Mixed English Grammar Thread

no we do not...:) Even my kid says "If I were you" AND he knows its the "subjunctive"..:)))... mind you he has got a pedantic old bat for a mum...;)

Gdybym był polskim obywatelem, to byłbym (or mógłbym być) właścicielem swojego domu w Warszawie.


Yeah, a typo :)

Granted, the English DO tend to their grammar more assiduously then we do in the States))

Uj, Maaryśiuczku!!!! Straszne moje błędy....Dzięki-:)

EVERYBODY, NOBODY, NO ONE, SOMEONE - verb with or without "S"?

Ok, call me a lazy because probably I can check it in a grammar book, but I always have problem with it.

If somebody want(s) to be famous
Nobody want(s) to be famous
Do (does) anybody want to be famous?
Everybody want(s) to be famous

So with "s" or without?

with s

'Call me a lazy person' or 'call me lazy'. Lazy is an adjective, Maaarysia, so we don't count it.

Sb wants, correct
Nobody wants, correct
Does anybody want, correct
Everybody wants, correct

a person is countable.
a lazy person is perfectly correct grammatically. most people would say, call me lazy, though.

And never Everybody want?

Btw. how do we spell no one: no one or no-one?


I have written call me a lazy... but it also was a typo ;)

All (people) present want.... is good :) :)

English has some tough ones. For example, Maaarysia, this is to you specifically. Which of the following sentences is correct:

The police is fully capable of handling the problem

The police are fully capable of handling the problem??

Be prepared to justify your answer, please.

Oh, it's no-one or nobody :) :)

Maaarysia, 'I wrote' and not 'I have written' ;) ;)

Noone NOT "no one"!!!

As follows:

Noone knowS....
Everyone knowS.....
None of us knowS the truth....

Some of us know...
All of us know.....
Both of us know....

no-one..:)
Or it looks as though it rhymes with Lorna Doone.

Lyzko, neither of us knows or neither of us know? Why?

I think it is just a matter or personal taste.
..


I'm A Lazy Sod:
youtube.com/watch?v=qj4nYKVK044 ;-)


The organization, the force.


Policemen.

Above is correct. I already know this one tricky ;)


Why?
I've just written that sentence.


What about the army then? Or goverment?
It's just a silly expetion.

Why 'are', Maaarysia? The police is a collective unit, right? It's one group, no? It's a singular entity in the eyes of people, true?

You had already written that sentence when It'sallaboutMe asked you. The action is finished and the time is finished so it's past simple.

I don't know. I learned about the police at school.

Yes but I can swear that I've seen it somewhere as a tricky mistake. In Polish it's policja jest so you wouldn't ask me if there was no catch ;)


But the result of the sentence is still visible and we're disccussing it... I will never get it when we use present perfect :(

Yes but Seanus 90 per cent of native speakers of English would say "the Police are", wouldn't they?
Therefore that one is correct.
I keep reminding everyone here that there is no academy of the English language and its beauty and strength lie in its flexibility and ability to adapt. ...:)

Isn't the police one group just like the army or the govt? It's 'the' police :) Are the actions of the police any less integrated or collective than that of the army or govt, Maaarysia?

No. So you say that police is investigating is correct? Generally it sounds more natural for Polish speakers, does anyone have a problem with that in Poland? Why?

Oh, don't confuse an unravelling of logic with a declaration of position ;)

The police are is correct but I wanted you to tell me why :)

I have no idea.

one defunct pop group (if we're talking pop groups I believe the is/are depends on whether you're using British/American English, but I'm not sure which way round)

I'd like to know for sure.

They'd called in the police. The police were in every room.

For some odd reason, we think of the police as 'them'. It could refer to a broader scope of activities but that wouldn't stand up in court as a definitive difference. Some reverse logic. What is wrong with saying 'the army are conducting raids?'

Only by feeling: The army operates by units, the police operates by individuals.

Not true, AS. The police have many units and groups too. Nonetheless, they are still seen as a collective entity.

Neither. When was the last time they were capable of handling anything? ;)
Serious answer, to a native speaker rather than an expert linguist it can often come down to rythem ,if I added "force",ie Police force,then there would be no problem with either sentence.

I'll leave the complicated extra info to seanus as frankly who needs a Grammar lesson from a dyslexic actor :)

SINGULAR OR PLURAL
copied from the article thread

which one is better:
the initial sound in show and strength is not the same
or
the initial sounds in show and strength are not the same?

I mean, there are two words, show and strength, and each of them has its own initial sound, so logically there are two initial sounds. However, they may be identical or different.

I always get confused with sentences like this one.

In Poland we also say they even though Police is of a feminine gender. Ta Policja but I've never heard anyone saying ona ma teraz nabór na funcjonarszy... rather oni mają teraz nabór


Army is more perceived as a unit.