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TIPS
for International Speakers of English
GRAMMAR TIPS
SENTENCE STRUCTURE: PARTS OF SPEECH
In much of the world, even in English-speaking countries, English is taught without reference to parts of speech. This oversight makes learning English unnecessarily difficult. A basic understanding of sentence structure in English makes things much easier.
The following sentence contains all the basic parts of speech:
The boy gladly gave a black and white photograph to his friend.
Simply put:
Nouns are things (or topics).
Pronouns take the place of nouns.
Adjectives modify (add meaning to) nouns and pronouns.
Verbs denote action.
Adverbs modify verbs and adjectives.
Prepositions indicate direction and/or movement.
Definite articles refer to specific things. (I gave him the book you recommended.)
Indefinite articles refer to things in general. (I gave him a book.)
Conjunctions link words, clauses and sentences.
What 'part of speech' the word is should not be confused with how these words function in the sentence:
Note that, regardless of word order, what is the direct object and what is the indirect object remain the same. However, in the above case, when the indirect object precedes the direct object, the preposition ‘to’ must be omitted.
(Also note that the word 'verb' is used to describe both the part of speech and the function.)
Again, very simply:
Subject denotes the topic or whoever/whatever is performing the action.
Verb denotes action or mode of being.
Direct object denotes something concerning the action of the verb.
Indirect object denotes a secondary attribute of the action.
AN ANALOGY: IF SOMEONE GIVES YOU PLANS FOR BUILDING A SPECIFIC HOUSE AND YOU FOLLOW THOSE PLANS, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO BUILD THAT SPECIFIC HOUSE. HOWEVER, IF YOU ARE GIVEN PLANS FOR BUILDING HOUSES IN GENERAL, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO BUILD WHATEVER KIND OF HOUSE YOU CHOOSE.
LIKEWISE, LEARNING PREFABRICATED ENGLISH SENTENCES BY ROTE ENABLES YOU TO USE THOSE SPECIFIC SENTENCES. HOWEVER, UNDERSTANDING ENGLISH PARTS OF SPEECH AND SENTENCE STRUCTURE ENABLES YOU TO CREATE WHATEVER KIND OF SENTENCE SUITS YOUR PURPOSE.
WORD STRUCTURE
In much of the world, even in English-speaking countries, English is taught without reference to word structure. This oversight makes learning English unnecessarily difficult. A basic understanding of word structure in English makes things much easier.
English words are generally made up of one to three components. All words have a root meaning. Some have a prefix and/or suffix-sometimes more than one.
root: essential meaning of the word
prefix: tag at the beginning of a word, adding or modifying meaning
suffix: tag at the end of a word, primarily designating part of speech (noun, adverb, etc.); also modifying meaning
For example:
view (root) means to look at, or something looked at.
The prefix pre means 'before.'
Hence, preview means 'to look at beforehand' (or 'something looked at beforehand')
The prefix re means 'after or again.'
Hence, review means 'to look at afterward or again.'
The suffix er means 'one who does the action of the verb' (teacher teaches, baker bakes, etc.)
Hence, viewer is 'one who views' or 'something that views'
Thus, reviewer means 'one who looks again.'
Changing the suffix of a word changes its function in the sentence:
capable is an adjective
capability is a noun
capably is an adverb
Words may have more than one prefix and/or more than one suffix:
operate
co-operate
co-operat-ive
co-operat-ive-ly
un-co-operat-ive-ly
While there are thousands of roots, there are only about 30 commonly used prefixes whose meanings can be easily memorized. There are even fewer commonly used suffixes. Lists of prefixes and suffixes can be found in most English grammar books.
MEMORIZING THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUAL ENGLISH WORDS IS GOING ABOUT IT THE HARD WAY. MEMORIZING A LIMITED NUMBER OF PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES ENABLES YOU TO QUICKLY ASSEMBLE INNUMERABLE WORDS BY MODIFYING THEIR MEANING OR FUNCTION. UNDERSTANDING WORD STRUCTURE ALSO ENABLES YOU TO PLAY WITH THE LANGUAGE, CREATING NEW WORDS TO SUIT YOUR PURPOSE-AS LONG AS YOU CONFORM TO STANDARD WORD STRUCTURE, THEIR MEANING AND FUNCTION WILL BE CLEAR.
THE SAME ANALOGY APPLIES AS WITH SENTENCE STRUCTURE: IF SOMEONE GIVES YOU PLANS FOR BUILDING A SPECIFIC HOUSE AND YOU FOLLOW THOSE PLANS, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO BUILD THAT SPECIFIC HOUSE. HOWEVER, IF YOU ARE GIVEN PLANS FOR BUILDING HOUSES IN GENERAL, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO BUILD WHATEVER KIND OF HOUSE YOU CHOOSE.
PREFIXES
A prefix is a tag attached to the beginning of a word that adds to or alters its meaning.
There are many different prefixes in English. Most native speakers come to understand the meanings of prefixes in the course of growing up. International speakers of English, on the other hand, are often unacquainted with the meanings of the various prefixes and this severely limits their use.
Though over time you will become familiar with a wide range of prefixes, there are a relatively small number of them, very common in daily use, the meanings of which can be easily memorized. The following list contains some of the most commonly used prefixes. As you look over it, try thinking of other words that begin with, or can take, them.
(Note: all ‘roots’ are not full words in themselves. For instance, in the word ‘illegal,’ ‘legal’ is a word [an adjective]; however, in the word ‘external,’ ‘ternal’ is not word of any kind.)
a—not (atypical)
anti—against, not (antisocial)
auto—self (autobiography)
bi—two (bilingual)
co / com / con—together, with (cooperate, community, context)
contra / counter—against, opposite (contradict, counterproductive)
de—reverse, undo (defrost, decompose)
dis—not, reverse (disapprove, disembark)
en / em—in, into; make (entrench, embroil; enlighten, embitter)
ex—former; outside of (ex-wife; external)
il / im / in / ir—not, without (illegal, impatient, intolerable, irrelevant)
inter—between (international, inter-office)
intra—within (intramural, intra-office)
mis—bad, wrong (misbehave, misunderstand)
non—not (nonsense, non-member)
out—more, to a greater degree (outperform)
post—after (postgraduate, postpone)
pre—before (prepaid, prelude)
pro—in favor of, acting for (pro-environment, pronoun)
re—again (rewrite, renovate)
sub—below, under (submarine, subordinate)
super—more than, above (supermarket, superior)
sym / syn—same, acting together (sympathy, synchronize)
trans—across, beyond (transport, transcend)
un—not, reverse (unclear, unplug)
under—beneath; not enough (underground; underestimate)
uni—one, single (universe)
INTERNATIONAL SPEAKERS OF ENGLISH WHO COMFORTABLY AND CONFIDENTLY MASTER THE USE OF PREFIXES CAN GREATLY EXPAND THE VOCABULARY YOU ALREADY HAVE WITHOUT LEARNING A SINGLE NEW WORD.
SUFFIXES
A suffix is a tag at the end of a word that primarily changes its part of speech, and can also occasionally alter its meaning.
In English, there are fewer suffixes than there are prefixes, and the purpose of various suffixes can be easily identified and remembered. Native speakers come to use suffixes without even thinking about it. International speakers of English, on the other hand, are often unfamiliar with the functions of the different suffixes and this can lead to mistakes—using a noun, for example, when an adjective is required, etc.
The following list contains some of the most commonly used suffixes. As you look over it, try thinking of other words that end with, or can take, them. See how many different parts of speech you can make any given word into—noun, verb, adjective, adverb—by changing the suffix.
(Note: all ‘roots’ are not full words in themselves. For instance, in the word ‘national,’ ‘nation’ is a word [a noun]; however, in the word ‘serious,’ ‘ser’ is not a word of any kind.)
Noun suffixes—endings that make words into nouns:
-age—state of being (shortage)
-ance / -ancy—action or state of being (performance, pregnancy)
-ant / -ent—one who is or does (assistant, student)
-ation / -ion—state of being (celebration, possession)
-ee—one who receives an action (employee)
-ence / -ency—state of being (dependence, presidency)
-er / -or—one who does (employer, governor)
-hood—state of being (fatherhood)
-ian—one who is or does (politician)
-ism—characteristic of (heroism)
-ist—one who is, does or believes in (artist, socialist)
-ity—state of being (irregularity)
-ment—state of being (development)
-ness—state of being (baldness)
-ology—study of (psychology)
-ship—having the status of (friendship)
Verb suffixes—endings that make words into verbs:
-en—to make (darken)
-ify—to make (simplify)
-ize—to make (nationalize)
Adjectival suffixes—endings that make words into adjectives:
-able / -ible—capable of being (acceptable, convertible)
-al / -ial—having to do with (national / partial)
-ed—having / being (brokenhearted)
-ent—state of being (dependent)
-ful—full of (flavorful)
-ic—of or relating to (scenic)
-ing—having / being (interesting)
-ish—like (foolish)
-ive—be able to, have a particular quality (effective, cooperative)
-less—not (humorless)
-ly—like (heavenly)
-ous / -ious / -uous—having a particular quality (humorous / serious / continuous)
-some—characterized by (troublesome)
-y—having a particular quality (snowy)
Adverbial suffixes—endings that make words into adverbs:
-ly—in a particular way (quickly)
-ward(s)—in a particular direction (downward/s)
-wise—in a particular way (clockwise)
INTERNATIONAL SPEAKERS OF ENGLISH WHO COMFORTABLY AND CONFIDENTLY IDENTIFY SUFFIXES CAN MORE EASILY RECOGNIZE ROOT MEANINGS (BY REMOVING THE SUFFIX) AS WELL AS KNOW THE PART OF SPEECH OF ANY GIVEN WORD. IN MASTERING SUFFIXES YOU’LL ACCOMPLISH THREE THINGS: GRAMMAR WILL BE MORE ACCURATE, VOCABULARY WILL EXPAND WITHOUT NEW WORDS, WORD-ENDINGS WILL BE MORE CLEARLY PRONOUNCED.
PRONOUNS IN ENGLISH
Pronouns take the place of nouns.
‘Person’ denotes the relationship of pronouns.
Subjective, objective and possessive refer to ‘case’—that is, the pronoun’s function in the sentence.
Subject is who/what the sentence is about, the do-er of the action.
Object is who/what is affected by the action.
Possessive indicates ownership.
The first person singular is I (subjective) me (objective) my-mine (possessive).
For example:
I am going.
The librarian recommended it to me.
My colleague sent it, it’s mine.
The first person plural is we (subjective); us (objective); our-ours (possessive).
Then there’s you—the second person, both singular and plural (though ‘you all’ can help emphasize plural): you (subjective); you (objective); your-yours (possessive).
The third person singular is he, she, it, who, or a specified noun (subjective); him, her, it, whom (objective); his-his / her-hers / its / whose (possessive).
Third person plural is they (subjective); them (objective); their-theirs (possessive).
INTERNATIONAL SPEAKERS WHO ARE WELL GROUNDED IN THE BASICS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR HAVE A SOLID FOUNDATION ON WHICH TO BUILD THEIR LANGUAGE SKILLS, BOTH SPOKEN AND WRITTEN. ADDING NEW VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS IS VITAL. HOWEVER, THEY’LL BE JUST ORNAMENTS DRESSING UP BAD ENGLISH IF THEY’RE NOT CORRECTLY INTEGRATED. REMEMBER, BASIC MEANS FUNDAMENTAL, NOT UNIMPORTANT.
WORD ORDER—ADVERBS
The placement of adverbs used to be governed by stricter rules than is customary today. However, the new freedom can sometimes lead to random word order that can inadvertently alter meaning.
For example, (though the first sentence sounds better) there isn’t too much difference between:
Soon they lost virtually all their enthusiasm for the game.
(‘virtually’ refers to the object—all their enthusiasm)
Soon they virtually lost all their enthusiasm for the game.
(‘virtually’ refers to the verb—lost)
However, there is considerable difference between:
When he was new to the job, he was interested in almost everything.
(‘almost’ refers to everything)
When he was new to the job, he was almost interested in everything.
(‘almost’ refers to interested, and implies he wasn’t)
In the next case, adverb placement is critical in determining meaning:
He is entirely uncertain whether or not she understood him.
(‘entirely’ refers to his uncertainty)
He is uncertain whether or not she entirely understood him.
(‘entirely’ refers to her understanding)
WORD ORDER IN ENGLISH IS SOMETIMES FLEXIBLE AND SOMETIMES NOT. SOME ALTERATIONS IN WORD ORDER ARE ARBITRARY (THAT IS, WORD ORDER MAKES NO DIFFERENCE); SOME ALTERATIONS IN WORD ORDER ARE THOUGHT TO SIMPLY SOUND BETTER; AND SOME ALTERATIONS IN WORD ORDER EFFECT MEANING. THE MORE YOU PAY ATTENTION, THE MORE YOU’LL NOTICE THE DIFFERENCES.
COLLECTIVE NOUNS
Certain nouns, called collective nouns, are sometimes troublesome in regard to number-that is, whether they are singular or plural.
For example:
The team is arriving at 3 o'clock; it will be greeted by fans at the airport.
The jury are arguing among themselves about what the verdict should be; they each have their own opinion.
In the first example, the team as a whole is arriving.
In the second example, the jury members (implied though not stated) are arguing.
Some other collective nouns:
class
group
family
committee
jury
faculty
enemy
public
board of directors
majority / minority
It's best not to treat a collective noun as both singular and plural in the same sentence without specific clarification.
Incorrect: The class is leaving soon and will change into uniform when they get to the city.
Correct: The board is meeting in April, at which time the members are going to debate the plan.
Other collective nouns (such as organization, audience, department, army) can also be understood as being made up of plural individuals, yet these nouns are customarily considered singular.
Collective nouns always refer to living beings. Inanimate nouns such as furniture and luggage, which cannot function individually, are called mass nouns and are always considered singular.
IF THE COLLECTIVE NOUN IN QUESTION CAN BE EITHER SINGULAR OR PLURAL, DECIDE ON THE BASIS OF CONTEXT. IF THE NOUN IS FUNCTIONING AS A WHOLE ENTITY, TREAT IT AS SINGULAR. IF THE NOUN REPRESENTS THE CONSTITUENT INDIVIDUALS, TREAT IT AS PLURAL. WHATEVER THE CASE, REMEMBER THAT BOTH VERBS AND PRONOUNS MUST AGREE WITH THE NOUN.
ARTICLES AND PREPOSITIONS-HELLO AND GOODBYE
(PART 1: ARTICLES)
For international speakers of English, articles and prepositions are the last outpost of mastery. In fact, many speakers, especially those whose first language is Asian, regard these irritating words as 'extra' because they have no counterparts in their native tongue. In English, however, they are not extra-they have a purpose and they have value. What they don't tend to have though, are rules for use. That's why they're so troublesome. Articles and prepositions are highly idiomatic, and must be mastered on the basis of experience. Therefore, it is suggested that they be greeted with acceptance, curiosity and determination.
However, no sooner will you have mastered their use, than you can also bid them farewell. Due to the overwhelmingly large numbers of people speaking English as a second language, and also due to declining levels of education in English-speaking countries, the use of articles and prepositions is falling into confusion, error and abandonment.
While we still have the benefit of these characteristic English words, here are some tips for their proper use.
Two kinds of articles (definite and indefinite):
The difference between the definite article and the indefinite article is easy to grasp and, in most cases, to get right. It's whether or not to use them that's the hard part.
Articles are always followed by nouns (in fact, you can confirm that an unknown word is a noun if it is preceded by an article), because the job of articles is to introduce nouns and establish whether their context is specific or general.
The definite article (the) is definite--it indicates that the noun in question is particular--e.g., the one previously mentioned, the one you already know, this one rather than that one, something specific rather than something unknown or unspecified.
The book [you told me about] [I saw at the library] [that was reviewed in the paper] on American literature is being delivered today.
The indefinite article ( a / an ) is indefinite--it indicates that the noun in question is generic--e.g., the one never before mentioned, the one you don't already know, any one, something unknown or unspecified.
A book on American literature is being delivered today. [All that is known about the book being delivered today is its subject.]
The definite article can also be used for emphasis--compare:
A teacher I know will be attending.
The teacher I know will be attending.
English can, and self-evidently will, get along without articles. However, you can see even from these simple examples, that articles do have a purpose. They help set up the framework for, and provide information about, the nouns they introduce.
Whether or not an article is called for is much less clear. General rules are too general and have too many exceptions. The only way to master when and when not to use either definite or indefinite articles is to pay attention to their use by native speakers. There's often no logic to it--so orient yourself toward grasping the sound of the word clusters in which articles do or do not appear. It's difficult, but by no means impossible. There may not be reliable rules, but there are common patterns.
Next tip--Part 2: Prepositions
BY ALL MEANS, GET AS GOOD A MASTERY OF ARTICLES AND PREPOSITIONS AS POSSIBLE. YOU'LL HAVE THE SATISFACTION OF COMMANDING A HIGHER DEGREE OF ACCURACY AND SUBTLETY OF EXPRESSION IN ENGLISH, AND NOT BE AMONG THOSE HASTENING THE LANGUAGE INTO LOSING SOME OF ITS FINER POINTS. THIS BATTLE WILL NO DOUBT EVENTUALLY BE LOST. HOWEVER, THE LONGER IT TAKES, THE MORE TIME THE LANGUAGE WILL HAVE TO MAKE UP FOR THE LOSS BY DEVELOPING INNOVATIONS THAT WILL HAVE VALUE OF THEIR OWN.
ARTICLES AND PREPOSITIONS--HELLO AND GOODBYE
(PART 2: PREPOSITIONS)
For international speakers of English, articles and prepositions are the last outpost of mastery. In fact, many speakers, especially those whose first language is Asian, regard these irritating words as 'extra' because they have no counterparts in their native tongue. In English, however, they are not extra--they have a purpose and they have value. What they don't tend to have though, are rules for use. That's why they're so troublesome. Articles and prepositions are highly idiomatic, and must be mastered on the basis of experience. Therefore, it is suggested that they be greeted with acceptance, curiosity and determination.
However, no sooner will you have mastered their use, than you can also bid them farewell. Due to the overwhelmingly large numbers of people speaking English as a second language, and also due to declining levels of education in English-speaking countries, the use of articles and prepositions is falling into confusion, error and abandonment.
While we still have the benefit of these characteristic English words, here are some tips for their proper use.
Prepositions:
Prepositions indicate relationships between words in a sentence. Prepositions can provide different kinds of information, concerning such things as place, time, and purpose: in, at, on, under, from, to, up, down, by, beside, since, during, before, after, over, for, etc.
Some languages have virtually no prepositions because verbs and other words are strong enough to contain the additional information. English verbs, however, generally specify the type of action but do not carry information about place or time, movement or direction. Ironically, however, what begins as a weakness in English turns into a strength because, through the wide variety of prepositions, information about the relationship between words in a sentence can be even more specific and subtle.
As with articles, general rules about prepositions are too general and have too many exceptions. Sometimes there is no choice--there is only one correct preposition for a given usage, or the usage is idiomatic. Sometimes there is a choice, often depending on degree of emphasis, specificity or better sound. Sometimes choice of preposition does not effect meaning; and sometimes meaning can completely change depending on the preposition used. The best way to master prepositions is to pay attention to their use by native speakers. There's often no logic to it--so orient yourself toward grasping the sound of the word clusters in which prepositions appear. It's difficult, but by no means impossible. There may not be complete rules, but there are common patterns.
English can, and self-evidently will, get along without prepositions. People are misusing or omitting them more and more. However, those who master and preserve the use of prepositions have at their command a very powerful tool for enhancing communication.
BY ALL MEANS, GET AS GOOD A MASTERY OF ARTICLES AND PREPOSITIONS AS POSSIBLE. YOU'LL HAVE THE SATISFACTION OF COMMANDING A HIGHER DEGREE OF ACCURACY AND SUBTLETY OF EXPRESSION IN ENGLISH, AND NOT BE AMONG THOSE HASTENING THE LANGUAGE INTO LOSING SOME OF ITS FINER POINTS. THIS BATTLE WILL NO DOUBT EVENTUALLY BE LOST. HOWEVER, THE LONGER IT TAKES, THE MORE TIME THE LANGUAGE WILL HAVE TO MAKE UP FOR THE LOSS BY DEVELOPING INNOVATIONS THAT WILL HAVE VALUE OF THEIR OWN.
THIRD PERSON SINGULAR PRONOUN / VERB AGREEMENT
Another basic rule.
One of the many unexplainable irregularities in English grammar concerns verb agreement with the third person singular pronoun: he, she, it, who, which, that, or a specified noun.
For example:
I dance.
You dance.
We dance.
They dance.
But,
He dances.
She dances.
It (the doll) dances.
Who dances?
The doll, which dances for three minutes, is fun.
The animal that dances longest wins a prize.
The doll (noun) dances.
THIS PECULIAR REQUIREMENT ABOUT THIRD PERSON SINGULAR PRONOUN / VERB AGREEMENT IS ONE OF THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE CHARACTERISTICS OF ENGLISH. IF ANY OF THESE CHARACTERISTICS IS ABSENT OR INCORRECT, IT IS IMMEDIATELY NOTICED. NO MATTER HOW GOOD GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY MAY BE, MAKE SURE TO GET THE THIRD PERSON VERB AGREEMENT RIGHT.
THIRD PERSON SINGULAR PRONOUN / VERB AGREEMENT + AUXILIARY VERB
A basic rule of English grammar is that verbs corresponding to the third person singular (he, she, it, who, which, that, or a specified noun) have a final ‘s’ added.
For example:
I dance occasionally, but she dances frequently.
However, it can get even more irregular in the case of auxiliary verb formulations, such as when the main verb is preceded by an auxiliary verb, such as ‘do,’ ‘seem’ or ‘will.’
I dance.
I do dance. (“Do’ is added for emphasis.)
He dances. (The verb, in agreement with the third person singular, gets a final ‘s’)
He does dance. (The ‘s’ is added to the auxiliary verb [with ‘e’ added in this case for pronunciation], not the main verb.)
Not only do they dance, they also sing.
Not only does she dance, she also sings.
They seem to believe her.
The teacher seems to believe her. (The ‘s’ is added to the auxiliary verb, not the main verb.)
However, in the case of ‘will’:
I dance on weekends.
I will dance on Saturday.
He dances on weekends.
He will dance on Saturday. (No final ‘s’ is added to either the main or auxiliary verb.)
REMEMBER, THIRD PERSON SINGULAR PRONOUN / VERB AGREEMENT IS HIGHLY IRREGULAR. MAKE SURE TO GET IT RIGHT—ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE’S AN AUXILIARY VERB.
OTHER AGREEMENTS IN REGARD TO ENGLISH VERBS
One more basic review.
Many languages are composed of fixed words that never change, regardless of their function, thus requiring no agreement between parts of speech. Some ‘Romance’ languages (derived from Roman Latin) like French and Spanish, in which words do change with function, require even more agreement than does English. Thus, in respect to agreement, English can be considered moderately demanding.
In addition to requiring agreement with the third person singular pronoun, English requires that verbs agree in regard to number and tense.
In regard to number:
This book is a valuable resource.
Books are valuable resources.
(Note that the adjective [‘valuable’] does not have to agree and remains unchanged. Also note that nouns referring to the same thing [‘book/s’ and ‘resource/s’] must agree.)
Be especially careful in regard to which word the verb is in agreement.
For example:
One of my colleagues is French.
(Note that the verb agrees with ‘one’ [singular], not ‘colleagues’ [plural].)
If any of the records is missing, it will have to be replaced.
(Note that the verb agrees with ‘any’ [singular], not ‘records’ [plural]; the pronoun [it] also must agree.)
In regard to tense:
They played very well and celebrated afterward.
Note that, generally, tense agrees within the same sentence and also, generally, in replying to questions:
Q: How do they do it?
A: They practice every day.
Q: How did they do it?
A: They practiced every day.
INTERNATIONAL SPEAKERS OF ENGLISH KNOW THE RULES, BUT IN PRACTICE (SPEAKING OR WRITING) RULES ARE OFTEN IGNORED. IF THIS HAPPENS, YOUR ENGLISH WILL NOT APPROPRIATELY COMMUNICATE THE DESIRED IMPRESSION. MASTER AGREEMENT SO THAT YOU DO IT AUTOMATICALLY. ONCE AGAIN, BASIC DOESN’T MEAN UNIMPORTANT, IT MEANS FUNDAMENTAL.
WORD ORDER IN ENGLISH IS SOMETIMES FLEXIBLE AND SOMETIMES NOT. IN CERTAIN CASES, A SIMPLE CHANGE IN WORD ORDER CAN ALSO RESULT IN A SLIGHT, BUT DISTINCT, CHANGE IN MEANING.
For example, compare:
A: Two other matters we need to discuss are . . . .
and
B: The other two matters we need to discuss are . . . .
In case 'A,' the words 'two other' suggest that there are two further matters among possibly more than two.
In case 'B,' the words 'other two,' preceded by 'the,' specify that there are two further matters and only two.
Actually, in this example, the change in meaning is due primarily to the use of the definite article ('the'). It's the 'the' that adds the element of precision, even without changing the order of the words.
C: The two other matters we need to discuss . . . .
Sentence 'C' is not incorrect and has exactly the same meaning as sentence 'B;' however, it is customary, when using the article, to reverse the word order (as in 'B').
AS YOUR ENGLISH IMPROVES, YOUR ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND AND EXPRESS SUBTLETIES BECOMES MORE IMPORTANT. FOR INSTANCE, YOU CAN START PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO WORD ORDER. SOME ALTERATIONS IN WORD ORDER ARE ARBITRARY (THAT IS, WORD ORDER MAKES NO DIFFERENCE); SOME ALTERATIONS IN WORD ORDER ARE THOUGHT TO SIMPLY SOUND BETTER; AND SOME ALTERATIONS IN WORD ORDER EFFECT MEANING. THE MORE YOU TRAIN YOUR HEARING, THE MORE YOU'LL NOTICE THE DIFFERENCES.
THE POWER OF TENSE IN ENGLISH (PART 1)
Languages evolve in accordance with their own peculiar history and the culture and geography of their speakers. Some (such as Chinese) are excellent at expressing philosophical concepts, some have highly poetic vocabulary (such as Spanish). Some languages (such as Hebrew) have an approach to ‘tense’ different from that of English—placing more importance on state of completion, rather than when action occurs.
One superior trait of English is its precision, especially in regard to tense; that is, describing time. Basic English tenses—past, present, future—are easy to conceptualize and express. However, as your English improves, there are challenges ahead in regard to tense. The more adept you are in mastering various tense constructions, the more exactly and dynamically you’ll be able to structure time.
For example:
In two months, she will have been VP for ten years; but they laid her off anyway.
She now realizes that had she acted on her fantasy of going to Atlanta and immediately finding an apartment, the move would have been impossible.
Certainly you could express this information in any language, but not as efficiently or elegantly as in English.
IF YOUR GOAL IS PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH, IN ADDITION TO GOOD GRAMMAR, EXTENSIVE VOCABULARY AND CORRECT PRONUNCIATION, YOU’LL WANT TO LEARN TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE POWER OF TENSE IN ENGLISH.
THE POWER OF TENSE IN ENGLISH: COMPLEXITIES (PART 2)
Grammar books can assist you in mastering the various complexities of English tenses. However, another method is to sharpen your hearing. When conversing, or listening to TV or radio, or while reading aloud for pronunciation practice, pay attention to verb structure. Get used to associating the formulation of the tense with the meaning conveyed.
For example:
He studies math. [simple present—no other information]
He studied math. [simple past—no other information]
He will study math. [simple future—no other information]
He has studied math before. [action is not necessarily concluded]
He had studied math before. [action is concluded]
He is studying math every weekend. [present continuous—no information about past]
He has been studying math every weekend. [past action still continuing]
He will be studying math every weekend. [future continuous]
In two years, should he conclude [if he concludes] the course, he will have studied math for a decade. [conditional— supposition about future]
Had he studied [if he had studied] a few years longer, he would have concluded the course. [conditional—supposition about past]
IT IS BY NO MEANS NECESSARY TO KNOW THE GRAMMATICAL TERMS FOR THE VARIOUS TENSES. HOWEVER, THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER LEARNED THEM, OR WOULD HAVE LEARNED THEM BUT DIDN’T, AND NOW WISH THEY HAD LEARNED THEM, OR THOSE WHO LEARNED THEM BUT HAVE FORGOTTEN AND NOW WISH TO REFRESH THEIR MEMORY, CAN EASILY CHECK ANY ENGLISH GRAMMAR BOOK.
THE POWER OF TENSE IN ENGLISH: IRREGULARITIES (PART 3)
International speakers of English are of course aware that standard verbs are put in the past and past-perfect tenses by the addition of ‘ed.’
For instance,
present: mail
I mail all my holiday cards early.
past: mailed
I mailed the document yesterday.
past-perfect: mailed
They have mailed it as instructed.
However, English speakers also know that there are a great many irregular verbs that don’t fit this pattern.
For example:
drink
What would you like to drink?
drank
He drank too much.
drunk
Having drunk too much wine, he asked his friend to drive.
(Note: 'drunk' can also be an adjective or a noun)
dream
I often dream about flying.
dreamed
He dreamed he saw her at the ocean.
dreamt
She has dreamt the same dream every night.
(Note: a ‘poetic’ form, pronounced: DREMT)
HERE’S A TEST:
1. They ............. many letters.
a) writed
b) wrote
c) written
2. She has ............. for days.
a) drived
b) drove
c) driven
3. John ............. into the water.
a) dived
b) dove
c) diven
4. He has ......... lunch there twice.
a) eated
b) ate
c) eaten
Answers:
1—b
2—c
3—b
4—c
THE PASSIVE VOICE
‘Voice’ indicates the relationship of the verb to the subject. While the ‘active voice’ indicates direct action on the part of someone or something, the ‘passive voice’ indicates that someone or something is being acted upon.
Typically, the passive voice, because it can be ambiguous, is avoided in legal documents, minutes of meetings, and other uses where accuracy and accountability are critical. Advertisers and marketers also avoid passive constructions because they are far weaker than active constructions in motivating action (the buying of the product or service).
For instance:
Active: Advertisers avoid the use of the passive voice.
Passive: The passive voice is avoided by advertisers.
The passive voice in English is composed of two elements—some form of the verb ‘to be’ plus the past participle of the verb in question.
Active: Ken is informing the committee about the problem.
Passive: The committee is being informed of the problem [by Ken].
Passive constructions can be used in a variety of tenses.
For example:
Simple present: A report is distributed monthly.
Present continuous: A report is being distributed at the meeting.
Simple past: A report was distributed already.
Past continuous: A report was being distributed when they arrived.
Simple future: A report will be distributed soon.
Future continuous: A report will be being distributed while he is still speaking.
Present perfect: A report has been distributed to all concerned.
Past perfect: A report had been distributed without his knowledge.
Present conditional: A report would be distributed if we had the data.
Past conditional: A report would have been distributed had it been confirmed.
BASIC ENGLISH CAN SERVE YOU WELL, BUT THERE IS MORE POWER IN LANGUAGE THAT CAN MAKE PRECISE, FLEXIBLE AND SUBTLE DISTINCTIONS. MASTERY OF CONSTRUCTIONS LIKE THE PASSIVE VOICE WILL ADD SIGNIFICANTLY TO YOUR ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE.
INTERNATIONAL SPEAKERS OF ENGLISH OFTEN HAVE DIFFICULTY WITH THE PROPER USE OF ED AND ING WORD ENDINGS (SUFFIXES)
The following story indicates a common example of misuse.
Although the teacher was knowledgeable in her area of expertise, the class was often amused by her poor English. For example, one day while going into lengthy detail informing the class of some problem she was having, a lot of which no-one could understand, the teacher finally exclaimed, "Oh, I'm so frustrating!" At which point, the students all looked at one another in agreement.
The teacher's error, of course, was that she said she herself was frustrating, when she intended to say that she was frustrated; it was the situation that was frustrating.
Another example:
He was satisfied with the meal.
The meal was satisfying [to him].
Sometimes, however, there is no difference in meaning.
For example:
The chapter that preceded this one . . . .
The chapter preceding this one . . . .
As long as you're careful about using 'that' in the first case, and not using it in the second, the meaning is the same.
IN CASES LIKE THIS, IT IS OFTEN EASIER TO TRAIN ONE'S ATTENTION THAN TO TRY TO FORMULATE OR REMEMBER ABSTRACT RULES. SO MAKE AN EFFORT TO NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ED AND ING WORD ENDINGS, AND USE THEM ACCORDINGLY.
PLEASE DON’T USE NO DOUBLE NEGATIVES
The title of this tip is, of course, grammatically incorrect—it should read: please don’t use any double negatives.
If Black English is your ‘native’ language, double negatives are not a problem in that context. In fact, double negatives are characteristic of Black English in the United States—a great expression of its powers of emphasis. For instance; “He don’t like nobody tellin’ him what to do.” has much more flair than the standard “He doesn’t like anybody telling him what to do.”
That said, however, international speakers of English will want to avoid double negatives because they sound jarring and unattractive in the context of standard usage.
Keep in mind, though, that all multiple negatives are not necessarily ‘double,’ especially when a prefix is involved. For example:
Accidents are not infrequent at this intersection.
The item is not inexpensive.
It’s not without cause that she is complaining.
I don’t dislike him.
He can’t undo it.
The above sentences are all perfectly acceptable grammatically. Of course, the sentences could be stated positively, but that would disregard the implied expectation of their context, or would alter the emphasis, or would defeat subtle understatement, or even alter meaning. For instance:
“Accidents are not infrequent at this intersection.” implies there is some kind of assumption that they are infrequent.
“The item is not inexpensive.” has different emphasis than “The item is expensive.”
“It’s not without cause that she is complaining.” is more subtle than the blunt positive, “She has cause to be complaining.”
“I don’t dislike him” does not necessarily mean “I like him.” And “He can’t undo it.” definitely doesn’t mean “He can do it.”
BY ALL MEANS USE MULTIPLE NEGATIVES—AS LONG AS THEY’RE NOT DOUBLE NEGATIVES.
DURING / SINCE / FOR / IN
Here’s a little quiz for you to check your usage of these troublesome words:
1. I’ve been in the IT field ______ 1990
2. I’ve been in the IT field ______ 12 years.
3. I’ve been in the IT field ______ its most creative period.
4. ______ the sixties, it was easy to live in California without money.
5. ______ I’d been there for so long, they finally let me launch the project.
6. ______ the last ten years, though times have been hard, we’ve managed to continue publishing.
7. ______ three years, they will have known each other ______ a decade.
8. They met ______ the war.
9. They haven’t seen each other ______.
10. ______ training, ______ we’ll be simulating real conditions ______ three weeks, no-one will be permitted to leave the facility.
ANSWERS:
1. since
2. for
3. during
4. In (or During)
5. Since
6. For (or During)
7a. In
7b. for
8. during
9. since
10a. During
10b. since
10c. for
DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN THESE WORDS MAY BE ON THE WAY OUT, BUT THEY'RE NOT GONE YET!
WHAT BEFORE WHEN
Generally speaking, in conversational English, what the subject is doing comes before when.
For example:
She’ll go shopping next week.
He was transferred in May of last year.
Our friends are expected any minute.
They stayed late three nights in a row.
I’ll leave when they come.
In other words,
“In three hours we’ll get there.” is not standard.
Usually, ‘when’ comes before ‘what’ only for the purpose of emphasis.
IT’S AWKWARD, AND OFTEN INCORRECT, TO REVERSE THE ORDER OF THIS CUSTOMARY USAGE. AS YOUR HEARING OF ENGLISH IMPROVES, YOU’LL NOTICE THE PATTERN AND BEGIN USING IT YOURSELF.
APPRECIATING SMALL DIFFERENCES IN THE USE OF SIMILAR WORDS CAN HELP YOU AVOID UNINTENDED BAD IMPRESSIONS
For example, which and who.
A well-known European actor, having been presented an award, and speaking English, thanked his mother and another close associate. Unfortunately, however, he referred to them by 'which' instead of 'who,' and inadvertently created an impression of diminished humanity and respect.
"My mother, which is sitting here, is . . . ." is incorrect.
"Which" is used for inanimate objects, plants and animals in general.
"Who" is used for people, and animals with whom you are close.
Thus,
"My mother, who is sitting here, is . . . ." is correct.
Another example:
Tom has two sisters, one of whom [not which] is a research assistant.
Further examples:
The boxes, which were delivered yesterday, are waiting for you.
We can now pick the vegetables, which were planted months ago.
My cats, who like to prowl around the neighborhood, are rarely home.
Those are black bears, which were previously numerous here.
Using 'who' in referring to my cats endows them with more humanness than the wild bears which I distance from human beings in referring to them by 'which.' It's the opposite of the effect of unwittingly distancing one's mother in referring to her by 'which' instead of 'who.'
Note:
When the reference is objective rather than subjective, 'which' remains the same; however, 'who' changes to whom.
The report to which he referred is no longer up to date.
The pet about whom I spoke is growing quickly.
WHEN LISTENING TO NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKERS, MAKE A POINT OF NOTING 'WHO' AND 'WHICH.' YOU'LL DISCOVER THAT 'WHO' IS USED IN REFERENCE TO HUMANNESS, WHILE 'WHICH' DEHUMANIZES THAT TO WHICH IT IS REFERRING. THE RIGHT CHOICE MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE IN THE SOUND, AND ULTIMATELY IN THE FEELING, OF WHAT IS BEING SAID.
REGARDING 'WHICH' AND 'WHO'-WHEN TO USE 'THAT'
Keeping in mind that:
"Which" is used for inanimate objects, plants and animals in general.
"Who" is used for people, and animals with whom you are close.
What about 'that'?
Generally speaking, in more formal speech, or when comment on the subject comprises an entire clause, 'which' or 'who' is used to refer to the subject.
The boxes, which were delivered yesterday, are waiting for you.
However, in more casual speech, or in sentences with no subordinate clause, when the comment on the subject simply follows, 'that' is used to refer to the subject.
Those are the boxes that were delivered yesterday.
In regard to using 'that' instead of 'who', things are more debatable.
You may hear someone say:
The man that was here yesterday is a colleague of theirs.
But it's more correct and it sounds better to say:
The man who was here yesterday is a colleague of theirs.
Of late, English speakers are increasingly using 'that' instead of 'which' and 'who,' especially in casual conversation-reserving 'which' and 'who' for more formal or written use. While such use may be considered incorrect by purists, it can also be argued that if it serves your purpose to dehumanize the subject, using 'that' will have the desired effect.
The man that was here yesterday is the tyrant I told you about.
THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE USE OF 'WHICH,' 'WHO' AND 'THAT' IS ONE OF THOSE TRADITIONAL SUBTLETIES OF THE LANGUAGE BEING SACRIFICED IN FAVOR OF THE VITALIZING INNOVATIONS BEING BROUGHT TO ENGLISH BY THE EVER-INCREASING NUMBER OF INTERNATIONAL SPEAKERS. THOSE CURRENTLY BRIDGING THIS HISTORIC EVOLUTION IN ENGLISH, IF THEY CHOOSE, CAN HAVE BOTH-THE TRADITIONAL SUBTLETIES AND THE NEW INNOVATIONS-BEFORE THE INNOVATIONS BECOME STANDARD AND THE OLD SUBTLETIES ARE HISTORY.
SOME / ANY / NO - ONE / BODY, ETC.
Slight changes in vocabulary sometimes cause no change in meaning, and sometimes do. Also, the introduction of certain word elements--like negatives--require that other changes be made in the sentence.
For example:
someone / somebody
anyone / anybody
no one / nobody
Note: no-one can also be hyphenated for clarity.
The choice between 'one' and 'body,' in all of these cases, doesn't make much difference in meaning. The decision is usually based on how precise ('one'), or tangible ('body') you want to be, or which word sounds best in the sentence.
In the same sentence, it is customary to choose the same form.
No one from Cuba can tell anyone from Canada what to do in a snowstorm.
Nobody from Cuba can tell anybody from Canada what to do in a snowstorm.
'No one' is very clear in definition. However, there is some overlap, and yet also a strict distinction, between 'some' and 'any.'
Can someone tell her where he is?
Can anyone tell her where he is?
There is no difference in meaning between the above sentences.
Do you have some? (suggesting a quantity)
Do you have any? (suggesting at least a minimum)
Yes, I have some.
No, I don't have any.*
She is looking for someone who has read the report.
She has not been able to find anyone who has read the report.*
*In this case, you can only use 'any' because the sentence is negative.
He's looking for someone, anyone, who has read the report.
In this case, 'anyone' is added for emphasis.
International speakers of English, imitating patterns of their native language , often say "no any"--which is never correct. You cannot say: "There will be no any seats left." The correct form is:
There will not be any seats left.
PAY ATTENTION TO NEGATIVE CONSTRUCTIONS—THEY CAN REQUIRE CHANGES IN WORDING, ESPECIALLY IN REGARD TO 'SOME' AND 'ANY.' ONCE AGAIN, IT'S A MATTER OF TRAINING YOURSELF TO RECOGNIZE WORD PATTERNS. WHEN YOU SEE OR HEAR THESE WORDS USED BY NATIVE SPEAKERS, CHECK OUT THE CONTEXT IN WHICH THEY APPEAR, AND HOW THEY LOOK AND SOUND. SOON YOU'LL GET THE HANG OF IT YOURSELF.
CONTRACTIONS
Because English uses a lot of words and English words are customarily polysyllabic, contractions—the omission and joining of letters and words—is very common, especially in speaking. International speakers of English often shy away from contractions, finding them confusing and difficult to pronounce. This can result in writing, and especially speech, appearing stilted and clumsy. However, patterns for constructing contractions are few and easily grasped.
For example:
I would = I’d
she will = she’ll
Tom did not = Tom didn’t
they cannot = they can’t
we will not = we won’t
The same phrase can sometimes be contracted in different ways. In such cases, choice is either arbitrary or depends on emphasis or how the phrase sounds within the sentence. For instance:
she is not
she’s not [the ‘i’ of ‘is’ is omitted]
she isn’t [the ‘o’ of ‘not’ is omitted]
they are not
they’re not [the ‘a’ of ‘are’ is omitted]
they aren’t [the ‘o’ of ‘not’ is omitted]
Occasionally, not only letters but entire words are omitted. For example:
o’clock is the contraction of ‘of the clock’
Then there are ‘contractions’ that have become everyday slang usages with their own unique spelling. For instance:
give me = gimme
going to = gonna
want to = wanna
AS AN INTERNATIONAL SPEAKER OF ENGLISH, YOU WANT TO MASTER CONTRACTIONS SO THAT YOUR ENGLISH, ESPECIALLY YOUR SPOKEN ENGLISH, WILL BE NATURAL AND SMOOTH-SOUNDING.
PRONOUNCING CONTRACTIONS
International speakers of English sometimes shy away from contractions—the omission and joining of letters and words—because they find them confusing and difficult to pronounce. This can result in speech sounding stilted, clumsy and childish.
There are certain contractions that are particularly difficult to pronounce:
couldn’t
shouldn’t
wouldn’t
didn’t
International speakers often tend to pronounce these words as though they are two syllables, as in could-dent, should-dent, etc. These are among those juvenile-sounding contractions that should be avoided by educated and professional adults.
The trick is easier to demonstrate than to describe because the contracted sound is accomplished by the absence of something—the contracted ‘not’ being virtually swallowed. One more thing to keep in mind is, though you are ‘swallowing’ the n’t, you nevertheless need to make sure the final t is articulated clearly.
couldn’t
shouldn’t
wouldn’t
didn’t
AS AN INTERNATIONAL SPEAKER OF ENGLISH, YOU WANT TO MASTER CONTRACTIONS SO THAT YOUR ENGLISH, ESPECIALLY YOUR SPOKEN ENGLISH, WILL SOUND NATURAL, SMOOTH AND MATURE.
EITHER / OR and NEITHER / NOR
There are two things to consider about either / or and neither / nor--how to pronounce them and how to use them.
The two different pronunciations for either and neither are equally acceptable. Pronounced with a 'long I' (rhyming with 'eye'), both words sound more British, which is to say, more formal. Pronounced with a 'long E' (rhyming with 'knee'), both words sound more American, which is to say, more informal. Whichever pronunciation you choose, it's best to pronounce both words the same in the same sentence or conversation.
In regard to the use of these words, all you need to keep in mind is that they are paired, one set being positive and one set being negative.
For example,
Either the director is going or the manager is going.
The director is going either tomorrow or the day after.
Neither the director nor the manager is going.
Neither of them have the information, nor will they be able to get it.
In other words, the two forms are never combined. When using either, use or; when using neither, use nor.
THOUGH A FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION AMONG INTERNATIONAL SPEAKERS OF ENGLISH, THE PRONUNCIATION OF 'EITHER' AND 'NEITHER' IS NOT A VERY IMPORTANT MATTER. JUST CHOOSE THE ONE WITH WHICH YOU'RE MOST COMFORTABLE, DEPENDING ON THE SOUND OF THE OTHER WORDS IN THE SENTENCE, THE SUBJECT, THE OCCASION OR THE SPEAKERS INVOLVED.
MORE ABOUT EITHER / OR
Some formulations in English, such as either / or, are sensitive in regard to negative constructions.
For example:
It has been easy to resolve both the tax issue and the liability issue.
It has not been easy to resolve either the tax issue or the liability issue.
The first sentence, a positive construction, takes both / and.
The second sentence, a negative construction, takes either / or.
However, be careful about what is and what is not negative. For example:
Things continue to be unresolved in regard to both the tax issue and the liability issue.
The primary verb 'continue' is positive; don't be fooled by the negative adjective [in this case, also referred to as a 'stative verb'] 'unresolved.' Hence, the above sentence, a positive construction, takes both / and.
A related example:
They can come Monday and they can come Tuesday also.
They can’t come Monday and they can’t come Tuesday either.
REMEMBER THAT NEGATIVE CONSTRUCTIONS CAN CALL FOR ALTERATIONS IN SET FORMULATIONS, SUCH AS BOTH / AND CHANGING TO EITHER / OR.
PLURALIZING NUMBERS
First, let's clarify some amounts:
one hundred = 10 tens
one thousand = 10 hundreds
one million = 1000 thousands
one billion = 1000 millions
one trillion = 1000 billions
(Note: For both billion and trillion, British usage is different, but considered dated.)
The units on the right side of the table are pluralized.
Sometimes, whether or not to pluralize can be tricky.
For example:
Ten dollars (the unit [ten] is not pluralized, dollars is pluralized)
He spent ten dollars on that item.
One hundred dollars (the unit [hundred] is not pluralized)
He spent one hundred dollars on that item.
Four hundred dollars (the unit is not pluralized)
He spent four hundred dollars on that item.
Several hundred dollars (the unit is not pluralized)
He spent several hundred dollars on that item.
Several hundreds of dollars (the unit is pluralized and 'of' must follow it)
Several hundreds of dollars is a somewhat less specific amount than 'several hundred dollars.'
Hundreds of dollars (the unit is pluralized)
He spent hundreds of dollars on that item.
Tens of hundreds of dollars (both units are pluralized and 'of' must follow both)
He spent tens of hundreds of dollars on that item.
A hundred million dollars (neither unit is pluralized)
He spent a hundred million dollars on that item.
Four hundred million dollars (neither unit is pluralized)
He spent four hundred million dollars on that item.
Also note:
Three dozen eggs (the unit [dozen] is not pluralized)
Dozens of eggs (the unit is pluralized)
THIS DEGREE OF EXACTITUDE DOESN'T REALLY INFLUENCE MEANING. HOWEVER, IF YOU'D LIKE YOUR GOOD ENGLISH TO BE PERFECT, THIS IS THE KIND OF SUBTLE PRECISION YOU'LL WANT TO START NOTICING AND USING.
MORE ABOUT NUMBERS
There's usually more than one way to say or write a large number in words.
For example,
1155
can be said in three different ways:
eleven fifty-five
eleven hundred fifty-five
one thousand one hundred fifty-five
The first usage is typical for addresses and dates.
The second and third usages are interchangeable, for instance when writing out the amount of a check; the second usage, being shorter, is more common; the third usage is more exact and formal.
BE AWARE THAT LARGE NUMBERS CAN BE PHRASED IN DIFFERENT WAYS, SO THAT WHEN YOU HEAR THEM, SPEAK THEM OR WRITE THEM, YOU CAN AVOID CONFUSION.
NEVER TRUST A GRAMMAR CHECKER THAT DOESN'T KNOW ENGLISH IS YOUR SECOND LANGUAGE
Computer grammar checkers are an inconsistent blessing. Their recommended corrections are often wrong even in the case of native English speakers.
In the case of those for whom English is a second language, grammar checker reliability becomes virtually negligible. This is because the text in question can deviate so far from standard that the grammar checker-which relies on context-gets too confused to know what it is analyzing. Under such conditions, you can't really blame the grammar checker, but neither can you trust it.
So the question is-what to do when the grammar checker indicates a mistake?
First, consider what is being recommended. If it seems right to you, no problem-make the change. If the recommendation seems doubtful or wrong, take another look at your text. If what you originally wrote seems correct to the best of your knowledge, go with it. Trust yourself and your own process of learning.
IN REGARD TO THE USE OF GRAMMAR CHECKERS, THERE IS HOPE. THE CHECKERS THEMSELVES ARE IMPROVING ALL THE TIME. HOPEFULLY, SO IS YOUR ENGLISH. THE BETTER YOUR ENGLISH GETS, THE MORE RELIABLE YOUR GRAMMAR CHECKER WILL BE AND THE MORE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO TRUST IT.