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Wed 1 Dec, 2004 03:57 pm
I think #2 is wrong. Is it because it is only one activity even though criminals are plural?
1. Catching criminals is police work.
2. Catching criminals are police work.
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Is #4 wrong because it is supposed to be an infinitive? And why? Is infinitive TO omitted from "study" in #3 and 5?
3. All I have to do is study.
4. All I have to do is studying hard.
5. All I have to do is study hard.
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Below only #6, 10 are correct?
6. John is always a good boy.
7. John always is a good boy.
8. John, always is a good boy, acts crazy today.
9. John, is always a good boy, acts crazy today.
10. John, always a good boy, acts crazy today.
Thanks a bunch.
Gramatically, I believe you to be correct in all choices.
(7) is OK also, BMO, though the placement of the adverb is not the most common location.
.. and you're a pretty good speller, too, Roger!
Re: catching criminals is plice work. (gerund)
Thank you all. I am still not clear. May I say only #1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10 are correct, the rest is wrong?
A big thank-you. I go them all, and thanks also for correcting "the rest is." I have wondered about that.
We know #4, "All I have to do is studying hard" is wrong, but other than that it must be an infinitive, Mister Macawber, do you have an explanation why it can't be a gerund?
Thanks again.
bmo, You have the same problem in the English grammar as me when it comes to singular and plural forms. Welcome to the "club."
You have the same problem in the English grammar as I when it comes to singular and plural forms.
I believe you can use "studying" as a gerund, but you would have to place "hard" in front of it to serve as an adjective for the noun instead of after it where it serves as an adverb for "is studying".
I have problems with English grammar.
Mister Micawber wrote:(7) is OK also, BMO, though the placement of the adverb is not the most common location.
7 is
incorrect due to the word order.
(Very quick) Adverb word order.
Most sentences should follow this rule:
After a
to be verb.
Before other verbs.
verb
adverb
I
am always happy.
I
quickly ran to the door.
Thanks. Got them all.
BMO
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