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October 10, 2000
TWO-WORD VERBS
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Two-word verbs can be separated into two groups--those that can be separated by other words and those that cannot:
I. Examples of two-word verbs that can be separated:
bring about = 1) to bring about good weather; 2) to bring good weather about
call off = 1) to call off his wife from work; 2) to call his wife off from work
hand in = 1) to hand in the assignment; 2) to hand the assignment in
pull away = 1) to pull away from the curb; 2) to pull the car away from the curb
II. Examples of two-word verbs that cannot be separated:
act on = 1) to act on the situation (NOT to act the situation on)
go over = 1) to go over the plan (NOT to go the plan over)
run away = 1) to run away from the problem (NOT to run the problem away)
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To use these forms correctly, consider the following options:
1. While two- and three-verb words are common in speech, their use is restricted in professional writing. Memorize the forms you are most likely to use; avoid the less common ones.
2. Substitute one-word verbs for two- and three-word verbs in professional writing:
catch on = comprehend
keep on = continue
turn up at = attend
fill out = complete
hand in = submit
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SPELLING OR WRITING TIP
FINDING INFORMATION
Sometimes a writer needs to locate factual information for a particular writing assignment, such as a research paper or background report. A wealth of source material pertaining to subjects of academic or popular interest can be found by checking reference works like the following:
ART INDEX
BIBLIOGRAPHIES IN AMERICAN HISTORY
BOOKS IN PRINT
COMPUTER LITERATURE INDEX
DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CRIME AND JUSTICE
INTERNATIONAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FILM
MCGRAW-HILL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
MLA INTERNATIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHY
SOCIAL SCIENCE & HUMANITIES INDEX
THE NEW GROVE DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN MUSIC
THE READERS' GUIDE TO PERIODICAL LITERATURE
USE OF PHYSICS LITERATURE
Sources like these can be located at public and university libraries through card catalogues, CD-ROMs, and computer database systems. Ask at the library's reference desk for help with specific topics. You also can conduct your own on-line subject search through the Internet.
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NEW WORD OF THE WEEK:
LETH-AR-GIC: drowsy; very sleepy; an attitude of laziness.
Little Jimmy seemed quite lethargic in school today.
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YOUR GRAMMAR AND WRITING QUESTIONS
GRAMMARCHECK: Which is correct?
Have you ever drank buttermilk?
-or-
Have you ever drunk buttermilk?
QUESTION: Your second statement is grammatically correct.
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QUESTION: Which is correct?
I appreciate your coming to the concert tonight.
-or-
I appreciate you coming to the concert tonight.
GRAMMARCHECK: Your first example is correct. For more on this construction, see the next item.
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[Two readers wrote to comment on our response to the following question from last week's issue:]
FROM OCTOBER 3: "Which is correct?
I appreciate you taking the time to meet with John and I last week.
-or-
I appreciate you taking the time to meet with John and me last week.
GRAMMARCHECK: Your sentence should be written as follows:
I appreciate you taking the time to meet with John and ME (not I) last week.
("me" is in the object position, requiring the objective form of the pronoun)"
QUESTION: Regarding the [above] examples from last week, the correct answer is "I appreciate YOUR taking the time. . ."
QUESTION: I thoroughly enjoy reading GrammarCheck each week, but I have a question about a sentence in last week's newsletter [see the above two examples]. I realize you were pointing out the correct use of the object pronoun "me," but the word "you" in the sentence is incorrect because "taking" is a gerund that necessitates the possessive pronoun "your."
GRAMMARCHECK: While we were aware of the writer's grammatical problem with "you" (instead of the correct "your") last week, we decided to overlook that error to focus solely on the writer's question concerning "me" as an object.
We agree that in addition to using "me" in the correct sample, the writer should have used "your" so that the sentence would read as follows:
I appreciate your taking the time to meet with John and me last week.
In the future our editorial policy will be to revise questions with errors so that they appear in correct grammatical form.
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QUESTION: Do I need to capitalize the first letter of a title or position when writing in context form, considering there is no name of a person before and after the title?
GRAMMARCHECK: Assuming that you are referring to a position in the signature or title area of a business document, the short answer is yes:
Sincerely,
Customer Service Manager
If the term is used in the middle of a document to refer to a generic position, then it would not have to be capitalized:
We need to hire a customer service manager in the near future.
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QUESTION: Where can I learn about the appropriate editing marks for proofreading a news article?
GRAMMARCHECK: Many grammar books offer sections with this information, and bookstores often carry many types of writing style guides. Journalistic publications or publishers frequently provide guidelines for a preferred editorial style.
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