do, I took a trial shot at it as a point of departure. "Has she had a sore throat?"
In English, we can understand this very easily but very difficult to explain "trial ...
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make sense to me vs make sense for me. What's the difference?
Is there any reason that explains the difference between ''This makes sense to me'' and ''This makes sense for me''?
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Can I say "I applied for a job" and "I applied for my friend", both using the same preposition?
I applied for a job. (Sense of 'for'=asked for something in writing)
I applied for my friend. (Sense of 'for'=on behalf of)
Are those sentence correct?
Can I use 'for' in this way, because already a ...
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What is the grammatical structure: "The dog licked the dish clean."
The dog licked the dish clean.
Which rules of grammar does it follow?
Can I interpret the sentence like 'The dish got clean due to dog's licking of the dish' ?
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Is this sentence with 'home' after 'should be' grammatical?
Gerry should be home in an hour.
('Home' after 'should be' is making me confused.)
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Why doesn't this sentence include "who" or "that"? "...present to some people {who} we hope..." [duplicate]
I'm going to present to some people we hope will become investors.
I think the sentence should be changed into one below.
I'm going to present to some people [who] we hope will become investors.
I ...
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What is the grammar of "the hope is..." versus "the hope is that"?
The sentence in question:
But with the US leading by example, the hope is that international efforts to tackle global warming will be revitalised.
Source
I'm a non-native speaker. I understand that ...
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Where does the word "evidence" belong in this sentence?
The first explicit evidence of Christ’s message reaching Finland is
indeed sixth century, and by the eighth to ninth centuries the cross
often appeared as a symbol of good fortune and unity on ...
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"She came to the city fleeing persecution in her home town."
I saw an interesting sentence due to play game;
She came to the city fleeing persecution in her home town.
If talking about only meaning, I understand the sentence. She ran away to the city for ...
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Is the final sentence grammatical? What is its meaning? [closed]
Is the final sentence grammatical? What is its meaning?
In reply to the first question, some said that to know the right time for every action, one must draw up in advance, a table of days, months ...
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what-clause, which-clause
I'm listening to a lecture about an asteroid impact in Wilkes Land in eastern Antarctica that caused Permian extinction. Here is part of the transcript:
We're not certain that the mascon there - what ...
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ESL Teacher to Spanish Speakers
I think I might have once read in a sample resume someone wrote as a bullet point under their work experience that for a period of time they were an "ESL teacher to Spanish speakers" --...
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What is the difference between subject-verb inversion and subject-operator inversion?
How does subject-verb inversion differ from subject-operator inversion? Could someone explain using examples for each?
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The correct sense of the word Challenge in context
"It could prove valuable," he told her.
"Monetarily?" she challenged.
While translating it into my language (Urdu), the word challenged is really challenging. Despite analysing all ...
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In how many percents does the yield increase if I water the trees every day?
I want to ask about the increase in the percentage of something, but I am not sure what is the way to ask it in an interrogative way.
Can I say:
In how many percents does the yield increase if I ...
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Use of two same words repeating immediately
Button, Button is the title of a short story by Richard Mathewson. The title has the same word two times. Is it the use epizeuxis to lay stress like Papa, Papa I want to go to picnic? If not, how will ...
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Definite article (“the”) as beginning word
The Mole had been working very hard all the morning.
(The Wind in the Willows)
The package was lying by the front door
(Button, Button)
These two examples are from two different books and they are ...
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By road or on road
She always travels by road.
Is it correct to use the preposition by here because we use by normally with the means of transportation like She always travels by bus.?
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"What client do you start with?" Vs. "Do you start with which client?"
A seller sees that 2 customers enter his store. Now, his small child wants to ask his father who is the first client to get service. Are both sentences equal or only the first is natural?
Daddy, ...
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Hemingway English
I have no issues with the book (A Farewell to Arms), it's so far generally easy to read, but sometimes I stumble across weird sentences like this one:
Suddenly to care very much and to sleep to wake ...
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What is the difference between "a shared problem" and "a problem shared"
An English proverb is "a problem shared is a problem halved". What is the difference between " a problem shared" and "a shared problem"?
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Why is "sally is a sandwich" grammatical? [closed]
I have this sentence:
the president thought that sally is a sandwich.
It's supposed to be grammatically correct.
But isn't that mean that this sentence is also grammatically correct:
sally is a ...
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Past Continuous with the Present Perfect
Could someone help me to fix a sentence? I’d like to say:
I was going to Italy before the war have come into my country.
I’m not sure that it’s correct. I’d like to use Present Perfect because it ...
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Isn't it supposed to be 'it' instead of 'its'?
This is a paragraph from the book 'Less is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World' by Jason Hickel. I am not quite sure whether its having fallen is grammatically correct. If I were to use such ...
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Could someone explain the meaning and structure of this sentence?
For it reminds us that far from being an unavoidable consequence of technological progress, the nature of work always remains a matter of social choice.
I heard that when "for" is used as a ...
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When to use complement in relatives clauses?
Something I question daily is whether I should put a complement in a sentence or not when it comes to relative clauses. For example:
Bullying ought not to be something that you should just "...
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Do you think it right vs Do you think it's right
When to use either of these sentences:
Do you think it right that Nicole didn't get the job?
Do you think it's right to do that?
I took the first sentence from my grammar book (Oxford Grammar) and ...
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"a city (of) the size of New York"
I know there should be no "of" before "the size", but I don't understand why. Could you explain it to me in grammar terms?
Just one of these bombs could annihilate a city the size ...
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Is " Because I don't like him" incorrect?
Because I don't like him.
Someone said it was a correct sentence. But I disagree. It is a dependent clause which can't stand alone.
But she knows nothing about him.
Why is this sentence correct?
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why the author used the word have + ing in this context? [duplicate]
Kaba Gandhi married four times in succession, having lost his wife each time by death.
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Adverb placement: is it rule based or just how you use the symbol
10 years ago/later, which is 2010, the Avengers fought/ fights the villian Thanos.
who else wants the burger?
why else would he do that?
Why are the adverbs later, ago, and else placed after 10 years, ...
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Is this sentence lignuistically correct?
This is a definition from stockedge.com about Business Houses.
Business Houses are a public or private structure business that forms a group of various companies dealing in different segments
Is the ...
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Does "which" refer to the Chinese buzzwords or the social changes and cultures?
The Chinese buzzwords usually reflect the social changes and cultures, some of which are increasingly popular with the foreign media.
I saw this sentence in an exam. What is the antecedent of " ...
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"What does it mean 'something'" Vs. "What does 'something' mean?"
I always said "What does it mean '-----'?". (For example: What does it mean 'legend'?).
Today I had thought maybe I'm mistaken and it should be: "What does 'something' mean?" (i.e....
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what is the syntactic function of the underlined clause? [closed]
what is the syntactic function of the underlined clause in the following sentence:
Based on the interview, it was found THAT ALL OF THE STUDENTS TRANSFERRED ENGLISH INTO INDONESIAN LANGUAGE when they ...
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Syntax. Analysis of the sentence
Some of the many doors stood wide open with lads carrying sacks and
buckets in and out, and some were half closed with horses’ heads
looking interestedly over the tops.
I have a question about the ...
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Can I describe an apple as "Half of an apple, it is red"?
Part of the TOEIC test is to describe pictures. So I’m picking random pictures and describing as many as possible. And my goal is to get a perfect score on TOEIC.
How can I describe this picture of an ...
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Syntax.Analysis of a sentence
Can you help me to figure out what is the function of '' no power'' in this sentence. and what does the predicate ' have ' refer to?
And what is the function of '' the setting ''? Is it predicative?
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Analysis of the sentence
Across the room, two galss doors stood open to a lavish balcony, where a light breeze played beneath a glistening cloud-swept moon.
What is the function of ' a lavish balcony' here? Is it object?
Is '...
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seen from the helicopter VS seeing from the helicopter
Seen from the helicopter, the cars on the road are as small as insects.
We seeing the cars on the road from the helicopter, they are as small as insects.
Are both of the sentences grammatically and ...
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more than needed or more than is needed or more than it is needed? [closed]
Can you explain to me why 2 is correct and 1 and 3 are wrong. At least, that is what I was told.
100 euros is more than needed.
100 euros is more than is needed.
100 euros is more than it is needed....
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would you mind waiting till or that
Shall I write
Would you mind waiting till both records are out before sending them to me or
Would you mind waiting that both records are out before sending them to me
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