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May 30, 2000
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
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Last week we discussed singular and plural indefinite pronouns. This week we'll discuss controversial "variable" indefinite pronouns--those that may be singular or plural.
The following indefinite pronouns are considered variable: all, any, more, most, none, some.
Some grammar books distinguish variable indefinite pronoun usage in terms of (a) formal and academic writing, and (b) day-to-day language. Formal and academic writing consider variable indefinite pronouns as singular, while day-to-day language considers them as plural.
EXAMPLES:
Formal/Academic Writing: None of the books is read very often.
(None = singular indefinite pronoun)
Day-to-Day Language: None of the books are read very often.
(None = plural indefinite pronoun)
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Other grammar books make no distinction between variable indefinite pronouns and thus consider them singular or plural, depending on the noun they refer to.
EXAMPLES:
None of the books are read very often.
("None" refers to books and thus is used with a plural verb.)
None of the cake was left.
("None" refers to cake and thus is used with a singular verb.)
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We tend to side with the second group of examples where an indefinite pronoun is considered singular or plural depending on the noun to which it refers. However, we sometimes subscribe to the following policy: When in doubt, change the structure of the sentence to avoid using a variable indefinite pronoun.
EXAMPLE:
Original Sentence: None of the books is/are read very often.
Revised Sentence: The books are seldom read.
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One grammar book considers "either" and "neither" as variable indefinite pronouns, while most grammar books consider them as always singular. What is one to do? Follow our "revision" policy.
EXAMPLE:
Option #1: Neither of the books is read very often.
Option #2: Neither of the books are read very often.
Best Option: Neither book is read very often.
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Revising sentences to eliminate the use of variable indefinite pronouns is the safest way to avoid making a grammatical error.
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LAST WEEK'S PRACTICE ANSWERS
1. Each of the books IS due today.
(Each always takes a singular verb.)
2. Several of my kin ARE going to college next week.
(Several always takes a plural verb.)
3. Everybody in both towns IS excited about the fair.
(Everybody always takes a singular verb.)
4. Someone in each of the rooms IS interested in playing the game.
(Someone always takes a singular verb.)
5. Many of us PLAN to take the test tomorrow.
(Many always takes a plural verb.)
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WRITING TIP
Try opening your next informal piece of writing with an interesting fact or statistic. You also can use an insightful proverb or saying as well as a line from a meaningful literary work:
EXAMPLES:
In 1999, one prisoner in twenty died while incarcerated.
A stitch in time saves nine.
"A play's the thing to catch the conscience of the king!" (HAMLET)
Naturally, you want to use themes that are related to the subject of your writing!
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YOUR GRAMMAR AND WRITING QUESTIONS
COMMENT: Just wanted to let you know that I thoroughly enjoy your newsletter! You've taken a couple hits from the Almighty Grammar Gods in the last couple issues and I thought your answers were fair and tactful. I've done a few articles on grammar myself and I know people only write when they don't agree, not when they do. So hats off to you and keep up the great work! (Lisa)
GRAMMARCHECK: Thanks, Lisa!
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QUESTION: I have often seen the word "too," sometimes even with professional magazines, used without a comma beforehand.
Example: "The Vikings used wooden spikes too."
Is this grammatically correct? I have been taught that there should be a comma before "too" but have found several articles where there wasn't one before it. Thank you. (Andrew)
GRAMMARCHECK: You have been taught correctly. The word "too" is an adverb meaning "also." It should be (a) set off by commas when it is embedded in the middle of a sentence, and (b) preceded by a comma when it appears at the end of a sentence.
EXAMPLES:
Cynthia, too, plans to study music in Paris this summer.
Jim prefers strawberry ice cream, too.
[However, like you, we have seen the "too" placed in these positions without the appropriate comma. To be perfectly honest, one of us actually writes it this way in casual e-mail messages. [blush]
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QUESTION: It is my understanding that the use of a period following a contraction is only necessary when the last letter of the contraction is different from that of the complete word. For example, the contraction "Dr" (for "Doctor") concludes with the same letter as the original, thus not attracting the use of a period. (David)
GRAMMARCHECK: We've never heard of that rule. Periods typically are used to show an abbreviated form of the original word:
Ph.D. (doctor of philosophy)
Mrs. (mistress)
Dr. (doctor)
However, abbreviations of three or more words (aka acronyms) generally do not require periods:
NBC (National Broadcasting Corporation)
FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)
OSU (Ohio State University)
Rules of abbreviation and periods in technical writing (such as in the sciences and engineering) may differ.
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QUESTION: I don't think you can do a fair critique of any manuscript without a read through first to get a feel for the story and the writer's style. You might pick up spelling and punctuation errors, but I don't think you can fairly evaluate the work.
Please explain why "fairly evaluate" in the above post would be a dangling participle. This is an issue of debate on our list, and we would appreciate your help.
GRAMMARCHECK: In the sample above, a dangling participle is not immediately evident. However, the comments could be rewritten to be more explicit:
You might pick up spelling and punctuation errors by scanning the manuscript quickly, but I don't think you can fairly evaluate the work until you read it through carefully.
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QUESTION: I am a grant writer. Although I try hard to write well, persons critiquing my work mention I have run on sentences. In grant writing school it was emphasized to keep the circular motion in your writing, so it is easier for the reviewers of the proposals to keep the overall objective in mind when reviewing so many proposals. Have you anyone who can better advise me on how to write better, in a circular motion? Thank you for any assistance. (Debby)
GRAMMARCHECK: Run-on sentences occur when writers fail to connect two independent clauses with a conjunction or an appropriate punctuation mark. We plan to devote a series of issues to sentence structure errors (including run-on sentences) after we conclude our series on indefinite pronouns.
As for circular writing in grants, our experience suggests the need to keep core objectives in focus throughout the grant. For example, if you're writing for research monies, use the word "research" in strategic areas throughout your proposal, i.e., "Research Plan," "Research Objectives," "Research Outcomes," etc. But don't overdo it; too much repetition can irritate readers.
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QUESTION: Is it true that if I use a lot of phrasal verbs when writing an essay during proficiency English exams, my writing may look very informal and poor in usage?
GRAMMARCHECK: Much will depend on the exam's objectives and writing prompts, as well as what your exam's readers choose to emphasize as important in the evaluation process.
Generally, use consistent verb tenses in your writing. That is, try to stay in one tense throughout your exam, whether it be past, present, or future. On the other hand, the use of perfect tense means that you will need to use verb phrases in your writing sometimes, as in the following:
I had not studied English before entering high school.
Review all of the verb tenses before taking a proficiency test to be sure you will use them correctly. When possible, avoid using "to be" and "to have" verbs in your writing since they often appear in verb phrases that some teachers consider to be wordy and dull.
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