English grammar

Forums: English, Esl, Grammar
Email this Topic • Print this Page

Hello all. I have a question about the following sentence. "Do you understand english grammar" or "Do you understand the english grammar". which among the above two are correct ?

Thanks

Topic Stats
Top Replies
Link to this Topic

Type: Question • Score: 2 • Views: 1,906 • Replies: 33

No top replies

@drag-on,

drag-on wrote:

"Do you understand english grammar" or "Do you understand the english grammar". which among the above two are correct ?

Thanks

The first is partly correct; it has a number of errors:

1. The word English, being a nationality, starts with a capital letter.
2. It is a question, and therefore ends with a question mark.

The second is wrong; it shares the above errors and we do not use the definite article (the) before "English grammar".

Furthermore your question itself contains an error: in English a question mark immediately follows the last word of the question it ends - there should be no space.

1 Reply

@contrex,

Quote:

......
1. The word English, being a nationality, starts with a capital letter.

I’m sure Drga’s aware of that, some of us just aren’t very proficient typists

Quote:

2. It is a question, and therefore ends with a question mark.

Isn’t the omission of a q mark just a matter of style

Esp when the phrase is so obviously a q

Quote:

The second is wrong; it shares the above errors and we do not use the definite article (the) before "English grammar".

Very interesting Con that you should so observe. As an erstwhile writer myself I can’t see anything wrong and in fact I rather like it though I can’t explain why, it’s Intuition

Quote:

Furthermore......question mark. - there should be no space.

See item 1

1 Reply

@dalehileman,

dalehileman wrote:

Isn’t the omission of a q mark just a matter of style

It is an error. Question marks are not optional when ending an interrogative sentence, e.g. "Do you understand English grammar?"

Question marks are optional at the end of commands or requests phrased as questions e.g. "Will you please send me a progress report by June 10th?"

Quote:

Esp when the phrase is so obviously a q

It is especially an error in that situation.

Quote:

Very interesting Con that you should so observe. (no 'the' before English grammar)

We don't use the definite article with uncountable nouns when used in a general or non-specific sense: e.g. nature, grammar, health, information, life, death, murder, love, hate, size, weight, etc.

Quote:

As an erstwhile writer myself I can’t see anything wrong

So you feel "A tree is part of the nature" and "A tree is part of nature" are equally grammatical? or "The death comes to us all" and "Death comes to us all"?

Quote:

(Furthermore......question mark. - there should be no space.))See item 1

I'll allow that this is more a question of typography or handwriting than grammar. In French a full width space is used before a question or exclamation mark. In English writing and printing this is called "French spacing" and it is an error.

3 Replies

@contrex,

Excellent answer, Contrex.

1 Reply

contrex & dale -- picky, picky, picky. Rolling Eyes

1 Reply

@Lustig Andrei,

Lustig Andrei wrote:

contrex & dale -- picky, picky, picky.

What are you saying there? I don't quite get what you intend to convey.

1 Reply

@contrex,

Quote:

Question marks are not optional

Con you seem a very literal fellow and you’re to be commended for helping the participant not familiar with the “rules.” However style considerations sometimes outweigh the rules. As an erstwhile writer if not an avid reader I've encountered many such cases of omitted punctuation by qualified writers or in reputable pubs. Off the top of my head for instance the period is often omitted at the end of a sentence serving as a figure title. I recall many such instances in Time Mag for example

Occasion of the omitted q mark as a matter of style are fewer and farther between but the next time I run across an exemplar I’ll get back to you

Quote:

(no 'the' before English grammar)

The writer for instance might have been making comparisons between practices where he's asking the listener if the English grammar affords an alternative not readily aviailable in most of several other languages

Quote:

or "The death comes to us all" and "Death comes to us all"?

The life comes to us who strive whereas the death comes to us all

Quote:

In French a full width ......is called "French spacing" and it is an error

[here anyhow]. Well Con thank you for that revelation, it’s not everyday....

0 Replies

@contrex,

contrex wrote:

Lustig Andrei wrote:

contrex & dale -- picky, picky, picky.

What are you saying there? I don't quite get what you intend to convey.

I'm referring to the fact that, having quite adequately answered the question, you two guys are having a hilarious argument over the placement of a question mark.

1 Reply

yo dale is correct is not he when he says that question marks donut have tobe at the end of a inquiry even if you are asking yourself about this one.

Right
Did you answer yet
I went to the Google in order to search and research the matter of the. It scared the life out of me it really did because the English Grammar to quote dale is so contrex er, complex so many rules right and stuff and all the commas and points and dots and double dot things: wow, who can learn and thAn use all of thems

Answer: Anyone who both desires to write clearly and is willing to take the time, out of respect for the reader, to do so.

~I had to channel an eleven year old girl to write the above paragraph. ~

Joe(It was fun.)Nation

2 Replies

@Joe Nation,

Thank you joe, delightful might I not say

1 Reply

@dalehileman,

You might not, but you might, rabbit, you might.

Joe(That's from an old Bugs Bunny cartoon.)Nation

0 Replies

This is a thread started by an ESL learner wanting a steer on grammar rules. Dredging up odd snippets of rule breaking by stylists or poets or whatever does not cut it.

1 Reply

@contrex,

Yes Con, we know, forgive us, we do it only to bestir the militancy of the preemptory in the environment wherein so many of us seem so terribly angry at all times about nearly everything

1 Reply

@Joe Nation,

OMG that is so like true. An ontoppa that they want you to lern to spel two. LOL.

Lustig(I'm an ESL person myself)Andrei

0 Replies

@dalehileman,

Yet somehow “The English grammar” has appeal, sounds right, can’t say why, it’s intuitive

0 Replies

@drag-on,

Quote:

"Do you understand english grammar" or "Do you understand the english grammar". which among the above two are correct ?

Both are correct, Drag-on.

The first is asking about English grammar in a general, overall sense. The second is a specific reference to certain aspects of English grammar. It isn't all that common but it certainly can happen.

For example;

Teacher: Did everyone get their homework done?

A student: I had some trouble with it.

Teacher: Did you understand the [English] grammar?

1 Reply

@JTT,

Quote:
"Do you understand english grammar" or "Do you understand the english grammar". which among the above two are correct ?

Quote:

Both are correct, Drag-on.

Yes they are but as I had pointed out, the meanings are subtly different

1 Reply

@Lustig Andrei,

I'm surprised that the newspaper guy isn't weighing in on the language discussion.

0 Replies

@dalehileman,

Quote:

Yes they are but as I had pointed out, the meanings are subtly different

You're right, D, but I don't think that the differences are terribly subtle.

1 Reply

English grammar

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know