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English Usage Controversies
In the English language, there are grammatical constructions that many native speakers use unquestioningly yet certain writers call incorrect. Differences of usage or opinion may stem from differences between formal and informal speech and other matters of register, differences among dialects (whether regional, class-based, generational, or other), difference between the social norms of spoken and written English, and so forth. Disputes may arise when style guides disagree, when an older standard gradually loses traction, or when a guideline or judgment is confronted by large amounts of conflicting evidence or has its rationale challenged. Examples Some of the sources that consider some of the following examples incorrect consider the same examples to be acceptable in dialects other than Standard English or in an informal register; others consider certain constructions to be incorrect in any variety of English. On the other hand, many or all of the following examples are considere ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grammatical Construction
In linguistics, a grammatical construction is any syntax, syntactic string of words ranging from Sentence (linguistics), sentences over phrase structure rules, phrasal structures to certain complex lexemes, such as phrasal verbs. Grammatical constructions form the primary unit of study in construction grammar theories. In construction grammar, cognitive grammar, and cognitive linguistics, a grammatical construction is a syntactic :wikt:template, template that is paired with conventionalized Semantics, semantic and Pragmatics, pragmatic content. In generative grammar, generative frameworks, constructions are generally treated as epiphenomenal, being derived by the general syntactic rules of the language in question. See also * Construction grammar * Formal grammar References * Ronald W. Langacker, ''Foundations of Cognitive Grammar Volume I'', Stanford University Press, Stanford, California, 1987. * Adele Goldberg (linguist), Adele E. Goldberg, ''Constructions: A Construction G ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ain't
''Ain't'' is a negative inflection for ''am'', ''is'', ''are'', ''has'', and ''have'' in informal English. In some dialects, it is also used for ''do'', ''does'', ''did'', and ''will''. The development of ''ain't'' for the various forms of ''be'', ''have'', ''will'' and ''do'' occurred independently, at different times. The use of ''ain't'' for the forms of ''be'' was established by the mid-18th century and for the forms of ''have'' by the early 19th century. The use of ''ain't'' is a continuing subject of controversy in English. It is commonly spoken in informal settings, especially in certain regions and dialects. It is often highly stigmatized and is often understood as a marker of low socio-economic or regional status or education level. It is generally considered non-standard by dictionaries and style guides except when used for rhetorical effect. Etymology ''Ain't'' has several antecedents in English, corresponding to the various forms of ''be'' and ''have'' that ''ain't'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association (APA) is the main professional organization of psychologists in the United States, and the largest psychological association in the world. It has over 170,000 members, including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students. It has 54 divisions, which function as interest groups for different subspecialties of psychology or topical areas. The APA has an annual budget of nearly $135 million. Profile The APA has task forces that issue policy statements on various matters of social importance, including abortion, human rights, the welfare of detainees, human trafficking, the rights of the Mental disorder, mentally ill, IQ testing, sexual orientation change efforts, and gender equality. Governance APA is a corporation chartered in Washington, D.C. APA's bylaws describe structural components that serve as a system of checks and balances to ensure democratic process. The organizational entities include: * APA President. The APA pr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Quotation Marks In English
In English writing, quotation marks or inverted commas, also known informally as quotes, talking marks, speech marks, quote marks, quotemarks or speechmarks, are punctuation marks placed on either side of a word or phrase in order to identify it as a quotation, direct speech or a literal title or name. Quotation marks may be used to indicate that the meaning of the word or phrase they surround should be taken to be different from (or, at least, a modification of) that typically associated with it, and are often used in this way to express irony (for example, in the sentence 'The lunch lady plopped a glob of "food" onto my tray.' the quotation marks around the word ''food'' show it is being called that ironically). They are also sometimes used to emphasise a word or phrase, although this is usually considered incorrect. Quotation marks are written as a pair of opening and closing marks in either of two styles: or . Opening and closing quotation marks may be identical in for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Preposition Stranding
Preposition stranding or p-stranding is the syntax, syntactic construction in which a so-called ''stranded'', ''hanging'', or ''dangling'' preposition occurs somewhere other than immediately before its corresponding object (grammar), object; for example, at the end of a sentence. The term ''preposition stranding'' was coined in 1964, predated by stranded preposition in 1949. Linguists had previously identified such a construction as a sentence-terminal preposition or as a preposition at the end. Preposition stranding is found in English and other Germanic languages, as well as in Vata and Gbadi (languages in the Niger–Congo languages, Niger–Congo family), and certain dialects of French language, French spoken in North America. P-stranding occurs in various syntactic contexts, including passive voice, wh-movement, ''wh-''movement, and sluicing. ''Wh-''movement and P-stranding Wh-movement, ''Wh-''movement—which involves ''wh-''words like ''who'', ''what'', ''when'', ''where ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Double Copula
Double, The Double or Dubble may refer to: Mathematics and computing * Multiplication by 2 * Double precision, a floating-point representation of numbers that is typically 64 bits in length * A double number of the form x+yj, where j^2=+1 * A 2-tuple, or ordered list of two elements, commonly called an ordered pair, denoted (a,b) * Double (manifold), in topology Food and drink * A drink order of two shots of hard liquor in one glass * A "double decker", a hamburger with two patties in a single bun Games * Double, action in games whereby a competitor raises the stakes ** , in contract bridge ** Doubling cube, in backgammon ** Double, doubling a blackjack bet in a favorable situation ** Double, a bet offered by UK bookmakers which combines two selections * Double, villain in the video game '' Mega Man X4'' * A kart racing game '' Mario Kart: Double Dash'' * An arcade action game '' Double Dragon'' Sports * Double (association football), the act of a winning a division ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Southern American English
Southern American English or Southern U.S. English is a regional dialect or collection of dialects of American English spoken throughout the Southern United States, primarily by White Southerners and increasingly concentrated in more rural areas. As of 2000s research, its conservative and innovative (linguistics), most innovative accents include southern Appalachian English, Appalachian and certain Texan English, Texan accents. Such research has described Southern American English as the largest Dialects of North American English, American regional accent group by number of speakers. More formal terms used within American linguistics include ''Southern White Vernacular English'' and ''Rural White Southern English''. However, more commonly in the United States, the variety is recognized as a Southern accent, which technically refers merely to the Southern accent (United States), dialect's sound system, often also simply called Southern. History A diversity of Older Southern Americ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Double Modal
The English modal auxiliary verbs are a subset of the English auxiliary verbs used mostly to express modality, properties such as possibility and obligation. They can most easily be distinguished from other verbs by their defectiveness (they do not have participles or plain forms) and by their lack of the ending (''e'')''s'' for the third-person singular. The central English modal auxiliary verbs are ''can'' (with ''could''), ''may'' (with ''might''), ''shall'' (with ''should''), ''will'' (with ''would''), and ''must''. A few other verbs are usually also classed as modals: ''ought'', and (in certain uses) ''dare'', and ''need''. ''Use'' (, rhyming with "loose") is included as well. Other expressions, notably ''had better'', share some of their characteristics. Modal auxiliary verbs distinguished grammatically A list of what tend to be regarded as modal auxiliary verbs in Modern English, along with their inflected forms, is shown in the following table. Contractions are show ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Another Brick In The Wall
"Another Brick in the Wall" is a three-part composition on Pink Floyd's 1979 album '' The Wall'', written by the bassist, Roger Waters. "Part 2", a protest song against corporal punishment and rigid and abusive schooling, features a children's choir. At the suggestion of the producer, Bob Ezrin, Pink Floyd incorporated elements of disco. "Part 2" was Pink Floyd's first UK single since " Point Me at the Sky" (1968). It sold more than four million copies worldwide and topped singles charts in 14 countries, including the UK and the US. It was nominated for a Grammy Award and was ranked number 384 on ''Rolling Stone''s list of " The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Concept The three parts of "Another Brick in the Wall" appear on Pink Floyd's 1979 rock opera album '' The Wall''. They are essentially one verse each, although Part 2 sees its own verse sung twice: once by Floyd members, and the second time by the guest choir along with Waters and Gilmour. During "Part 1", the prot ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Double Negative
A double negative is a construction occurring when two forms of grammatical negation are used in the same sentence. This is typically used to convey a different shade of meaning from a strictly positive sentence ("You're not unattractive" vs "You're attractive"). Multiple negation is the more general term referring to the occurrence of more than one negative in a clause. In some languages, double negatives cancel one another and produce an affirmative; in other languages, doubled negatives intensify the negation. Languages where multiple negatives affirm each other are said to have negative concord or emphatic negation. Lithuanian, Portuguese, Persian, French, Russian, Polish, Bulgarian, Greek, Spanish, Icelandic, Old English, Italian, Afrikaans, and Hebrew are examples of negative-concord languages. This is also true of many vernacular dialects of modern English. Chinese, Latin, German (with some exceptions in various High German dialects), Dutch, Japanese, Swedis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Count Noun
In linguistics, a count noun (also countable noun) is a noun that can be modified by a quantity and that occurs in both singular and plural forms, and that can co-occur with quantificational determiners like ''every'', ''each'', ''several'', etc. A mass noun has none of these properties: It cannot be modified by a number, cannot occur in plural, and cannot co-occur with quantificational determiners. Examples Below are examples of all the properties of count nouns holding for the count noun ''chair'', but not for the mass noun ''furniture''. Some determiners can be used with both mass and count nouns, including "some", "a lot (of)", "no". Others cannot: "few" and "many" are used with count items, "little" and "much" with mass nouns. On the other hand, "fewer" is reserved for count and "less" for mass (see Fewer vs. less), but "more" is the proper comparative for both "many" and "much". Grammatical distinction The concept of a "mass noun" is a grammatical concept and is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fewer Vs
''Fewer'' versus ''less'' is a debate in English grammar about the appropriate use of these two determiners. Linguistic prescriptivists usually say that ''fewer'' and not ''less'' should be used with countable nouns, and that ''less'' should be used only with uncountable nouns. This distinction was first tentatively suggested by the grammarian Robert Baker in 1770, and it was eventually presented as a rule by many grammarians since then. However, modern linguistics has shown that idiomatic past and current usage consists of the word ''less'' with both countable nouns and uncountable nouns so that the traditional rule for the use of the word ''fewer'' stands, but not the traditional rule for the use of the word ''less''. As Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage explains, "''Less'' refers to quantity or amount among things that are measured and to number among things that are counted." Current usage The comparative ''less'' is used with both countable and uncountable no ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
