is/are

[QuillingQuillQuiller]

Some grammar questions have found their way into the section on Punctuation. I'm putting them into this new thread to make them easier to find.

Several posts relate to subject/verb agreement with the verbs is and are.

Problems arise when a singular subject is separated from its verb by a prepositional phrase that ends with a plural noun (or when a plural subject is separated from the verb by a prepositional phrase that ends with a singular noun).

Errors of agreement occur in such sentences because of a tendency to want to make the verb agree with the noun nearest to it. The verb must agree with the subject of the verb.

Here are some examples that are correct:
One of the doors is open.
The politician with all the ex-wives lacks credibility running again.
That film, despite all the car chases and explosions, bores me.

[Ali]

Do you mean "Breaking wind towards her?" If so, it should be:

Breaking wind in her direction.

The "in" isn't determined by "breaking wind" but by "direction". Think about examples like:
- I threw a ball in her direction.
- He rode a bike in the opposite direction.

However, if you're using "her direction" to mean "her instruction", it should be:

Breaking wind at her direction.


(I must admit I'm curious about what you're writing!)

Best,

Ali

[QuillingQuillQuiller]

Thanks, Ali.

One more, notice shampoo advertising? When the man uses his fingers to "comb" them out from the woman's hair. How do we say that?

He ____ her hair.

[Al B]

That depends on the context. If you want to write it as though it's a storyboard direction for the maker of a shampoo advert, he runs his fingers through her hair will do. If, on the other hand, it's a romantic novel you're writing, his fingers might caress, float, tease or glide through her hair. Any number of emotive or evocative words would fit in such circumstances. It's up to you.

One other useful point to note, is that in advertising, the focus should be on the potential buyer. So it's better have 'you' appear more prominently in your copy than 'he', 'she' 'we' 'us' 'our' or 'I'. For example: You're looking for a shampoo that will make him want to run his fingers through your hair?..., is far better than: He'll want to run his fingers through your hair when you use Soapex shampoo.... That's because the focus is on the potential buyer in the first example, with the potential client being referred to right at the start of the phrase. Doing this makes the reader feel more important, which helps to create the impression that the shampoo company cares about you personally. That's also why 'Because you're worth it' is such a successful campaign, one which is used to sell L'Oreal's products.

Al

[QuillingQuillQuiller]

Glide...
Yes, Glide. It should be. :D
Thanks Al B for very informative explanation. :)

...
With caress, Tim patiently glides his fingers through her soft hair.

~~~

Another one:
Imagine if we want to approach someone's back, when she turns around facing us. But she's somebody else. Any single word with "mis-..." to describe the situation? Is it "miscalled"? But isn't that a term for wrong phone-calls?
I expect it's a bit "humanity." :P but only if it's available in English. I'm curious. :)

Like, we typed it wrong, we used "mistyped."
We understood it wrong, we used "misunderstood."

[Silke]

Mistaken / mistook her for someone else.

I think. :)

Silke

[Al B]

A single word to describe that situation is: Misidentification.

Or, if you prefer, she has been misidentified. As Silke suggests, the person may have mistaken her for someone else, or mistook her for someone else, or mistakenly thought she was someone else. Any of those varieties will do.

As with other languages, sometimes, when there isn't an English term which adequately describes a situation, bits of foreign languages creep into the English language, for example, if I playfully grabbed someone from behind, and it turned out they were actually not the person I had thought they were, it could be described as a faux pas, as in: 'I committed a bit of a faux pas when I grabbed that lady from behind, and she turned out to be a complete stranger'. Faux pas is French for 'false step', although in English usage, it usually means that you've done something embarrassing or socially unacceptable. And somewhat ironically, since it was the title of this thread, breaking wind fits into that category too.

Al

[QuillingQuillQuiller]

Interesting Al.

faux pas, cliche, touche, de javu, etc.

Yes, you're right. Behavior/matter/subject suits better if we use the original word rather than describing in English. It may bring a bias/deviation meaning to original word itself.

I wonder, can we use those original words in the English standard writing? Maybe a prohibition in what kind of writing or sort of?

Thanks before, Al. You'd helped a lot, very much appreciated.

Budi

[Maeve]

Some foreign expressions are very common in English and may be used freely since they briefly express ideas that require more words in English.

Here are a couple of DWT posts that address French expressions in English:

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/french-words-for-writers/

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/reader-piqued-by-french-mutilations/

[QuillingQuillQuiller]

Thank Maeve.

A thing had bothered me today... I read this in a blog.

...proof of photographs is better.

Is or Are?

[Traxius]

Are is plural, is is singular.
So I would say...

...proof of photographs are better.

The plates are in the cupboad.
The spoon is in the drawer.
Where are the forks?

[Maeve]

is is correct. Proof is the subject of the verb and proof is singular.

[QuillingQuillQuiller]

Are is plural, is is singular.
So I would say...

...proof of photographs are better.

The plates are in the cupboad.
The spoon is in the drawer.
Where are the forks?

What about:

... rims of Ferarri's car ___ beautiful.

[Traxius]

You're right Maeve, my mistake.

Quilling, if you can figure out the subject, then you'll know which to use. Give it a shot and tell us what you think.