From: Translation Bureau
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Results 1 to 10 of 17 (page 1 of 2)
subject complement
A complement (spelled with an e) is something that completes. And a subject complement is something that completes our idea of the subject of a sentence by giving us more information about it. Usually, the subject complement is a noun, a pronoun or an adjective. Location in the sentence A subject complement is found in the predicate of a sentence (the part of the sentence that contains the verb and makes a statement about the subject). The subject complement follows a linking verb (a verb that expresses a state of being). A verb of being is called a linking verb because it simply links the subject with the subject complement, without expressing any action. In a sentence with a linking verb and a subject complement, the subject is not doing anything; instead, the subject is being something. Our most common linking verb is the verb be and its forms am, is, are, was, were, been and being. In addition, the verbs seem, appear, become, grow, look, feel, sound, smell and taste can all act as linking verbs. Examples Here are some examples of sentences with linking verbs and subject complements: Jan is an excellent doctor. Here, the subject complement is the noun doctor (along with its modifiers an excellent), which tells us something about the subject Jan; the verb is simply links them without expressing any action. The winners of the bubble-tea-drinking contest are you and Wang. In the above example, the pronoun you and the noun Wang are the subject complements identifying the subject winners; the verb are simply links them without expressing any action. Arabella’s recipe for turnip cordial tasted unusual. Here, the subject complement unusual is an adjective describing the subject recipe; the verb tasted simply links them without expressing any action. The players seem excited about the upcoming game. In this last example, the subject complement excited is an adjective describing the subject players; the verb seem simply links them without expressing any action.Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 12,593
forward, forwards
Forward is an adverb, an adjective, a verb and a noun. Please step forward when your name is called. [adverb] Without reverse gear, we are limited to a forward motion. [adjective] I will forward that email immediately. [verb] In hockey, soccer and football a forward plays on the front line. [noun] Forwards is a variant form of the adverb and is becoming rare. She rocked gently backwards and forwards (or backward and forward).Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 10,819
Inuk, Inuit (Linguistic recommendation from the Translation Bureau)
On this page A note about the recommendation “Inuk” and “Inuit” used as nouns “Inuk” and “Inuit” used as adjectives Additional information A note about the recommendation The Translation Bureau recommends using the terms Inuk and Inuit both as nouns and as adjectives in English. Inuit can be used adjectivally in all contexts. However, Inuk can be used only to modify one person, in keeping with its sense in Inuktitut, the language from which it is borrowed. “Inuk” and “Inuit” used as nouns A concern for reconciliation and inclusivity requires that, when referring to Indigenous persons, we use the terms preferred by the community. Thus, we refer to the traditional inhabitants of Canada’s northern regions and Arctic coastline by the terms Inuk and Inuit. Inuk is the singular noun, used to refer to one person, regardless of gender. It is always capitalized and can be preceded by a definite or indefinite article: He is the first Inuk to have been called to the Nunavut Bar. She is an Inuk from Kuujjuaq in northeastern Quebec. Inuit is the plural noun. It is always capitalized. Because the word Inuit is already plural in form in Inuktitut, it is used in English without the English plural ending “s”: Correct: Inuit are working to preserve their language. Incorrect: Inuits are working to preserve their language. Since Inuit means "the people" in Inuktitut, do not use the definite article “the” or the word “people” in combination with Inuit: Correct: Inuit use traditional hunting methods. Incorrect: The Inuit use traditional hunting methods. Incorrect: The Inuit people use traditional hunting methods. Note: In addition to singular and plural forms, Inuktitut has a dual form used to refer to two people: Inuuk. Although Inuuk is used less frequently in English, it is still accepted. “Inuk” and “Inuit” used as adjectives Either Inuk or Inuit can be used as an adjective to describe a person. These terms are always capitalized: The Inuk Elder was honoured for contributions to the community. This award-winning Inuit designer combines fashion and tradition. But the adjective Inuk can be used only to describe one person, never two or more. With plural nouns referring to human beings, the adjective that’s used is Inuit: The non-profit organization is the voice of Inuit women in Canada. The website showcases original art created by Inuit artists. In addition, Inuk is never used to modify anything non-human. The adjective used to describe one or more places, things, qualities or ideas is Inuit: This Inuit hamlet is a cultural hub in summer. Traditional Inuit garments were made from animal skins and fur. Inuit hospitality is legendary. In the Inuit concept of health, the mind, body, spirit and environment are interconnected. Additional information Update on the words “Inuk” and “Inuit” (blog post) Inuit, inuk (Recommandation linguistique du Bureau de la traduction) (in French only)Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 10,306
The parts of speech: Introduction
Traditional grammar classifies words based on eight parts of speech: the verb, the noun, the pronoun, the adjective, the adverb, the preposition, the conjunction and the interjection. Each part of speech explains not what the word is, but how the word is used. In fact, the same word can be a noun in one sentence and a verb or adjective in another. The next examples show how the part of speech of a word can change from one sentence to the next. Following these examples is a series of sections on the individual parts of speech and an exercise. Example Explanation Books are made of ink, paper and glue. In this sentence, books is a noun, the subject of the sentence. Joe waits patiently while Bridget books the tickets. Here books is a verb and its subject is Bridget. We walk down the street. In this sentence, walk is a verb and its subject is the pronoun we. The letter carrier stood on the walk. In this example, walk is a noun that is part of a prepositional phrase describing where the letter carrier stood. The town council decided to build a new jail. Here jail is a noun, which is the object of the infinitive phrase to build. The police officer told us that if we did not leave immediately he would jail us. Here jail is part of the compound verb would jail. The parents heard high-pitched cries in the middle of the night. In this sentence, cries is a noun acting as the direct object of the verb heard. Their colicky baby cries all night long and all day long. Here cries is a verb that describes the actions of the subject of the sentence, i.e. the baby. The next sections explain each of the parts of speech in detail. When you have finished looking at them, you might want to test yourself by trying the exercise. The details Verb - Next Page Noun Pronoun Adjective Adverb Preposition Conjunction Interjection Review exercise: Parts of speechSource: HyperGrammar 2 (basics of English grammar)
Number of views: 7,179
Review exercise: Parts of speech
Identify the part of speech of the highlighted word in each of the following sentences.1. The clown chased a dog around the ring and then fell flat on her face. verb noun pronoun adjective adverb preposition conjunction interjection 2. The geese indolently waddled across the intersection. verb noun pronoun adjective adverb preposition conjunction interjection 3. Yikes! I’m late for work. verb noun pronoun adjective adverb preposition conjunction…Source: HyperGrammar 2 (basics of English grammar)
Number of views: 6,877
old, older, elder
Elder and eldest are normally reserved for people. Use elder when comparing two people and eldest when comparing three or more. Lianna always admired her elder brother. The eldest person attending the reunion will receive a plaque. The title elder is often used for senior or highly respected members of a family or community. Having survived years of hardship, the elders were said to be very wise. As a title, Elder is often capitalized. Although barely middle–aged, Jacob was elected to the Board of Elders of his church. Sixteenth–century painters Lucas Cranach the Elder and Lucas Cranach the Younger were father and son. Old, older and oldest refer to either people or things. Use older when comparing two people or things and oldest when comparing three or more. Lianna always admired her older brother. The oldest person attending the reunion will receive a plaque. Houses in Halifax are older than those in Calgary. In the oldest office buildings, there are very few telephone connections.Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 6,080
Update on the words “Inuk” and “Inuit”
An English blog post on the use of the words “Inuit” and “Inuk.”In 2009, the Translation Bureau issued a recommendation on the use of the terms “Inuk” and “Inuit.” The Bureau has now published a new recommendation that reflects the current usage in 2023. Background In 2009, the Translation Bureau recommended that the term “Inuit” be used in English as a plural noun and as an adjective, and that the term “Inuk” be used only as a singular noun. However, the use of these terms in English has evolved with the passage of time, and the Translation Bureau has therefore revised its recommendation to keep abreast of modern usage. Recommendation The Translation Bureau continues to recommend the use of “Inuit” as a plural noun and the use of “Inuk” as a singular noun in reference to persons, in keeping with the meaning of these terms in Inuktitut. It’s now acceptable to use “Inuk” as an adjective also. But there’s an important caveat: “Inuk” can be used only to modify a person, never an object. And it must be used with a singular noun, not a plural one: An Inuk singer won the Indigenous Music Award for best album. With plural nouns designating people, and with all other nouns, whether singular or plural, the adjective to use is “Inuit”: A group of Inuit drummers is performing at the music festival. The children were captivated by the storyteller’s account of the Inuit legend. “Inuit” can also be used in place of “Inuk” with singular nouns designating people: The Inuit sculptor works in soapstone. For more specific information, consult the Translation Bureau’s Linguistic Recommendation on “Inuk” and “Inuit (opens in new tab).” Meaning in Inuktitut It’s important to note that in Inuktitut, the noun “Inuit” is plural in form and refers to several persons. Therefore, it remains invariable in English, and an “s” should not be added to the end of the word to pluralize it. In addition, because “Inuit” means “the people,” it would be redundant to say “the Inuit people” in English. “Inuit” is used alone as the plural noun: Preserving cultural traditions is of great importance to Inuit. (not “to Inuit people” or “to the Inuit people”) Certain terms relating to Indigenous realities, including the terms “Inuk” and “Inuit,” are addressed in the Guide on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Terminology (opens in new tab), which a large number of federal departments and agencies contributed to. It’s important that Indigenous realities be taken into consideration in any discussion about equity, diversity and inclusion, which, like reconciliation, are priorities for the Government of Canada. The Translation Bureau’s recommendation in regard to the use of “Inuk” and “Inuit” as nouns corresponds to the information provided in the Guide, which underwent extensive discussion and consultation. As you can see, the terms “Inuk” and “Inuit” are perhaps a little more complex than you might originally have thought. But with the explanations and examples given here and in our recommendation, you’ll have no trouble mastering their correct use.Source: Our Languages blog (posts from our contributors)
Number of views: 4,545
back up, backup
The phrasal verb is spelled as two words, with no hyphen: back up. Have you backed up your data today? The noun and adjective are spelled as one word, with no hyphen: backup. Habib has agreed to be my backup at tomorrow’s meeting. My hard disk crashed and I had no backup disk.Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 3,084
dependant, dependent
Use the spelling dependant for the noun. A wage earner with dependants is fully entitled to this deduction. The adjective is spelled dependent. Many Third World countries are dependent on food aid.Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 2,215
infinitive, infinitive phrase
An infinitive is a type of verbal—a verb form that looks like a verb but does not act as the verb in a sentence. An infinitive is the basic form of a verb, usually with to in front of it: to go, to stay, to be. Infinitives act as nouns, adjectives or adverbs: Larissa wants to leave. [noun, object of verb wants] I can show you the way to go. [adjective modifying noun way] To exit, please turn to your left. [adverb modifying verb turn] An infinitive phrase is an infinitive with attached words. Because an infinitive is formed from a verb, it retains some of the properties of a verb, so it can take an object: Larissa wants to leave the concert. [infinitive to leave + object the concert] Like a verb, an infinitive can also be modified by an adverb or a prepositional phrase: To exit quickly, please turn to your left. [infinitive to exit + adverb quickly] I can show you the way to reach the exit from here. [infinitive to reach + object the exit + prepositional phrase from here] In the above examples, to leave the concert, to exit quickly and to reach the exit from here are all infinitive phrases. Infinitive phrases may have their own subjects. The subject of an infinitive phrase is in the object form: Yuri helped him to count the money. Alison allowed me to drive her Porsche. Sometimes the word to is left out: Yuri helped him count the money. Alison let me drive her Porsche. An infinitive without to is called a bare infinitive. Other infinitive forms We can change the form of the infinitive to show different times: An avid skier, Roberta appeared to be praying for snow. [Ongoing action at the same time: She was praying when the speaker saw her.] Marty seems to have forgotten his wallet. [Completed action at an earlier time: He forgot it before this comment was made.] The tenant is thought to have been cooking at the time of the fire. [Ongoing action at an earlier time: The tenant was in the process of cooking when the fire broke out, as the investigators now believe.] Infinitives can also be used in the passive voice: The roof needs to be repaired as soon as possible. This man claims to have been abducted by aliens.Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 2,157