r/grammar

Like just walking... on crutches. I'm writing a character who uses crutches, and it feels off-putting to say she walks, because she doesn't. My words so far are stuff like 'pulling herself forward, maneuvering, and "crutching" per google's response. But I don't know how to describe it further. She's not hobbling or limping, as she's used to the crutches after having used them all her life and is actually quite swift. She's walking... on crutches.

You can tell not having a word for this is driving me cuckoo bananas.

edit: I just want to specify that she uses forearm or Lofstrand crutches, so she can't "swing" or what you would expect of your average axillary crutches.

For a professional letter: is it better to use

• "based on length of service", or
• "according to length of service"

Context: it will be used to indicate the additional compensation (ie X weeks of paid in lieu of notice). For example, if I utilize "based on", it will be "plus compensation in lieu of notice based on length of service"

why and how is "verse" being used to abbreviate "versatile" instead of "vers." why tf are we adding the E at the end of "versE" ????

How should I write this, and why?

1. Who do you think you're talking to? I'm a member of nobility.

2. Who do you think you're talking to? I'm a member of the nobility.

Hello! I got in a debate with my sister regarding wording and need help.

I said “wanna go to X for 10:15?” But she conferred it as ‘let’s leave at 10:15’. I said no it’s let’s arrive at X for 10:15 but she refuses to relent.

Edit: sister wanted me to add that we were at two different homes but would be carpooling

Could you please end the debate.

Does anyone feel when people add a period to a short sentence they feel like the author has wrote it out with an attitude or sarcasm.

Example:
Makes such a difference

Makes such a difference.

Hello, I’m kind of a beginner writer!
I copied my text from the usual program I use to write on my computer, which resulted in them wanting to check everything for the grammar. One thing they keep telling me is to add a space between quotation marks and the text in only some specific parts…
I searched it up because I was sceptical, and people are saying that you should never put a space between quotation marks and the content.

My quote:
”Stop doing that, you look like a fish”
Why do they want me to add a space at the beginning? But everyone else says that you should NOT?

Me and a friend was arguing over a question, she says the subordinate clause split the plant and the hairs, and therefore it is not the plants’s hair.

The question:
Even gently touching the Haleakala ahinahina can mean death for the plant, whose delicate silver hairs protect_____ from solar radiation and dehydration.
A. Itself
B. Them
C. Those
D. It

She says it’s meant to be D but it arguing that it should be A since the antecedent for the hairs is the plant and therefore it should be that the plant’s hair is protecting itself.
English is my second language so I’m sorry for the choppy sentences

“He who shan't be addressed by nomenclature” instead of “He who shouldn't be addressed by name”.

I need a good website in which to practice my grammar on. I like sites that have multiple choice tests and quizzes. Could you provide links to a few?

I’m getting a tattoo of the following song lyrics:

Never be so kind, you forget to be clever
Never be so clever, you forget to be kind

I want to punctuate it properly, and I think it should be:

Never be so kind, you forget to be clever;
Never be so clever, you forget to be kind.

Is this correct, please?

46. I was exhausted at the end of the exam. I .......... Two essays for over two hours.

a.had been writing b.have been writing c.had written d.have written

Help me out here, the important note is the following, the emphasized action is the prolonged writing, which lead to the exhaustion,

the other argument is; Given there is a number stated " TWO essays" therefore i cannot use the continouse tense, and must use "had written".

WHICH IS IT? MY EXAM IS TMR!

Here are two versions of a sentence and I'm wondering which one is correct:

1. The two representatives going to the convention are she and I.
2. The two representatives going to the convention are her and me.

I was under the impression that the first one is more accurate, seeing the "are" as a linking verb.

However, my English professor told me that the "are" is an action verb in this case, which means that the second one is correct.

I am having trouble finding confirmation of this and would appreciate some clarity. Thank you!

I think that’s the correct flair for this one, I’m generally aware of the difference between hanged (used to refer to the act of hanging oneself to death/execution by hanging) vs hung (everything else).

I have a more specific question, when you’re describing the body itself after the fact (I.E “It hung/hanged from that tree for three days after” ) would it then change to hung since you’re neither describing the execution nor the person, only a corpse being suspended?

Follow up to that one, if you’re describing a body being hanged post-mortem, after it had died by some other means, is it hanged or hung then?

Apologies for the morbid question and thanks for any feedback.

For context:

I was talking to a guy and arranging a first date. He asked when I was available, and I told him my earliest availability was monday evening after my full-time job. He offered Thursday at lunchtime in response. I will copy my response below:

"I work thursday! I'm not sure how lunch would work. Unless you want to have lunch at the courhouse lol"

He asked me why i used an exclamation mark, and I asked him why not? I thought it was a strange question tbh. He explained to me that I was emphasizing something, and he couldn't figure out what i was emphasizing or why. I told him I wasn't emphasizing anything in particular. I was just surprised and a little eager and trying to convey that in a friendly manner. I also added that maybe we just have different texting styles, and i didn't mean anything by it. This is what he wrote in response:

"Different text styles but baby, you’re changing the meaning. That’s all. I got it now."

I said no way there's definitely a difference between exclaiming and emphasizing, I meant one and not the other. He sent me an A.I. explanation on why I'm wrong, and why I shouldn't use exclamation marks....

I always thought an exclamation mark implied expression like surprise or something. He basically called me dumb and said I shouldn't repeat that to anyone else.

When writing, I wouldn't think a word was being emphasized unless i used italics or underlined or even capitalized every letter. Now I'm confused.

Thoughts?

edit: Thank you all for all of the thoughtful replies! I've come to the conclusion that I used the exclamation in a way that was confusing, but that it was, in fact, grammatically fine and that no, it doesn't HAVE to mean you're emphasizing anything in particular when you use it because it can denote tone. As much as I appreciate the convo I will no longer be replying. Have a great one.

I have a group of Librarians who are disagreeing with how to make a sign correct. I have created a sign for a book display which is meant to be a pun based on the book The Color Purple where all the books are purple. I wrote out "The Cover's Purple" based off of the it's vs its rule, but theres been some disagreement on whether it's just s or if it should be 's. I appreciate any feedback!

Edit 2: Apparently there is another word that better describes the scenario I provided. Some tautograms can also be alliterative, so there is still a word that I'm looking for.

So what's the word for two words that have the same beginning letter that are NOT alliterative under any circumstances? Thanks, u/AlexanderHamilton04 for the additional information and helping me understand your point. I appreciate it!

Edit: It's called a "tautogram"! Thank you, u/Sage-Monarch ☺️

If you have two words that start with the same letter but aren't alliterative, then what would you call that?

For example, Geoffrey Gregory. Both start with G, but have different sounds. So if they aren't alliterative, what is the correct term? Thanks in advance!

How do you use an ellipses for the end of a sentence before starting a new sentence (still within the quoted material).

So, original text: He tucked himself into bed, drank his glass of water, and cleared his mind. He dreamt sweet dreams.

Would it be: "He tucked himself into bed ... He dreamt sweet dreams." ? I feel like there should be a period before the second "He," but what would that look like?

Hi! I'm rereading a text translated from French. The translator capitalized General Staff (as in the military group) sometimes, and didn't others. The web gives lots of differing examples, some capitalized, some not. Does the OED have a stance on this? Any help appreciated!