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This is a forum to discuss the gray areas of the English language for which you would not find answers easily in dictionaries or other reference books.
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Latest Posts : Style
I am working on a documentary film and have hit upon a conundrum that we hope one of the fabulous Pain in the English grammarians can solve. We are using the full capital case (”all caps”) to identify our experts, in a text box that pops up below them during their appearances on screen; for example: JOHN SMITH, HISTORIAN. One of our experts has a name that includes a superscript letter (e.g.: JANE MCDONALD) and another has the abbreviation Jr. after his name (e.g.: WILLIAM DOE, JR.).
Question: Should those superscripted and abbreviated letters stay in all caps, too? Or should they be treated differently, either lower case or small caps? (e.g.: JANE McDONALD / WILLIAM DOE, Jr.) I’ve searched the Chicago Manual of Style and the Government Printing Office’s online manual, and have found no guidance in either.
Thank you for your help!
Susan
There is a town called “Two Egg” in Florida USA. My question is; why the egg is not plural there. Also there is something like “Two egg cake”.
Can someone explain it? Actually i am planning to establish a shop. Which one would suit better “two egg” or “two eggs”
Thank you?
I’ve developed a “tic” for adding - I believe the expression is “postpositively” “is what I’m saying” at the end of a sentence. In usage, it is an intensifier. So I might say “I’ve been noticing that I use this expression a lot, is what I’m saying!” Typically after some prior exposition on the topic - this becomes the concluding thought.
Two questions - has anyone else heard anyone else say this? Where does it come from? Where did I pick it up? I’m in the Northeastern US. Is the expression or any variant from this region?
It’s awfully similar to “I’m just saying” but my understanding of “I’m just saying” is that it’s somewhat negative - connoting an undercurrent of a wink and a nod. “...is what I’m saying” doesn’t have that connotation, is what I’m saying. LOL!
Some authorities (such as IBM and Wikipedia) say that “big data” should not be capitalised, while others say it should be capitalised as “Big Data”.
Logically, it would be capitalised only if it were a proper noun, that is, if it identified a unique individual. For example, “the Internet” refers to the global internet, of which there is only one, so it is capitalised. Big data does not really seem to be like that. In any technical usage, it refers to the use of very large databases, and should therefore be a common noun.
In the popular imagination, however, all instances of big data coalesce into a monstrous global conspiratorial network of databases, called Big Data. It is akin to Deep State.
So, it seems to me that “big data” should be used in any sober context, and “Big Data” reserved for conspiracy theories untethered from objective reality.
But ... in a proofreading context I would have to correct “a Big Data-driven project” to “a big data-driven project”, which is ambiguous as it could mean either “a big project that is driven by data” or “a project that is driven by big data”.
Any suggestions?
I need to give a range of percentages. Do I say “somewhere between 40 and 50%?” or “somewhere between 40% and 50%”? Does the percentage sign get assigned to the first value, even though it’s not verbally articulated?
Is it alright to omit the word “I” in some cases. If I have already been writing about myself and I slip in a sentence that says for example, “Will be in town next week.” Is this acceptable or should I write “I” at the beginning of each sentence?
A) Must we have fish for dinner again?
B) Shall we have to have fish for dinner again?
C) Will we have to have fish for dinner again?
D) Do we have to have fish for dinner again?
Accepting that (D) is by far the commonest utterance and would express annoyance or lament. roughly the same as “I wish we weren’t having fish again”, my concern is with the other options, particularly (B) which looks “grammatical” but just sounds odd to me. (A) is less common today but seems to go back a long way whereas “have to” is relatively modern, so which sound “normal” to you?
How do you handle a quote within a quote within a quote in an MLA citation?
“She said she...” or “She said that she...”
All my life I have received great feedback about my grammar, but these past few years I find myself over thinking it—all the time. It actually causes me to create mistakes where there previously weren’t any. Bizarre?
One such thing that I have thought too much about is the necessity of “that” in phrases like the above. When would you say it’s necessary? Always? Never? Sometimes? Explain! Thanks!
Latest Comments
Treatment of abbreviations and superscript items in full capital case
- kimmorgan
- April 16, 2024, 8:37am
good job
I would argue that "and yet" implies a degree of disdain or contempt.
You hold to xyz yet the scientific consensus is abc. (Stating a fact about one opinion vs the scientific consensus).
You hold to xyz and yet the scientific consensus is abc. (You moron vs the scientific consensus).
The phrase "try and" is commonly used in informal speech, and while it is technically grammatically correct, some style guides prefer "try to" for formal writing. Both "try and" and "try to" convey the idea of attempting to do something, but there is a subtle difference in emphasis.
"Try and" suggests an intention to make an effort towards a goal, with less certainty about the outcome. It implies that the action may or may not be successful.
"I'm going to try to stop him" emphasizes the intention to make an effort towards stopping him, with a slightly stronger sense of determination. It implies a clearer intention to achieve the goal, although success is not guaranteed.
In everyday conversation and informal writing, both "try and" and "try to" are acceptable, and the choice between them often comes down to personal preference or the specific context of the sentence. However, in more formal writing or when precision is important, "try to" may be preferred for clarity and emphasis.
Is “painstaking” pronounced the same in Britain as here, as “pain-staking”?
- user116289
- April 8, 2024, 6:13am
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- user116187
- April 6, 2024, 11:07am
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Might could
- emzy
- March 27, 2024, 4:18pm
"Might could" is part of my regional dialect.
As a response to "are you going to do it" I would respond "might could" or "I might could." The beginning of the originally listed response, "I'm not sure," isn't necessary because "might could" implies uncertainty about the speakers involvement.
I like another comment on here where "might could" is expanded to "it might be the case that I could." This is how I've understood and used the phrase.
gifting vs. giving a gift
- mgformechanic
- March 26, 2024, 4:48pm
- Fewer rather than less for numbered objects:
less sand, but fewer grains of sand
- Confusing out of the box with outside the box
- Similar to; different from
Why am I seeing different to?
Can a singular noun represent a plural non-collective noun?
When considering whether a singular noun can adequately represent a plural non-collective noun, it's essential to delve into the nuances of language and context. While it may seem straightforward, language often operates in shades of ambiguity and flexibility. In certain instances, a singular noun can indeed encapsulate the essence of a plural non-collective noun, depending on the context and the speaker's intention. For example, "the committee" may refer to a group of individuals collectively making decisions, even though "committee" itself is singular. However, this representation isn't always seamless and can sometimes lead to misunderstandings. Exploring these intricacies enriches our understanding of language usage and communication dynamics. For more insights on linguistic topics, you can check out https://writepaper.com/write-my-discussion-post, where various perspectives and analyses are shared.