Table of Contents
When to use are Versus is?
When deciding whether to use is or are, look at whether the noun is plural or singular. If the noun is singular, use is. If it is plural or there is more than one noun, use are. The cat is eating all of his food.
What is a grammatical rule?
1. grammatical rule – a linguistic rule for the syntax of grammatical utterances. rule of grammar. linguistic rule, rule – (linguistics) a rule describing (or prescribing) a linguistic practice. transformation – a rule describing the conversion of one syntactic structure into another related syntactic structure.
What is the difference between there was and there were?
We use there is for a singular object in the present tense and there are for plural objects in the present. There was is used when you refer to one thing or person. There were is used when you refer to more than one thing or person.
What is singular and plural noun?
In short, this means that a singular noun refers to only one person or thing and a plural noun refers to more than one person or thing. Let’s look more closely at each of these two types of nouns so we can better understand the difference.
How many English grammar rules are there?
How many grammar rules are there in the English language? Estimates range from 500 to 10,000, but for practical purposes, we can say that there are about 3,500 grammar rules.
Do you understand grammar rules?
Dr. Richard Epstein is a linguist at Rutgers University in Camden, New Jersey. Dr. Epstein says that most people do not understand the social and political processes behind grammar rules.
Are grammar rules based on logic or politics?
Dr. Epstein says grammar rules have nothing to do with logic. Instead, they are based on social fashions, politics, and power. He gives the example of the double negative. As we mentioned on an episode of Everyday Grammar, certain types of double negative words are not allowed in Standard American English.
Who sets the rules for grammar in the United States?
There is no official government agency in the United States that makes rules for the English language. In fact, the United States does not even have an official language. Teachers usually rely on tradition and popular style guides to decide what proper grammar is. Descriptive grammar takes a different approach.
What are the rules governing the case of pronouns?
In formal settings, you must the rules governing the case of pronouns. If your sentence calls for the subjective case, you must use I, you, he, she, it, we, you, they (see the subjective-case columns in the two tables above). If your sentence calls for the objective case, you must use me, you, him, her, it, us, you,…