The English Grammar and Usage Tutorial Thread

[KuyaDanny]

how come all newscasters in the country refer to gen. garcia as the AFP komp-troll-er?

Perhaps because of this:

con·troller·ship n.

Usage Note: In the 15th century, the word controller developed the alternate spelling comptroller as a result of an association between the first part of the word, cont, and the etymologically unrelated word count and its variant compt. Although the historical pronunciation of comptroller would be the same as for controller, evidence suggests that the spelling pronunciations (kmp-trlr) and (kmptrlr) may now be used by a majority of speakers. In a recent survey, 43 percent of the Usage Panel indicated that they pronounce comptroller like controller, while 57 percent pronounce it with mp, as it is spelled, with stress on either the first or second syllable. And half of those Panelists who pronounce comptroller like controller indicated that they also consider the spelling pronunciations acceptable.


Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

[neoreo09]

the links found on the internet about grammar are quite useful but some eager-to-learn ignorants like me look for forums like this. the discussions and debates from 'EDUCATION and 'ATIN ITO: OUR CULTURE' really helps, especially when someone gets corrected in a Filipino way not to mention the very insulting and ego blending way of correcting a guy/gal.

so if you're trying to correct someone's grammar, do it in a nice kind manner. i know a few that are discouraged to discuss, write, and reply to the forums because of evil grammar school type individuals. mind you, they are packed with ideas. hindi nila na prapractice yung thoughts nila eh... sayang.

p.s. <b>most of them are students.</b>
di na nahiya mga 20-40 years old pinoys and filipino-amerikuno.

"kaya hindi tayo naunlad eh." tulungan dapat.

[neoreo09]

buhayin ang thread.

[Phan Boi Chau]

Mr Chau want this topic. it will helpme in practice my english. my officemate from the DI ATENEO is my teacher about the best university in the philippine island and my teacher in English and tagalok.

more please..

i thank you.

Mr Chau.

[paparagon]

lol nalaman ko lang na ang combination nag "EAU" sa french ay pronounced as "OH" lol

[SUX2BÜ]

I don't know about evidence. I hardly see evidences being used as plural. Mostly I see evidences used as a verb.

But our resident God Polyhistor is the final authority on this.

Si KuyaDanny naman o!

We have to remember that these mass/noncount nouns like "sugar" or "evidence" cannot be pluralized by adding "s" or "es". But how do we know if a word is a mass or noncount noun? One way is to use a number before the said noun and see if it sounds all right ("2 sugars" and "2 waters" sound horrible, don't they?) -- Yes, but, SUX2BÜ, "2 evidences" sounds okay! -- Sure, but the word "evidence" falls under one of mass/noncount noun's categories, which is called "abstract concepts".

English grammarians have divided mass/noncount nouns into, at least, 10 types or categories (abstract concepts: love, honesty; gases: fart, bad breath; liquids/fluids: water, sweat; items composed of small particles: dust, barley; subjects and fields of study: Swahili 101, grammar; recreation: curling, swimming; whole groups made of similar items: fruit, money; natural phenomena: darkness, lightning; et cetera).

[my_identity]

Si KuyaDanny naman o!

We have to remember that these mass/noncount nouns like "sugar" or "evidence" cannot be pluralized by adding "s" or "es". But how do we know if a word is a mass or noncount noun? One way is to use a number before the said noun and see if it sounds all right ("2 sugars" and "2 waters" sound horrible, don't they?) -- Yes, but, SUX2BÜ, "2 evidences" sounds okay! -- Sure, but the word "evidence" falls under one of mass/noncount noun's categories, which is called "abstract concepts".

English grammarians have divided mass/noncount nouns into, at least, 10 types or categories (abstract concepts: love, honesty; gases: fart, bad breath; liquids/fluids: water, sweat; items composed of small particles: dust, barley; subjects and fields of study: Swahili 101, grammar; recreation: curling, swimming; whole groups made of similar items: fruit, money; natural phenomena: darkness, lightning; et cetera).

Ibig ba nitong sabihin walang salitang, "fruits"? Ngayon ko lang nalaman na mass noun pala ang "fruit."

[KuyaDanny]

The word "fruits" is still legal by some dictionaries, as is "fishes", but I prefer "fruit" and "fish", as they sound classier and are easier to type.

"A basket of fruit."
"An aquarium full of fish."

[undaunted]

^ i don't know if this applies to food and trash, as well. it's rather off hearing people say foods and trashes though.

[SUX2BÜ]

Ibig ba nitong sabihin walang salitang, "fruits"? Ngayon ko lang nalaman na mass noun pala ang "fruit."

Hi my_identity!

Ang "fruit" kasi ay kasali sa mga bagay na nasa ilalim ng kategoryang Whole Groups Composed of Similar Items. Ang ibig pakahulugan nito ay kapag ang mga magkakatulad na bagay o mga bagay na may kinalaman sa isa't isa ay magkasama sa isang grupo ay hindi na ito dapat pa gawan ng "plural form". Halimbawa, kung may mga 10 mansanas ka sa mesa ay tatawagin mo ang mga itong "fruit" bilang isang grupo. Ayon naman sa ilang mga grammarians, dinadagdagan lang ng "s" o "es" ang mga salita sa kategoryang ito kung ang mga bagay na magkaka-uri nguni't iba-iba naman ang tipo ay nasa parehong grupo. Halimbawa, nagiging "fishes" ang "fish" kung ang iba't-iba uri ng isda (sapsap, besugo, galunggong) ay lumalangoy bilang isang grupo (Kaya sina Dory at Marlin ay maaaring tawaging "fishes" kasi magka-iba silang uri ng isda, pero sina Nemo at Marlin ay "fish" naman dahil pareho silang clownfish); at kung pare-pareho silang galunggong naman ay hindi na kailanganin pang tawagin silang "fishes" dahil isang uri lamang sila na isda kahit 38,000 pa sila.

Tignan ang ilan sa mga bagay na nasa kategoryang ito:

money (non-count): dollar bill, penny, dime (countable)
Money is hard to earn.
I gave you 10 pennies.

furniture (non-count): table, chair, desk (countable)
That furniture is expensive.
The tables are big.

information (non-count): note, fact, statistic (countable)
I need that information.
The facts are obvious.

Nawa'y naliwanagan ang lahat tungkol dito!

[javazcript]

isa to sa problema ko (hindi lang po ako siguro..pati rin ang ibang mga pilipinong tulad ko)...aminin ko ngtapos ako ng 4yr. course...pero bobo po ako sa composition....lalo na sa grammar...pagdating sa english...paano ba mging magaling sa grammar/english...minsan kasi pg ng compose ako ng isang pangugusap na english ...sablay pa..mali-mali pa ang grammar ko, nakakahiya sa mga mgbabasa...kaya nga po nung nag-aaral pa ako nung nasa kolehiyo pa ako e...ayokong mgcompose ng mga essays...minsan nga naiinggit ako dun sa mga magagaling mg english...kasi ang galing nila..at hangang-hanga ako sa kanila...pwede po ba tulungan nyo ako...minsan kasi nalilito po ako...

tulad na lang ng mga ito:
-saan ginagamit ang either/or at neither/nor...maari bang bigyan nyo ako ng mga halimbawa na gumagamit ng either/or at neither/nor...
-nalilito akong sa pg gamit ng mga have, has, have been, would have been...etc


maraming salamat po sa tulong nyo...asahan ko po ang mga pag sagot nyo...dun po sa mga mgtatawa at kukutya sa akin (kung meron man po)...pasensya na po...hindi po kasi ako magaling pagdating sa linyang ito...


isa pa po...may pag kakaiba po ba ang pag gamit ng "am i" at "i am"

[KuyaDanny]

Am I - when asking a question. "Am I good looking?"

I am - when stating a fact. "I am good looking!"

[kabitNIshaider]

Present tense
To Have: I/ YOU/ WE/ THEY---> HAVE HE/ SHE/ IT---> HAS

Past tense
I/ YOU/ WE/ THEY--> HAD
HE/ SHE/ IT--> HAD

or--shows an alternative relationship
nor--shows the addition of negatives

dont forget the FANBOYS!

[swimbod21]

ano po ba ang ibig sabihin ng "he died last summer before?"

[greenDestiny]

ano po ba ang ibig sabihin ng "he died last summer before?"

it doesnt mean anything because it's wrong. unless something else follows "before".

he died before last summer would be correct. which would mean, well, he died before summer.

or it could be... he died last summer before... his friend did. which could mean, his friend was on the verge of death that summer but he passed away first.

[flimmeryrose741]

hey,guys if you need help. ask lang kayo. I just finished my english class with a B. I am so happy. Don't forget that the verb and the adjectives are never found in the perpositional phrase.

[tophe_17]

What can you say about this one? The poster studied (and earned his MS) from a reputable university but for the sake of clean discussion, I won't mention it.



My concern is that how come some students were able to finish their degree with the kind of english grammar they have (such as that one)? Is this a sign of a total decline of the quality of education here?

[KuyaDanny]

...maybe a sign of the quality of education of that student.

But this is a tutorial thread, my friends. Let us keep it that way, instead of turning it into a lament/rant thread.

Does anybody care to rewrite the above passage correctly?

[tophe_17]

...maybe a sign of the quality of education of that student.

...and the school where he supposed to have learned correct english grammar.

By the way, he's no longer a student... he's already a professor.
Imagine how he's gonna teach his students with the way he constructs sentences.

Sorry if I turned OT. I admit the issue I raised was indirectly relevant to the thread. Its just that making a thread for it is not that important that's why I put it here - since its all about the english grammar.
Anyway, since its a tutorial, I'll go with KuyaDanny's suggestion of correcting it to avoid being out-of-topic.

[sarahJparker]

^^ hey, i can spot a couple of grammatical glitches in your post, too.

anyway, back to the topic:

I KNOW THIS IS SO UN-ATENEAN,
i sometimes forget the difference between "has been" and "had been". anyone care to explain? some examples please.

i'm too lazy to google it!