English grammar and vocabulary: quick questions thread

x

Good to know you are happy when being helpful. I need your help again and I'm sure you are capable of explaining the differences again. These expressions have the same meaning:

because of
due to
concerning

Can you give me examples to explain when and why one of them is used in English?

Reply 481

desdemonata

19

Original post by Kallisto

Good to know you are happy when being helpful. I need your help again and I'm sure you are capable of explaining the differences again. These expressions have the same meaning:

because of
due to
concerning

Can you give me examples to explain when and why one of them is used in English?

"Because of" and "due to" have the same meaning, with the latter slightly more formal, but their main difference is that "because of" is more adverbial (affects verbs) and "due to" more adjectival (affects nouns). Although this difference isn't one most take note of anymore, they technically are not interchangeable but honestly, most people would take no notice. I'm a stickler for grammar (as you may have guessed by now... :biggrin:

) and in these sentences I would use either: "She couldn't attend because of/due to illness" "Her absence was because of/due to illness". But in actual fact, in the first sentence only "because of" is correct, and in the second it's "due to".

"Concerning" has a different meaning. It doesn't imply causation, it means more or less the same as "about" (in the sense of, "in regards to") and can often replace it: "She has information about the kidnapping" = "She has information concerning the kidnapping." For instance you are likely to hear on the news: "The police have released no statements concerning the arrests on Tuesday".
The one difference here is that "concerning" is for specific events/subjects, where as "about" is the go to word for everything, and is more used in questions. "What do you think concerning today's society?" "I'm interested in things concerning the past" Sound a little clumsy and "about" is more appropriate there.

Reply 482

Kallisto

Entertainment Forum Helper

22

Original post by desdemonata

x

I have not only realize that you are a stickler, but also that you are studying languages. No wonder that you are capable of helping me well. Thats is fine.

I guess I will focus on 'due to' and 'because of' to structure my sentences in a proper way, as concerning seems too rarely be used in English. Are these sentences are correct?

"He gave the race up due to a flat tyre."
"She cannot take part at the olympics because of a broken leg."

Reply 483

desdemonata

19

Original post by Kallisto

I have not only realize that you are a stickler, but also that you are studying languages. No wonder that you are capable of helping me well. Thats is fine.

I guess I will focus on 'due to' and 'because of' to structure my sentences in a proper way, as concerning seems too rarely be used in English. Are these sentences are correct?

"He gave the race up due to a flat tyre."
"She cannot take part at the olympics because of a broken leg."

it does help to know sometimes how another language does things.

If you simply those sentences, what you are saying is:
"He gave up due to..." and "She cannot take part because of..." In both of those cases it would be "because of". An easy way to check whether you need an adverbial prepositional phrase is whether the subject and verb can actually make sense on their own: "He gave up" and "She cannot take part" could both stand alone as sentences, you are modifying the verb with adverbs to elaborate on why they gave up.
Where as with "due to", you are modifying a noun, and it doesn't make much sense otherwise. Using my example from before: "her absence was due to illness", if you say "Her absence was..." there is something missing to complete the meaning of the sentence, without which it doesn't make sense.

Reply 484

Kallisto

Entertainment Forum Helper

22

Original post by desdemonata

x

Okay, I give it a try again. Here are another examples:

"There was an accident due to drink driving" -> 'due to', as there is a modifying noun (accident)
"I cannot forgive him because of a bad argument in the past" -> 'because of', as there is a modifying verb (to forgive)

Am I right now?

Reply 485

desdemonata

19

Original post by Kallisto

Okay, I give it a try again. Here are another examples:

"There was an accident due to drink driving" -> 'due to', as there is a modifying noun (accident)
"I cannot forgive him because of a bad argument in the past" -> 'because of', as there is a modifying verb (to forgive)

Am I right now?

I believe so :smile:

though obviously I am not an expert, just an amateur grammar aficionado.

Edit: one more trick you can use is that "due to" is synonymous with "caused by". For example, your earlier sentence: "He gave the race up due to a flat tyre", "he gave the race up caused by a flat tyre" is definitely not right.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 486

Kallisto

Entertainment Forum Helper

22

Original post by desdemonata

I believe so :smile:

though obviously I am not an expert, just an amateur grammar aficionado.

Edit: one more trick you can use is that "due to" is synonymous with "caused by". For example, your earlier sentence: "He gave the race up due to a flat tyre", "he gave the race up caused by a flat tyre" is definitely not right.

That is a good tip to check the right word. If you are so you are so enthusiastic to help poor foreigners like me, here is another problem:

to seek something or to strive for something - what must be used in English why and when?

Reply 487

desdemonata

19

Original post by Kallisto

That is a good tip to check the right word. If you are so you are so enthusiastic to help poor foreigners like me, here is another problem:

to seek something or to strive for something - what must be used in English why and when?

To seek something just means to look generally. You can be seeking for an actual physical item or person (though it sounds a little old fashioned to say "I am seeking my glasses"), or more generally, an abstract concept like happiness.

To strive for something is to make that something a goal, an ideal which you hope to achieve. It's not so much a case of searching or looking, but putting in effort. When you say "I strive to be an astronaut" you don't mean that you're looking for a guy who's an astronaut, but that that's your dream job and what you wish to be, and something that you are working towards.

To better clarify: "I seek the truth" vs "I strive for the truth".
In the first case, you are probably talking about one specific example, and you wish to uncover what happened that particular time. You could also use this to mean something general like "I seek the meaning of/truth about life" but it doesn't really sound right unless you actually do dedicate your entire life to this question.
In the second case, you are probably saying that you value honesty, and that you always attempt to uncover the truth/tell the truth, that it is generally something you try to do every now and again.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 488

ayidh

7

Hello, guys. :smile:

Could anyone elaborate on and show the difference between the following:

1-There is a bee-infested oak tree in front our house
2-There is an oak tree infested with bees in front our house.

Appreciate your comments and answers.

Reply 489

FormerlyHistoryStudent

16

Original post by ayidh

Hello, guys. :smile:

Could anyone elaborate on and show the difference between the following:

1-There is a bee-infested oak tree in front our house
2-There is an oak tree infested with bees in front our house.

Appreciate your comments and answers.

I can't think of any difference.

In both cases it should be 'in front of our house', by the way ;-)

Reply 490

ayidh

7

Original post by FormerlyHistoryStudent

I can't think of any difference.

In both cases it should be 'in front of our house', by the way ;-)

it is my fault to make a room for this typo

Thanks a lot for your comment

Reply 491

Clarinet

3

'French is easy for some, like Heidi and I'

French is easy for some, like Heidi and me'

Which is correct and why?

Reply 492

dorababy1995

14

Original post by AdaamCarter

'French is easy for some, like Heidi and I'

French is easy for some, like Heidi and me'

Which is correct and why?

It's "Heidi and me". If you remove the name Heidi and simply say "French is easy for some, like I" then you hear how wrong it sounds. It's only the inclusion of something else which makes it seem difficult.

Reply 493

username1415362

9

Hey,

When to say had had and had have?

Reply 494

dorababy1995

14

Original post by alifleih

Hey,

When to say had had and had have?

'Had had' is the past perfect form of the verb 'have'.
There's no such verb form as 'Had have'. I'm guessing you mean 'have had', which is the present perfect form o f'have'.

the second "had" is irrelevant as it's just the participle, it could be any other verb. It's just a different point in time.
e.g.
I have had some good rides this spring, but before I had had some bad rides. :smile:

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 495

VeeB

Hi, one of my poets is Owen Sheers, and I was wondering how to use an apostrophe when referring to his poems? For example:
a) In Owen Sheers' poem "Mametz Wood", he discusses conflict.
b) In Owen Sheers's poem "Mametz Wood", he discusses conflict.

Reply 496

MrSupernova

16

Which is the correct grammar in these instances?

1. I believe that my XXX, YYY and I won that lottery
2. I believe that XXX, YYY and me won that lottery

and

1. There are three things I'm sure of: that my sisters and I love our mother very dearly
2. There are three things I'm sure of: that my sisters and me love our mother very dearly

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 497

L'Evil Fish

18

Original post by VeeB

Hi, one of my poets is Owen Sheers, and I was wondering how to use an apostrophe when referring to his poems? For example:
a) In Owen Sheers' poem "Mametz Wood", he discusses conflict.
b) In Owen Sheers's poem "Mametz Wood", he discusses conflict.

A

Original post by MrSupernova

Which is the correct grammar in these instances?

1. I believe that my XXX, YYY and I won that lottery
2. I believe that XXX, YYY and me won that lottery

and

1. There are three things I'm sure of: that my sisters and I love our mother very dearly
2. There are three things I'm sure of: that my sisters and me love our mother very dearly

1 in both cases

Reply 498

desdemonata

19

Original post by MrSupernova

Which is the correct grammar in these instances?

1. I believe that my XXX, YYY and I won that lottery
2. I believe that XXX, YYY and me won that lottery

and

1. There are three things I'm sure of: that my sisters and I love our mother very dearly
2. There are three things I'm sure of: that my sisters and me love our mother very dearly