In a paper I recently wrote about Dr. Martin Luther King, jr., I used the sentence: As a black man in the ’40s, it was almost unheard of to go to college. Someone suggested to me that this sentence contained a dangling modifier or an error of that nature. My sentence does seem to be … Read more
Is it grammatically correct to start a sentence with “As also”? I guess that the following example is not grammatically correct: As also the product includes a clippy-like helper. while this one is correct or sounds better at least: Moreover, the product includes a clippy-like helper. Answer I’m not familiar with the formulation “as also”, … Read more
Just out of curiosity I would like to ask. By searching through the web I could not find an answer yet. Can “most of which” be used in the beginning of a sentence? Here is an example of a sentence for which I would like to know whether I can make two out of it. … Read more
Multiple questions herein ask “Is it grammatically correct to begin a sentence or question with X?” So, I’m definitively asking, are there any words for which it is absolutely not grammatically correct to begin a sentence with? I am not looking for a list, and I’m not (effectively) looking for a class of words, though … Read more
I have to write technical documents such as manuals, reports and journal articles. Recently, I find myself beginning sentences with “This” a lot of the time. For example, Deploy one marker buoy at the GPS location of the anchor and another at the GPS location of the frame. This makes navigating much easier. or The … Read more
What is the meaning of of when it starts a sentence? For example, and what is the grammatically correct way to write a sentence starting with of? Answer If we take your specimen text, The thing I’m most afraid of is me. Of not knowing what I’m going to do. Of not knowing what I’m … Read more
Question: Is it possible to start a grammatically-correct English sentence with the word "Than"? If no, what other English words share this property? Background: Trevor claimed that it is impossible. This is an attempt to verify or repudiate Trevor’s claim. Answer Playing off WS2’s comments, there’s this excerpt from Cakes and Ale: or, the Skeleton … Read more
Doesn’t is the contraction for does not. From my knowledge, the sentence Doesn’t Tom like Sally? is legitimate. Why is this so? If I expand the sentence, it becomes Does not Tom like Sally? which starts to not make sense. Answer The modern grammar requires that not must be contracted with the auxiliary verb in … Read more
I’m writing a function (for a game) which converts a sentence with Spivak pronouns into one with pronouns as specified by a user-selected template. For example, the following input sentence: “E casts eir spell on emself.” Could be transformed into any of the following (among others), depending on the selected template: “She casts her spell … Read more
Which of the following two phrases is correct? Now is the time to Now is time to Or are both of them correct? And if so is “Now is the time to” more formal? Answer Now is the time to is correct. Compare it to something like this: Tomorrow is the day to or Tomorrow … Read more
