Usage
Q. The CMOS rules (8.21) point to “secretary of state” but “Secretary of State Clinton” or “Secretary Clinton,” so I am using “president” but “President Kirchner.” But shouldn’t I capitalize “the Pinochet Dictatorship”? and what about “the Kirchner Administration” and “the Kirchner Government”? Rather than “generic terms associated with governmental bodies” (8.64), they all form an important part of recent Latin American history, like the Mexican Revolution. In addition, they “follow a name and are used as an accepted part of the name” (8.50). Answer »
Q. Chicago recommends using the present tense when discussing the actions of characters in literature. But I often face questions about verb tense when discussing the actions of authors themselves, particularly in academic writing. Is it correct to say, “Blomley (2004) argues that property claims can be used toward ends that are both oppressive and emancipatory,” or should I instead render the verb in the past tense? Would the answer change if Blomley had written his book in, say, 1867? Answer »
Q. I have a photograph that I want to describe. It is a picture of two couples who are business friends. Would I write, “This is a photograph of the Gould’s and the Johnson’s” or “This is a photograph of the Goulds and the Johnsons”? Answer »
Q. I teach an English-writing class, where I tell my Japanese students never to mix singular and plural pronouns and verbs (“the government has released its”; “the couple have had their”). I am also a Japanese-to-English translator and have turned in quite a few passages like this, albeit with a sense of guilt: “Company A offers our heartfelt sympathy to the tsunami victims.” What do you suggest in situations where “the company offer” and “its heartfelt sympathy” both sound odd? Answer »
Q. I was told this was passive voice and therefore “avoidant”: “If your suspension from this section was not lifted on time, then that was a mistake and I’m sorry that happened.” Is this so? Answer »
Q. If a sentence contains a compound subject in which one of the subjects is dead while the other is alive, is the verb written in the present or past tense? Answer »
Q. Convoluted structure aside, is there anything grammatically wrong with the following sentence from a state unemployment application? My boss thinks “which” is incorrect and should be replaced with “that”; I think both are incorrect. Please help! “Did you work full-time or part-time for an employer or in self-employment or return to full-time work during the week ending last Saturday, which you have not already reported?” Answer »
Q. I’m a grammar teacher currently teaching paired/correlative conjunctions. According to AzarGrammar, with “neither . . . nor,” “either . . . or,” and “not only . . . but also,” the subject closest to the verb decides the singularity or plurality of the verb. So, following that rule, it would be “neither my brother nor my sister is happy.” However, with “I” being the first person singular, I’m confused. Is it, “neither my brother nor I am happy” or “neither my brother nor I is happy”? Answer »
Q. I’m in a quandary regarding gender pronouns. In an economics paper (on first-price auctions) that I am editing, the author has defined the actors in his proposition like this: “The female and male pronouns are used for weak and strong bidders, respectively.” Is there any exception where gender-biased language is allowed for ease of expression? What do you recommend? Answer »
Q. I’m trying very hard to understand how through and to are different, as in “Monday to Friday” or “Monday through Friday.” Do they mean the same thing? To complicate matters, if an en dash is substituted (as in “Monday–Friday”), could the meaning be either through or to? I’m editing a paper that contains hundreds of date and number ranges. Sometimes the writer spells out to or through, but most of the time, he uses an en dash. I’ve read 6.78 a gazillion times and need further clarification. Thanks! Answer »
Q. The author insists on using the word “aforementioned,” which I tell him is strictly lawyers’ jargon. He says that he will abide by CMOS’s arbitration. Answer »
Q. Which is CMOS’s position on the use of the word irregardless? Wikipedia states, “The term ‘irregardless’ has begun to move towards acceptance because incorrect words or grammatical conventions are absorbed by the English language based on common usage.” This logic bothers me. Answer »
Q. Lie vs. lay —I’m just not getting it. I’ve read the Q&A submission about this and the recommended article. And I’m still not sure. Every time lie is used in an example it is always preceded by a person. I want to know if lie can also be used with objects, such as “The adhesive and plates lie flat under the roof shingles.” Answer »
Q. We recently published a letter from our college president that said, in part, “Together, we will work to turn hopes and dreams into reality, and address the challenges that lay before us.” A reader has pointed out that it should be “lie” instead of “lay.” What do you say? Answer »
Q. This sentence was in a script that I was given for a second round of edits: “The identifying information you provided is not valid for a new or an existing card member.” The an had been marked for deletion by the previous editor. I would have chosen to retain it because my understanding is that each adjective used in a series such as this should be accompanied by the article that would be correct if it were used alone. Which is correct? Answer »
Q. Which is correct: “The population is estimated at over 5,000” or “estimated to be over 5,000”? Both drive me crazy! Answer »
Q. When writing a scholarly article, can you use the word that in this context? “It held [that] a nurse’s discretion is not authority exercised in the interest of the employer.” My question is whether that should be taken out, because it seems to be an extra word that is not needed. Answer »
Q. In the following sentence, should the word number have an s at the end? I think it is correct as it is; however, I was asked what the grammatical rule is for it, and I do not know that. Is there a rule? “As the number of pain patients grew, it became apparent that there was an unaddressed need in the area.” Answer »
Q. I work for an insurance company, and one of our beloved underwriters is disputing an exclusion in our policy that specifies “while piloting or serving as a crewmember in a plane.” She wants it to read, “while piloting or serving as a crewmember on a plane.” I can think of ways to defend both, but I’d love to know which is correct. Answer »
Q. I don’t rely on spelling and grammar checks as the final authority, but my program is constantly scolding me for using passive voice. There are times, particularly when I’m editing a nonfiction manuscript, that a sentence just does not seem to work any other way and I allow the author’s words to stand. I’m more concerned with making certain the sentence flows well, makes a transition when needed, and has clarity for the reader. Is passive voice really all that bad? “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope.” Answer »
Q. Recently I was trying to determine (once again) whether subjects should be considered singular or plural when they are of the following form: rock(s). Personally, I think the simplest approach would be to treat it as any other parenthetical note within a sentence: it’s a note to the reader, but it should not affect the grammar of the sentence. Therefore, “rock(s)” would be treated as singular, not plural, and certainly not singular and plural. I looked through Chicago 15e and 16e but could not find a solution. I guess my actual question is, is there a flaw in my reasoning, and if not, could Chicago recommend it? Answer »
Q. When you use parentheses to indicate that a noun might be plural, is it necessary to use them to indicate that the verb might be plural as well? For example, The participant(s) was (were) informed of the procedure in writing. Is there a rule about this, or is it a stylistic choice? Am I justified in adding the second verb to an author’s manuscript? Answer »
Q. CMOS (5.220) says “media” is the plural of “medium” in re mass communications. Please advise if these sample adjectival constructions are wrong: public media archives, public media community, the new media landscape, public media practices, media companies, media platforms. Often a substitute noun would be singular: senior community, university practices, computer platforms. Answer »
Q. Is it really necessary to include “as” before “per”? For example, “Client has requested, as per original agreement, two hard copies of all reports.” Since “per” means “according to,” can’t we just delete the unnecessary (and wordy-looking) “as”? Thank you, great gurus, for your wisdom! Answer »
Q. I am having a disagreement with a fellow editor. I say either of these is fine: “It will assist you to identify the skills you already possess.” “It will assist you in identifying the skills you already possess.” She says the former is incorrect and the latter should be used. What’s the deal? Answer »
Previous Page | Next Page