Some grammar question.

[ps2huang]

I don't know why. Who is native born American here, please explain it to me.

When I read some article, as it is quoting, sometimes it sppears "Someone Says," another time it happens "Says Someone." That someone refered to the name of author. As grammatical pattern, how can you swtich this kind of case?

 

Also that I, you, he, she, and they are sometimes used as subjects. But we can always use adjective to modify nouns. At the beggining of sentence, can I make: Angry-I dislike this thing???

[Yggdrasil]

The difference between saying "someone says" and "says someone" isn't really a gramatical one. Either form is fine.

 

I, you, he, she, we, they, them, etc. are all a special class of nouns called pronouns. Unlike nouns, you cannot modify pronouns with adjectives. So the sentence "Angry I dislike this thing" is gramatically incorrect.

[ps2huang]

The difference between saying "someone says" and "says someone" isn't really a gramatical one. Either form is fine.

 

I' date=' you, he, she, we, they, them, etc. are all a special class of nouns called pronouns. Unlike nouns, you cannot modify pronouns with adjectives. So the sentence "Angry I dislike this thing" is gramatically incorrect.[/quote']

According to you, does that mean "he hits" and "hits he" are same correct?

[ps2huang]

By the way, you said you could not modify pronoun, then why we could say which is "I am upset" " you are huge" ????

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Because in that case, you're not modifying the pronoun. The pronoun simply tells you what who is upset, huge, or whatever. It is not modified.

 

If you say "the blue me" however, that is modifying a pronoun. Not allowed.

[ps2huang]

Because in that case' date=' you're not modifying the pronoun. The pronoun simply tells you what who is upset, huge, or whatever. It is not modified.

 

If you say "the blue me" however, that is modifying a pronoun. Not allowed.[/quote']

This is very confusing. In Mandarin, we could use an adjective in front of any pronoun as starting expression or else. Like I=wu, you=ni, he/she=ta.

We could say like oh, terrible wu yao ti ni de pigu. means I, who is terrible, is going to kick on your butt.

And speaking of else, which its usage is adjective. But often people use else behind all nouns, but not in front of nouns like: else someone. Why? it does make sense grammatically.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

'I, who is terrible'- the I is simply stating who we are talking about. Imagine it this way--take the I and substitute it with your name. That's what pronouns do--you just say 'it' instead of 'the car.'

 

Just think of a pronoun as a substitute for saying the real word. It acts the same way.

[ps2huang]

'I' date=' who is terrible'- the I is simply stating who we are talking about. Imagine it this way--take the I and substitute it with your name. That's what pronouns do--you just say 'it' instead of 'the car.'

 

Just think of a pronoun as a substitute for saying the real word. It acts the same way.[/quote']

Oh ok, could we say; terrible Bush doesn't know how to control the world?

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Yes, that is pretty much correct.

 

Although I'd rather say "Bush is terrible, he doesn't know how to control the world."

Using 'is', 'am', or 'are' is typically better than just using it like an adjective.

[ydoaPs]

it is correct anyway

[ps2huang]

Yes' date=' that is pretty much correct.

 

Although I'd rather say "Bush is terrible, he doesn't know how to control the world."

Using 'is', 'am', or 'are' is typically better than just using it like an adjective.[/quote']

And why couldn't we put else before any noun?

By the way, I read a lot of books, I think they filtered saying "which is" or "that is". Like: E3 is a great place where people like to go. To make it more precise, it should be: E3 is a great place which is where people like to go. Is that correct? English sentences are using "which is" and"that is" to construct things together, right?

There is a rare thing: The book I wrote is a n expensive one. But precise saying is that: the book which I wrote is an expensive one. They often ignore using that or which since they become so frequently used, right?

[Yggdrasil]

According to you, does that mean "he hits" and "hits he" are same correct?

Quoting someone is a special case. Saying "hits he" is incorrect grammar. For example:

 

Correct: Einstein said, "E = mc²"

Also correct: "E = mc²," says Einstein

 

But,

 

Correct: Einstein spoke about special relativity.

Incorrect: Spoke Einstein about special relativity.

 

 

Oh ok, could we say; terrible Bush doesn't know how to control the world?

Proper nouns (any noun that you would capitalize, like a name of a country, company, or person), like pronouns, generally don't take on adjectives.

 

 

And why couldn't we put else before any noun?

Else is not an adjective. I'm not exactly sure of what the word "else" functions as. I'll look it up later.

 

 

By the way, I read a lot of books, I think they filtered saying "which is" or "that is". Like: E3 is a great place where people like to go. To make it more precise, it should be: E3 is a great place which is where people like to go. Is that correct? English sentences are using "which is" and"that is" to construct things together, right?

There is a rare thing: The book I wrote is a n expensive one. But precise saying is that: the book which I wrote is an expensive one. They often ignore using that or which since they become so frequently used, right?

Correct. "which is," "that is," "that," "which," and even some other prepositions are often omitted in common, and sometimes even formal, speech and writing.

[ps2huang]

Quoting someone is a special case. Saying "hits he" is incorrect grammar. For example:

 

Correct: Einstein said' date=' "E = mc[sup']2[/sup]"

Also correct: "E = mc²," says Einstein

 

But,

 

Correct: Einstein spoke about special relativity.

Incorrect: Spoke Einstein about special relativity.

 

 

 

Proper nouns (any noun that you would capitalize, like a name of a country, company, or person), like pronouns, generally don't take on adjectives.

 

 

 

Else is not an adjective. I'm not exactly sure of what the word "else" functions as. I'll look it up later.

 

 

 

Correct. "which is," "that is," "that," "which," and even some other prepositions are often omitted in common, and sometimes even formal, speech and writing.

About that mc, what is that for?

And do you think this is correct? I think many phrases have a lot of meaning.

What if stands for what is it if...

What about stands for what is it which is about

Are those correct explanations?

[ps2huang]

I also have another question. I, you, he/she, it, and they are all pronouns. But there is also another usage: me, you, him, her, them and it.

Can we say: Terrible-them are trying to make us mad; Angry-me will not accet you; stupid-you are trying to make me angry?

[Primarygun]

I am not an American or an European.

I found some grammar points in my book I think that helps you.

"I'm going to the bank," said Mary---Correct

"I'm going to the bank," said she ----wrong

"I'm going to the bank," she said ----correct

When the reporting clause comes after the quote, we can place the subject after the verb unnless the subject is a pronoun.

[ps2huang]

I am not an American or an European.

I found some grammar points in my book I think that helps you.

"I'm going to the bank' date='" said Mary---Correct

"I'm going to the bank," said she ----wrong

"I'm going to the bank," she said ----correct

When the reporting clause comes after the quote, we can place the subject after the verb unnless the subject is a pronoun.[/quote']

"said Mary," does it mean which was said that was Mary?

"said she' should be used as "said her," right?

[ps2huang]

And I guess that in this world, everything begins with 'it is." Like every and all sentences are started with It Is That, but we omit this to make our conversations go fast, right?

[Yggdrasil]

About that mc' date=' what is that for?

And do you think this is correct? I think many phrases have a lot of meaning.

What if stands for what is it if...

What about stands for what is it which is about

Are those correct explanations?[/quote']

 

E = mc² is a (simplification of) one of Einstein's more famous equations relating to special relativity. And, yes, you can think of those phrases that way.

 

I also have another question. I, you, he/she, it, and they are all pronouns. But there is also another usage: me, you, him, her, them and it.

Can we say: Terrible-them are trying to make us mad; Angry-me will not accet you; stupid-you are trying to make me angry?

 

There are three forms of prounouns, objective, subjective, and possesive. Objective pronouns (I, you, he/she/it, we, they) are used when the pronoun functions as the object of the sentence (the person performing the action). Subjective pronouns (me, you, him/her/it, us, them) are used when the pronoun functions as the object of the sentence (the person upon whom the action is being performed) or the object of a preposition. Possesive pronouns (my, your, his/hers/its, ours, theirs) are not nouns at all; they are adjectives describing ownership (note that the possesive for of it is its, not it's) Here are examples of correct pronoun usage.

 

I gave him a quarter.

He gave me five nickles.

Our nickles are shiny, and their nickles are not.

 

Regardless of what form of pronoun you use, you cannot modify a pronoun with an adjective.

[ps2huang]

E = mc² is a (simplification of) one of Einstein's more famous equations relating to special relativity. And' date=' yes, you can think of those phrases that way.

 

 

 

There are three forms of prounouns, objective, subjective, and possesive. Objective pronouns (I, you, he/she/it, we, they) are used when the pronoun functions as the object of the sentence (the person performing the action). Subjective pronouns (me, you, him/her/it, us, them) are used when the pronoun functions as the object of the sentence (the person upon whom the action is being performed) or the object of a preposition. Possesive pronouns (my, your, his/hers/its, ours, theirs) are not nouns at all; they are adjectives describing ownership (note that the possesive for of it is its, not it's) Here are examples of correct pronoun usage.

 

I gave him a quarter.

He gave me five nickles.

Our nickles are shiny, and their nickles are not.

 

Regardless of what form of pronoun you use, you cannot modify a pronoun with an adjective.[/quote']

But I have a question: Aren't people and person prnouns, too?

Then why we can modify those pronouns???

[Yggdrasil]

People and person are not pronouns.

[ps2huang]

Ok. But we can say: you are strong; he is good.

Then it means that we are modifying those pronouns,too, in another way.

If so, then I think we can put adjectives in front of any pronoun.

I don't know why in Mandarin which we can put adjective in front of any nouns, but not in English.

[Dak]

adjectives can only come after pronouns:

 

you are strong; he is good <-- both correct

 

strong you; good he <-- both incorrect.

 

 

adjectives can come before or after nouns:

 

the apple is red; the red apple <-- both correct.

 

proper nouns (nouns that take capital letters, eg peoples names, plases names) interact with adjectives in the same way in which pronouns do, ie adjectives come after:

 

Dak is big; England is big <-- both correct

 

big Dak; big England <-- both incorrect

[ps2huang]

adjectives can only come after pronouns:

 

you are strong; he is good <-- both correct

 

strong you; good he <-- both incorrect.

 

 

adjectives can come before or after nouns:

 

the apple is red; the red apple <-- both correct.

 

proper nouns (nouns that take capital letters' date=' eg peoples names, plases names) interact with adjectives in the same way in which pronouns do, ie adjectives come after:

 

Dak is big; England is big <-- both correct

 

big Dak; big England <-- both incorrect[/quote']

So you cannot put adjectives in front of name, too??

But why did someone say I was correct which is when I used "Terrible Bush" as the beggining sentence?

Also that we can use "which" to combine two sentences together. Can we use "which is" to comebine, too?

Like: He is so good at swimming which is in which he is a leader of swim-team?

[ps2huang]

I have another idea. Can we say this:

It's angry who is you will not let me in

↓↓↓

Angry you will not let me in.

It makes sense, is it?

Just trying to make some logical connection between English and Chinese.

[Dak]

So you cannot put adjectives in front of name' date=' too??

But why did someone say I was correct which is when I used "Terrible Bush" as the beggining sentence?[/quote'] dunno. as far as i know, you cant put adjectives infront of proper nouns. so 'terrible Bush' would be incorrect (note: 'terrible bush', as in a bad hedge, would be acceptable because 'bush' is a common noun; 'Bush' is a proper noun)

 

Also that we can use "which" to combine two sentences together. Can we use "which is" to comebine, too?

Like: He is so good at swimming which is in which he is a leader of swim-team?

 

'He is good at swimming, which is why he is a leader of the swim-team'.

 

note that 'which' always follows a comma. if you want to avoid the comma, you can often (but not always) use 'that' instead:

 

He is so good at swimming that he is a leader of the swim-team.

 

(actually, that sounds a bit 'jerky' -- id go for 'which is why' in the above example).

 

I have another idea. Can we say this:

It's angry who is you will not let me in

↓↓↓

Angry you will not let me in.

It makes sense, is it?

 

no. i have no idea what you meant. unless you meant that someone who was angry would not let me in, in which case it would be:

 

angrily, you will not let me in.

 

in which case 'angrily' reffers to the compund verb 'not let me in' (i think).

 

if you want 'angrily' to specifically refer to 'you', then it should be

 

you, angrily, will not let me in.