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April 10, 2001
Idiomatic Expressions
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Idioms combine words that mean one thing individually, but another when combined. In our March 20 issue, we provided a brief quiz to test your knowledge of idiomatic expressions. Keep in mind that idioms combine verbs or adjectives and prepositions; many use phrasal verbs. Here is the quiz again to test your knowledge (and your memory):
1. I was (angry at)(angry with) Tony.
2. A soldier at the camp was (charged of)(charged with) the crime.
3. Betty went (in search for)(in search of) a Mexican restaurant.
4. You must (try and)(try to) improve your grades.
5. He's the wrong (type of a)(type of) boyfriend for you.
(ANSWERS PROVIDED AT THE END OF THIS ISSUE.)
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SPELLING OR WRITING TIP
Use certain symbols of time and commerce only with specific dates and numbers.
Time:
100 B.C. (before Christ) or A.D. 100 (anno Domini--Latin for in the year of the Lord)
100 B.C.E. (before the common era)
100 C.E. (common era)
12:01 a.m. (or A.M.)
10:50 p.m. (or P.M.)
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Numbers:
no. 27 (or No.)
[NOT "Al broke a # of records in high school."]
$5.00 (or $5)
[NOT "Shirley wants to make big $ at her new job."]
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NEW WORD OF THE WEEK:
JAMB (jam) noun: The vertical posts of a door or window frame.
Karen wiped her toddler's fingerprints off the door jamb.
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YOUR GRAMMAR AND WRITING QUESTIONS
QUESTION: Is this the proper use of "me"?
Does next Tuesday at 5:30 look okay for you to meet with Cody and me?
GRAMMARCHECK: Yes. Use "me" in the object position of the sentence, which is what you have done. If you had referred to yourself and Cody in the subject area, the sentence would read thus:
Can Cody and I meet with you next Tuesday at 5:30?
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QUESTION: In your newsletter dated April 2, 2001, you cited the following construction as proper avoidance of double negatives:
"None of those apples are ripe."
Shouldn't it be "None of those apples IS ripe?!"
GRAMMARCHECK: You're right--and so are we. Some grammar texts suggest using singular verbs with indefinite pronouns like "none," while others recommend singular or plural verbs, depending on meaning. In this example, "none" refers to the plural word "apples," so it can take a plural verb--at least, this is our preferred usage.
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QUESTION: You gave the following information in your January 16 issue:
It is common, though not necessary, to use the relative pronoun "that" with essential (or "restrictive") relative clauses:
EXAMPLE:
The antique table that had been shipped from Portugal was chipped in transit.
("that" is essential--NOT "The antique table had been shipped from Portugal was chipped.")
Can't we change the sentence without using the relative pronoun to the following:
The antique table shipped from Portugal was chipped in transit.
Is my sentence wrong or does it convey the same meaning?
GRAMMARCHECK: Your sentence is fine. The section you allude to in our January 16 issue focused on relative pronouns. We constructed that example to demonstrate the principle. However, your revision is grammatically sound as well.
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QUESTION: Cannot thank you enough for the grammar mail; absolutely love it!
I saw this on a web site and wondered what you thought. I went to fill out a form and after the form was filled out, the page went back to the previous page.
It said, "when you're done, you'll be sent back to the page whence you came."
What? Is that correct? When do you use "whence"?
Thanks,
Steve
GRAMMARCHECK: We're glad you like the newsletter--we enjoy publishing it!
While "whence" appears to be perfectly legitimate, it is one of those words you see less and less often these days. It means "from where" or "from what place" which more easily translates into "from." Consequently, using "from" with "whence" is redundant:
WRONG:
From whence came the huge crowds?
CORRECT:
Whence came the huge crowds?
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QUESTION: I hear television reports of a mass exodus. Is this wrong? Can an exodus be anything other than massive? I mean, you can't have a small exodus, can you? Just curious in Guam.
Thanks,
Jennifer
GRAMMARCHECK: You may be right. "Exodus" is defined as the departure of a large number of people. If "mass" stands for a large number or body, then using "mass" with "exodus" is redundant. However, "mass" also can mean the "majority" of a body of people--not all. Consider the following:
The two-toed frogs began a mass exodus from the Ukraine.
[Does this mean all two-toed frogs or a majority of them?]
Our guess is that most people use and understand "mass" to represent "massive" or a large number, suggesting it is not really needed when used with "exodus."
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ANSWERS TO IDIOMS QUIZ:
The second choice in each item is the correct one. How did you do?
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