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От: |
MozgC
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http://nightcoder.livejournal.com |
| Дата: | 13.04.09 00:11 | ||
| Оценка: | 44 (6) | ||
In the first place, this book is not a text. Nor is it a collection of fiats or a listing of grammatical rules. Instead, the Guide presents actual problems bothersome to those concerned with the intricacies and nuances of good writing and grammar. To resolve these problems, the book offers guidelines that are currently being observed by the most competent and careful users of the language.
We speak of "a Federal Bureau of Investigation report," but what article is used if the name of the agency is abbreviated to FBI?
The article an—an FBI report. Treat abbreviations as corresponding words and choose a or an accordingly, which means that it is the sound of the initial letter in the abbreviated form that governs. FBI sounds like EFF-B-I. And so we say, "an H.R. bill," "an M.I.T. student."
Which is correct: "The temperature should be around (or about) sixty degrees"?
The latter: about. Use about to mean approximately and around to refer to motion — "The pole-vaulter wrapped his fingers around the pole and started down the runway."
Is again properly used in this sentence: "My brother loaded the car trunk so poorly that my father had to reload it again"?
The word again is used superfluously, since reload means "to load again." Be careful not to use again after a word beginning with the prefix re- when it means again.
What pronoun should follow as in this sentence: "Bessy likes Harry as much as / (or me)"
I is correct if what is meant is "as much as I do"; me is correct if Bessy likes Harry and me equally. Clearly, the case of the pronoun that follows the second as determines the meaning.
that/which
Our English teacher is distraught when we use that for which or vice versa. To help our teacher keep her sanity and to help us pass the course, please explain the difference in usage between that and
which.
Your question is well written and accurately put. The answer is to employ that to introduce a restrictive clause — a clause that defines the subject by providing necessary information to fully understand the sentence: "It is a book that everyone needs." There the that clause is essential to meaning, for without it, the sentence would make no sense. However, in "The brown book, which is the third one on the shelf, is useful to everyone," the nonrestrictive which clause could be removed without impairing the basic meaning of the sentence. Note that a that clause is not set off by commas, whereas a which clause is.
When something is important, my nephew says, "It's a must." Is it proper to use must that way?
The expression must is widely accepted in general English both as a noun meaning necessity (as in the example) and as an adjective meaning essential ("It is a must procedure"). Many authorities regard this use of must as standard English. Nevertheless, since must used this way has an informal ring, it is best avoided in formal writing.
people/persons
Would you please differentiate the use of people from persons?
People are a group of persons —that is, many persons collectively are called people, as "the American people" or "We the people." Small numbers or an exact number of individuals are called persons, not people. For example, we say there were six persons in the room, not people. Persons become people if the group becomes large ("There were five hundred people in the rotunda") or if the number is undetermined ("Crowds of people were pushing and shoving"), but people becomes persons if the number, other than a round figure of one hundred or more, is precise ("There were 206 persons in the garden").
Note: It has been said that persons, not people, must be used of small numbers or the result might be ludicrous. For example, if you were to say that four people were in the room and three people left, how many people would still be in the room? One people? But if of four persons three left, clearly one person would still be there.
