Grammar Right and Wrong

and some style grumbles

What is grammar?
am going to
apostrophe is different from plural
argue that
"both" is used for two
I could have danced all night.
have and has     is what     of course     on and into
ones and one's
Man can be a pain in the neck (You had noticed?)
plurals and singles     is with single and are with plural
getting the preposition right
seem to have
sentences     summarise
tense should stay the same
the (definite article)
will and shall, would and should     wrote and written

CORRECT WRONG
apostrophe is different from plural
a man's father
man's destiny
man's relationship with his father
men have fathers
mans relationship with his father
one usually has an apostrophe when s is added - but for different reasons.

Consider the times when ones is written without an apostrophe. They are times when one means the single number, as in "two ones are two". Here ones is the plural of one.

The Queen (who sometimes speaks of herself as one) might say:

"One's not amused at being an example on a web page"

Here the apostrophe in indicates a missing bit in speech that would be in the written word: She would write "One is not amused at being an example on a web page"

But our recitation of multiplication tables is infrequent and acting the Queen even rarer. A more usual use of one with an s is illustrated by this sentence from an essay:

"Wollstonecraft believes in the use of imagination in order to build up one's dreams and interpret others' ideas."
In one's and others' the 's indicates one word possessing the word that comes after.

Man can be a pain in the neck (You had noticed?)
"Man" can be used to mean humanity rather than the singular male, as in Thomas Hobbes' phrase

"... the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."

Used this way, it represents all men and women as a single entity. So (gramatically) if we want to speak of these men and women doing something to one another, we have to use the usual plural of man (men) or (better still) use the plural of person (people).

"The life of man is full of conflict. People are always colliding with each other."

"I will argue that the king must die" means I will state that case, giving my reasons

"I will show why the king must die" means I will demonstrate the reasons.

So what does the phrase "argue why" mean? As when an American writer exclaims."I would like to hear them argue why my children should be shamed!"

It seems to say that "they" have argued that his children should be shamed, but have not shown why.

Except in colourful writing, it may be better to stay with argue that and show why. What do you think?

PRECISE UNNECESSARY
This essay introduces concepts and theories from Plato and Aristotle. In the following essay, I am going to introduce concepts and theories from Plato and Aristotle.
"I am going to introduce" intimates that you intend to do so. If you do it, you say "I introduce". The use of "am going to" when the deed is done is another way in which essays start with intentions rather than stating what the essay contains.

"Am going to" really belongs in sentences like "I am going to bed" or "I am going to London". Non travelling intentions are better expressed by "will". "I will stop going on and on about am going to!"

"both" is used for two
CORRECT WRONG
Both Plato and Aristotle said...
Plato, Aristotle and others said...
Both Plato, Aristotle and others said...

I could have danced all night. [Wishful thinking!]
CORRECT WRONG
could have could of
This interesting error has a long history - 1837 or earlier. It starts with speech. People say "could've" as a contraction of "could have". [See apostrophe and missing bits] This can sound like "could of" - So people write "could of".

have and has
One thing has done it.
Two or more things have done it.
Politics has exploitation at its base.
Politicians have exploited us.
Politics have exploitation at its base.

CORRECT Usually better not:
This is what stops us.
Our reasoning stops us.
This stops us.
It is our reason that stops us.
It is death that stops us.
Our reasoning is what stops us.
God is what stops us.
God is who stops us.
Death is what stops us.
With caution, you might use is what to make a colourful point, as in:
"Death is what stops us making mistakes."
Or to emphasise a point as in:
"Thinking is what caused the trouble in the first place."

on and into
I put emphasis on
I put effort into
I put emphasis into
I put effort on

I think it is better to say class [or whatever] "impacts on politics" or "impacts upon politics" rather than "impacts politics" - But this may be because I am old and British rather than young and American!

of course
"A female child has, of course, no need to fear the loss of a penis"

This is a useful use of "of course". It saves writing "By definition, a female child has no penis, and so she has no need to fear its loss". I would suggest keeping this of course.

"The main purpose of sex is, of course, reproduction."

Here "of course" may cover up an ambiguity. Whose purpose is being talked about? It might be the purpose of nature - but if it is taken to mean the purpose of people having sex, the sentence implies a tendency to have sex only when we want to have children. I would suggest re-thinking and then re-writing what is said.

"Authority is, of course, according to Freud, the basis of society."

Here "of course" may mean "I am not really very sure about this point, but I will say it is obviously correct to boost my confidence". I would suggest deleting "of course" - Have confidence in you right to make interpretations.

PLURALS AND SINGLES
CORRECT WRONG
It lasted until this day.
It lasted until these days.
One argument was...
One of the arguments was...
Reason separates us from animals.
Reason can be corrupted.
The reason is...
The reasons are...
It lasted until this days.
One of the argument was...
The reasons can be corrupted.
a phenomenon
several phenomena
certain phenomenas

is with single and are with plural: WRONG
The strength of my essay is
The strengths of my essay are
The strengths of my essay is
The strength of my essay are
Spelling, grammar and punctuation are correct Spelling, grammar and punctuation is correct.
Be especially careful with sentences like this:

"The individuals who make up society are as important as the society itself."

It is the individuals (plural) who are as important, not the society (single).

GETTING THE PREPOSITION RIGHT
CORRECT WRONG
Differing from Differing to
Differ from is usual
Differ to can be used - but most people will think it is wrong.
Try it:
"It differs from that"
"It differs to that"

We can use differ to mean being different from (as above) or disagreeing with.
You would not, correctly, say
"It differs with that"
But you could say
"I differ with you on that point" or
"I differ from you on that point"

seem to have not - "seem to of ..."
The poor have little power.
The poor seem to have little power.
The poor seem to have had little power.
The poor seem to of have little power.
The poor seem to of had little power.

SENTENCES
CORRECT WRONG
Sentences begin with a capital letter.
Sentences end with a full stop.
Sentences begin with a capital letter and end with a full stop. sentences begin with a capital letter sentences end with a full stop
Sentences should make sense standing alone. When the following sentence is cut in half by a full stop, the part after the added full stop does not make sense on its own.
Rousseau was a theorist whose theories were applied to the French Revolution. Rousseau was a theorist . Whose theories were applied to the French Revolution.
Two sentences strung together as one, by missing out the full stop and capital, will not make sense - Or will not make the sense you want.
Human nature is present at birth. This is seen in babies. Human nature is present at birth this is seen in babies.
Temperance is control of desire. By controlling desire, we control ourselves. Temperance is control of desire by controlling desire, we control ourselves.
Sentences need their vital parts together to make sense
In the following sentence the subject ("the consensus about sex"),
verb ("was that") and object (rest of the sentence) are together.
By separating them by commas the sentence ceases to make sense.
The consensus about sex was that it occured when two people brought their genitals into contact. The consensus about sex , was that it occured , when two people brought their genitals into contact.
Understanding sentences is one of the most important keys to clear English.
Click here for guidance.

CORRECT WRONG
The tense should stay the same in an essay
Freud believed...... He believed that.....
Freud believes...... He believes that.....
Freud believed...... He believes that.....
Freud believes...... He believed that.....
Tense is about time past, present and future
Past tense:
Freud believed......
Rousseau sought ...
This essay sought...
Present tense:
Freud believes
Rousseau seeks ...
This essay seeks...
Future tense:
Freud will believe
Rousseau will seek ...
This essay will seek...
This essay will sought...
wrote and written
I wrote about Freud.
I have written about Freud.
I have wrote about Freud.

CORRECT WRONG
will and shall, would and should
My essay will be about butterflies.
Your essay should be about ants.
I would like my essay to be about butterflies.
You shall write about ants.
My essay should have been about ants, would have been about butterflies, should be ready by tomorrow, but will not be.
My essay shall attempt...
Should and shall imply "ought to" in these sentences. The ten commandments include "You shall not steal". "You will not steal" would mean stealing was not going to happen. "You shall not steal" means it is wrong, whether it happens or not. Shall implies you are ordering it.
"is going to" should not be used instead of "will"
CORRECT WRONG
This report will discuss my work on the Birmingham night train.

This report is going to Birmingham on the night train with me.

This report is going to discuss my work on the Birmingham night train.

This report will Birmingham on the night train with me.

CORRECT WRONG
summarise ( verb) and summary ( noun)
I summarise each theorist.
This is a summary of each theorist.
I summary each theorist.
This is a summarise of each theorist.
the (definite article)
Even in the family we see exploitation.
Even in families we see exploitation.
Even in family we see exploitation.
Because the human race is a family, it fights.
Because humans live in families, they fight.
Because human race is a family, it fights.



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