Article, Adjective, as much as, adverb, inversion

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Dear all,

Please share with me these questions of grammar.

Question1:
ARTICLE: Please read this sentence: December is the last month of the year.
Why can’t we remove the article “the” in this sentence?

Question2:
ADJECTIVE: In these sentences, are both “later” and “latter” possible (same meaning) or only one of them is posssible. If only one of them is posssible, please distinguish the difference.

a/ The later / latter part of the seventeenth century.
b/ She found happiness in her later / latter years.
c/ The later / latter half of the year.
d/ During the later / latter stages of the tournament.

In these words, are all “north”, “northerly and “northern” possible (same meaning) or only one of them is posssible. If only one of them is posssible, please distinguish the difference.

a/ North Scotland.
b/ Northerly Scotland.
c/ Northern Scotland.

Question 3:
In these sentences, are all “as much as”, “as” and “the same as” possible (same meaning) or only one of them is posssible. If only one of them is posssible, please distinguish the difference.

a/ As much as she is beautiful, he is ugly.
b/ As she is beautiful, he is ugly.
c/ The same as she is beautiful, he is ugly.

What is the meaning of “away” in: She wished herself a million miles away.

Question 4:
INVERSION: Are these sentences with inversion correct. If yes, please write correct (ex: 1. Correct). If not, please fix the mistake(s).

  1. The bell rang and ran the children to the yard.
  2. Sweet became the evening.
  3. Comes along this guy.
  4. Five minutes later comes along this guy.
  5. Five minutes later , comes along this guy.

Question 5: : Are these sentences with inversion correct. If yes, please write correct (ex: 1. Correct). If not, please fix the mistake(s).

  1. This furniture wasn’t able to be assembled by anyone.
  2. You’d better not have said that.
  3. This is the very book which I want.
  4. I saw my houses which were destroyed by the storm.
  5. He is trying to take off weight.
  6. He is trying to take off weights.
  7. He is trying to take weight off.
  8. He is trying to take weights off.
  9. She is pretty lazy.
  10. Maybe I can do that.
  11. Tomorrow, I’ll be cooking while my sister will be washing the dishes.
  12. Tomorrow, he will be working in the laboratory all the afternoon.

Many thanks.
Van Khanh

2

Question 6: Are these sentences with inversion correct. If yes, please write correct (ex: 1. Correct). If not, please fix the mistake(s).

1.The effect of government policy is nowhere more apparent than in agriculture.
2.Yes, seldom lazy is he.
3.Yes, seldom lazy he is.
4.Yes, only lazy is he.
5.Yes, only lazy he is.
6.Not only is he laborious, but he is also intelligent.
7. Not only he is laborious, but he is also intelligent.
8.Tony is just older than Mary.
9. I ate as a little as you.
10.The less a muscle works, the less it grows.

Many thanks.
Van Khanh

3

Hi Van Khanh

Here are your questions with my comments:

Question1:
ARTICLE: Please read this sentence: December is the last month of the year.
Why can’t we remove the article “the” in this sentence?
[i]No, the cannot be omitted. Maybe you could think of it this way: December is the last month of the year (in which it falls.) :smiley:

Question2:
ADJECTIVE: In these sentences, are both “later” and “latter” possible (same meaning) or only one of them is posssible. If only one of them is posssible, please distinguish the difference.

a/ The later / latter part of the seventeenth century. OK
b/ She found happiness in her later / latter years. OK
c/ The later / latter half of the year. OK
d/ During the later / latter stages of the tournament. OK

In these words, are all “north”, “northerly and “northern” possible (same meaning) or only one of them is posssible. If only one of them is posssible, please distinguish the difference.

a/ North Scotland. correct
b/ Northerly Scotland. wrong “Northerly” usually indicates a direction that something faces or moves. I wouldn’t think of Scotland as facing in a particular direction.
c/ Northern Scotland. correct

Question 3:
In these sentences, are all “as much as”, “as” and “the same as” possible (same meaning) or only one of them is posssible. If only one of them is posssible, please distinguish the difference.

a/ As much as she is beautiful, he is ugly.
b/ As she is beautiful, he is ugly. (As sounds like it means because in this sentence.)
c/ The same as she is beautiful, he is ugly. No
Alternative sentence: She is as beautiful as he is ugly.

What is the meaning of “away” in: She wished herself a million miles away.

Question 4:
INVERSION: Are these sentences with inversion correct. If yes, please write correct (ex: 1. Correct). If not, please fix the mistake(s).

  1. The bell rang and the children ran to the yard.
  2. Sweet became the evening. b[/b]
  3. Along comes this guy
  4. Five minutes later, along comes this guy.
  5. Five minutes later , along comes this guy.

Question 5: : Are these sentences with inversion correct. If yes, please write correct (ex: 1. Correct). If not, please fix the mistake(s).

  1. This furniture couldn’t be assembled by anyone. (If the sentence has to be passive, I’d prefer using couldn’t here)
  2. You’d better not have said that. correct
  3. This is the very book I want. (Remove which)
  4. I saw my houses, which had been destroyed by the storm.
  5. He is trying to take off weight. correct
  6. He is trying to take off weight.
  7. He is trying to take weight off. correct
  8. He is trying to take weight off.
  9. She is pretty lazy. correct
  10. Maybe I can do that. correct
  11. Tomorrow, I’ll be cooking and my sister will be washing the dishes. (In my opinion, the sentence is somewhat confusing with “while”.)
  12. Tomorrow, he will be working in the laboratory all afternoon. (Remove the)

Amy

4

Hi Van Khanh

Here are my comments for your “Question 6”:

Question 6: Are these sentences with inversion correct. If yes, please write correct (ex: 1. Correct). If not, please fix the mistake(s).

1.The effect of government policy is nowhere more apparent than in agriculture.
2.Yes, seldom is he lazy.
3.Yes, seldom is he lazy.
4.Yes, only he is lazy. (No inversion)
5.Yes, only he is lazy. (No inversion)
6.Not only is he laborious[color=blue], but he is also intelligent. OK
7. Not only is he laborious[color=blue], but he is also intelligent.
8.Tony is just a little older than Mary.
9. I ate as little as you. (Remove a.)
10.The less a muscle works, the less it grows. OK

[color=blue]*
I would personally prefer the word industrious to the word laborious

5

Hi Amy,

1/The later / latter part of the seventeenth century. OK
(That means both “later” and “latter” in this sentence are correct and they are the same meaning?)

2/“North Scotland” and “Northern Scotland” have the same meaning?

3/“As much as she is beautiful, he is ugly” and " As she is beautiful, he is ugly" have the same meaning (in case of comparison).

4/What is the meaning of “away” in: She wished herself a million miles away ?

5/ Are all these sentences are correct in grammar and in meaning?

a/ This is the very book which I want. (If I don’t want Remove “which”)
b/ I saw my houses which had been destroyed by the storm. (If I 'd like remove the comma)
c/Tomorrow, I’ll be cooking while my sister will be washing the dishes. (If I don’t want remove “while”)

Many thanks.

6

Hi Amy,

So, are these sentences correct ?

1.The effect of government policy is nowhere more apparent than in agriculture.
2. Not only is heindustrious, but he is also intelligent.
3.Tony is just older than Mary. (If I want remove “a little”)

Many thanks
Khanh

7

Hi Amy,

I didn’t read carefully. You answered all of my questions in this part.

Sorry.
Thanks
Khanh :smiley: