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Results 1 to 25 of 170 (page 1 of 7)

"Running" with prepositions

An English quiz in which the user must choose the correct preposition to complete sentences containing the word run. Emotions will run high if you ace this quiz on prepositions in phrases containing the verb to run!Simply choose the correct preposition to complete the sentences below.1. We've run fruit! We'll need to go grocery shopping.off ofunderout of2. Diabetes runs my family.throughinacross3. When the bank robbers heard the police sirens, they ran it.foroveron4. Joel ran his car the ground before he even considered buying a new one.offintothrough5. With 215 points, Wayne Gretzky ran with the 1985–86 NHL league scoring title.awayoffover6. My best friend has so much rhythm that she would run circles me in a dance competition.fortoaround7. When the officer ran the Canadian flag, everyone took their hats off.offupover8. The basketball players ran the clock to prevent their opponents from taking possession of the ball and scoring.outoffup9. I've been up for 24 hours, and now I'm running fumes.inwithon10. Let's run the second act of the play one more time.bythroughonto  
Source: Quizzes on the Language Portal of Canada

3 stylistic differences between English and French

An English blog post to help translation clients understand three basic differences between English and French. You have a translation in front of you, from English to French or from French to English. From the very first line, nothing seems to match. So how do you know if you have a good translation? An awareness of some of the stylistic differences between English and French may provide some helpful insight. 1. Word order English first qualifies something and then names it, as in the case of “Chinese food,” where “food” expresses the main concept and “Chinese,” the category. In French, the equivalent would be mets chinois. Here, the main concept is expressed first and then qualified. What are we talking about? Food. What type of food? Chinese. The same difference can be observed in a sentence like “He ran downstairs.” French would say il descendit l’escalier en courant. In this example, English expresses the action with the verb ran, while French expresses the action with the complement en courant; the order is therefore reversed. So when you’re assessing a translation, it’s normal to feel as though you have to “read backwards.” 2. Prepositions French uses more prepositions than English. In English, a noun can qualify another. But in French, this practice is not as common; in most cases, a preposition is needed to combine two nouns. For example, “ball gown” wouldn’t be translated as robe bal, but as robe de bal; “management report” would become rapport à la direction or rapport de la direction; and “knitting needles” would be translated as aiguilles à tricoter. Furthermore, French and English do not always use the same prepositions. Here are a few examples: Examples of differences in English and French prepositional usage English prepositions Equivalent French prepositions A report by the chief financial officer (not of) Un rapport du dirigeant principal des finances (not par) This order is payable on receipt (not at) Cette commande est payable à la livraison (not sur) I was waiting for the bus (the preposition cannot be omitted) J’attendais l’autobus (not pour) 3. Gender It’s well known that English, unlike French, does not use grammatical gender, a fact that can cause headaches for those learning English but most especially for those translating it. In French, since the masculine form prevails over the feminine, the translator may choose to change the word order or use a synonym to simplify agreement between an adjective or a participle and the word it qualifies. So a phrase such as “relevant results and data” could be translated in different ways, depending on the context. Ways to translate “relevant results and data” and explanations of the strategies used Possible translations Strategy Résultats et données pertinents The French adjective pertinents is masculine plural. However, since it comes immediately after the French noun données, which is feminine, the Francophone reader might wonder if there is an agreement error. Données et résultats pertinents The feminine noun données changes position so that the phrase ends with a masculine noun, making the agreement more natural. Résultats et données utiles The adjective utiles is used because it has the same form in both genders. On the other hand, in the last example, going from French to English, the translator could decide to use “relevant” rather than “useful,” since agreement is not an issue. As you can see, English and French don’t work the same way. For that reason, it’s very difficult to assess the quality of a translation without understanding the stylistic differences between the two languages. Ultimately, it all depends on how much confidence you have in your translator. For more information on this topic, I recommend reading the post “Translation: Let's trust the professionals (opens in new window),” also published on this blog. Don't hesitate to ask your translator questions and explain your needs. In return, be prepared to answer your translator’s questions. The more you collaborate, the better the translation will be. And in the process, you’ll be sure to discover other stylistic differences. Feel free to share them in the comment section below. View bibliography Delisle, Jean. La traduction raisonnée: Manuel d’initiation à la traduction professionnelle de l’anglais vers le français. 2nd ed. Ottawa: Ottawa UP, 2003. Canada. Translation Bureau. Clés de la rédaction (opens in new window, French only). Canada. Translation Bureau. Writing Tips Plus (opens in new window). Eastwood, John. Oxford Learner’s Grammar. New York: Oxford UP, 2005. Québec. Office québécois de la langue française. Banque de dépannage linguistique (opens in new window, French only). Vinay, Jean-Paul, and Jean Darbelnet. Stylistique comparée du français et de l'anglais. Montreal: Beauchemin, 1990. Translated by Josephine Versace, Language Portal of Canada
Source: Our Languages blog (posts from our contributors)

8 French words I miss in English: Untranslatable words chez les Anglais

An English blog post about French words that have no single English equivalent and their many possible interpretations. Ever since the Norman conquest of England in 1066, English and French have been intimately linked by centuries of word-sharing and a common vocabulary of Romance words. As a Canadian who attended French school from kindergarten, I discovered the similarities between the languages and quickly caught on to my lessons. But there are still words in French that I miss in English. Some words just don't have an equivalent! I end up using these words in English conversations, although whether I’m understood is another question... 1. Si Si is a little word with a lot of meaning. Its main translations are “if,” “so,” and “yes.” In French, si is a special word, because it means both “yes” and “no.” However, si has to be used properly and in the right context: Si answers a negative question or statement in the affirmative. Example Tu n'aurais pas fait la lessive? / You wouldn’t happen to have done the laundry? Si! J'ai déjà rangé les vêtements propres! / Yes! I already put away the clean clothes! As a child, when I first learned this word, my English-speaking self was blown away with the possibilities. Call me a linguistics nerd, but it was exciting! In French, there’s a tendency to formulate questions in the negative; hence, the word si is indispensable. In English, we like to ask questions in the affirmative, which may be why the language doesn’t have an equivalent word. I often get stuck in English looking for a word to contradict a negative statement, and I end up uselessly blathering a muddle of “si, si, si!” 2. Chez The preposition chez is different from any English preposition. Chez commonly translates to “at,” “for,” “among,” or “in.” It usually refers to a place, home or business but is also often used as part of an expression. Example Je t'appellerai une fois que je serai chez moi. / I will call you once I get home. Chez means “at the place that belongs to,” and by the wordiness of that expression, you can sense that no perfect one-word translation exists! 3. Tartiner Tartiner means “to spread something,” especially onto a tartine (piece of toast). Given the prevalence of cheese and bread in French culture, it’s no surprise this unique verb exists! There’s just something about saying tartiner (it almost sounds like its meaning)! However, its non-existence in English won’t stop me from asking someone to pass the caramel au beurre salé so I can tartiner my toast! 4. Bof Bof is a French staple, up there with wine, shrugging, and exclaiming “n’importe quoi!” When indifferent or opposed to a statement, French speakers use the interjection Bof! The exclamation doesn’t translate precisely into English, because it represents displeasure or disinterest. The most similar words in English would be “whatever!” or “meh!” and they don’t quite have the same ring to them. Bof! I’m going to keep using the French! 5. Voilà Voilà is another single word that carries so many meanings: it works as an expression, with multiple English translations (for example, “here/there,” “this/that,” emphasis, filler or affirmation). In French, voilà simply encapsulates them all. Voilà is a combination of the verb voir and adverb là, so it literally means “see here/there.” Example T’as vu mon téléphone? / Have you seen my phone? Sur la table, le voilà! / It's on the table; here it is! Voilà is a particularly useful filler word, and can be inserted at the end of a sentence, like a synonym of the French expression en effet (in effect). It’s an all-around essential word, voilà. 6. Bref Bref, which is related to the adverb brièvement, translates to “brief” and signals a short span of time. Often, bref, enfin bref, and bon bref are used in speech as filler or a way to wrap up an idea. When used orally, bref almost translates to “in a nutshell,” “to make a long story short,” “basically,” or “anyway,” but in English, those options don’t sound as snappy as the French. Bref, it sums things up really well, and I miss it in English! 7. Flemme I hope you don’t have la flemme to continue reading! Avoir la flemme literally signifies “having laziness or a lack of energy.” La flemme is often used with the verb avoir. Put together, the phrase avoir la flemme translates to something like “I don’t feel like it.” Sure, we can say “I don’t feel like partying tonight,” but isn’t it more fun to say you can’t because you have la flemme? With the noun flemme, we also have the verb flemmarder, my favourite word to describe lazing around. 8. Spleen I may have saved the best word for last. Like la flemme, spleen gained popularity in 19th century French literature. It describes a melancholic feeling that comes on for no apparent reason. Le spleen and la flemme have certain similarities, and both are quintessential French feelings without English equivalents. Voilà, bref! Those are 8 words I miss in English, as a French speaker. What French words do you miss in English?
Source: Our Languages blog (posts from our contributors)

Test yourself—Dubious agreement

A quiz on the rules governing subject-verb agreement with prepositional phrases and compound subjects formed by and, or and nor.
 Choose the correct word. Read the article Dubious agreement to help you out.1. Neither the writer’s early short stories nor his last epic novel adequately (illustrates/illustrate) his gift for creating memorable characters.illustratesillustrate2. Following the famous couple everywhere they went (was/were) a beefy bodyguard as well as two martial arts experts.waswere3. Advertising computers and other electronics for cut-rate prices and then failing to have the models in stock (is/are) the store’s shady policy.isare4. Nevertheless, the store’s splashy online presence and convenient downtown location (enables/enable) it to stay in business despite its questionable reputation.enablesenable5. The vegetarian chef, along with several of her most loyal followers, regularly (attends/attend) the annual conference on developments in organic farming.attendsattend6. Either the flowered sofa or the beanbag chairs (has/have) to go.hashave7. The bottle of sparkly pink crystals, perched precariously on top of the wizard’s many scrolls and maps, (contains/contain) enough toxic chemicals to poison even the sturdiest foe.containscontain  
Source: Peck’s English Pointers (articles and exercises on the English language)

Test yourself—Commas that count: Necessary commas

A quiz on the rules for using necessary commas.
 Decide whether or not a comma is required where indicated. Read the article Commas that count: Necessary commas to help you out.1. Filled with loathing and trepidation, Jorge took one hesitant step after another[ ] advancing slowly and inexorably toward the pit of snakes.no comma requiredcomma (,)2. I don’t know about you[ ] but I would hire Claude to renovate the sunroom if he were available.no comma requiredcomma (,)3. Arthur, the first boy in his class to kiss a girl[ ] was immensely proud of his accomplishment.no comma requiredcomma (,)4. The Perfect Storm is the harrowing tale of how the Andrea Gail, a swordfishing boat[ ] disappeared during a historic gale at sea.no comma requiredcomma (,)5. Because she hated every article of clothing in her closet, Betty Jo cancelled her dinner party[ ] at the last minute.no comma requiredcomma (,)6. “Diving” Dave Olsen, the only person in town to swim across the lake in under twenty minutes[ ] won a community award for his accomplishment.no comma requiredcomma (,)7. People desire job satisfaction, and job recognition is one of the priorities HyperTech intends to stress[ ] as it enters a bigger marketplace.no comma requiredcomma (,)8. Despite her migraine[ ] Chantal showed up for the martial arts tournament and sparred harder than she ever had before.no comma requiredcomma (,)9. On Sunday we plan to snowshoe up the logging road to our favourite hot springs[ ] where we will soak and dream for hours.no comma requiredcomma (,)10. With a sparkle in her eye, a lilt in her voice and a skip in her step[ ] she became one of the most famous child stars ever, capturing the hearts of millions.no comma requiredcomma (,)  
Source: Peck’s English Pointers (articles and exercises on the English language)

Test yourself—Controlling emphasis: Coordination and subordination

A quiz on the rules for using coordination and subordination correctly in writing.
 Is the sentence correct or does it contain a coordination or subordination problem? Read the article Controlling Emphasis: Coordination and Subordination to help you out.1. Old Mr. Langdon is known to his friends as Ace, and he has been playing poker for many decades and does not think that anyone might play better than he can, or at least he would never admit to it.is correcthas a problem2. While the coach believed that his players were not ready for the tournament, he decided the team should withdraw.is correcthas a problem3. Melissa used to be a sweet little girl, but ever since she turned 13, she has become moody and irritable.is correcthas a problem4. Richard, usually a rational man of science, believes that fate plays a stronger part in his life’s course than hard work or planning.is correcthas a problem5. The local sawmill, which burned to the ground yesterday in the most devastating fire the region has seen in over a century, produced cedar shakes and shingles.is correcthas a problem6. A federal court judge will examine the draft warrant and accompanying affidavit, and this will lead to a determination of whether there are reasonable grounds for a warrant, and if there are, the warrant will be issued.is correcthas a problem  
Source: Peck’s English Pointers (articles and exercises on the English language)

answer for, answer to

A writing tip on the difference between the phrasal verbs answer for and answer to.
 The phrasal verb answer for indicates responsibility for an action or an object. I can answer only for my own actions, not for anyone else’s. Answer to means to be accountable to a person or an authority. While the deputy minister was away, Coreen answered directly to the minister. The religious fanatic felt he had to answer for his acts of civil disobedience to his Creator only, not to civil authorities.
Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)

allow for, allow to, make allowance for

A writing tip on the difference between allow for, make allowance for and allow to.
 Allow for and make allowance for mean to take into consideration or provide for. Allowing for the time to obtain parts, the mechanic estimated it would take a week to repair the car. Don’t forget to allow for rain when planning a pool party. Make allowance for staff shortages when setting the project deadline. Make allowance for also means to pardon or excuse because of extenuating circumstances. During the transit strike, employers made allowances for altered work schedules. Allow to means to permit. In Winnipeg, residents were not allowed to water their lawns daily during the dry summer. Please allow me to congratulate you on your recent promotion.
Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)

abstain, abstain from, abstain in, abstain on

A writing tip on the difference between abstain, abstain from, abstain in and abstain on.
 Abstain is normally followed by the preposition from when it means “to give something up” or “not to indulge in something.” Since making her New Year’s resolution, she has completely abstained from smoking. As a strict vegan, Sandeep abstained from consuming meat, eggs and milk. Abstain in and abstain on are used infrequently and are found mainly in the context of voting and politics or judicial matters. In these cases, the verb abstain means “to refrain from exercising a right to vote.” To show their complete opposition to the changes, they abstained in the final vote. France abstained on the landmines treaty resolution.
Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)

accede to

A writing tip on using the phrasal verb accede to.
 Accede means to consent to something, or to take over a position or an office. Accede is followed by the preposition to. The mayor acknowledged that she had little choice but to accede to the creation of a 44-member council. Yugoslavia was called upon to accede to the Chemical Weapons Convention. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor acceded to the throne in 1952.
Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)

accord (of one’s own)

An article on the expression of one’s own accord.
 Doing something of one’s own accord means doing it voluntarily, without being asked or told. Note that the expression begins with the preposition of. Despite her young age, she attended church services of her own accord.
Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)

accountable for, accountable to

A writing tip on the difference between accountable for and accountable to.
 To be accountable means to be responsible. A person is accountable for something but accountable to someone. Taxpayers rightly feel that the government is accountable to them for every dollar spent. The lieutenant was accountable to her commanding officer for troop deployment.
Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)

acquiesce in, acquiesce to, acquiesce with

A writing tip on the difference between the phrasal verbs acquiesce in and acquiesce to.
 The phrasal verb acquiesce in indicates passive agreement with something. The CEO acquiesced in her management team’s recommendation. Acquiesce to means to submit voluntarily to a thing, situation or condition. I immediately acquiesced (or submitted) to the baby’s demands, hoping to avoid a tantrum. Never acquiesce to censorship. Why do people acquiesce to violence? Avoid acquiesce with. Incorrect: The union leaders acquiesced with that decision because it was the best option for their members. Correct: The union leaders acquiesced in (or agreed with) that decision because it was the best option for their members.
Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)

act on, act upon

A writing tip on the meaning of the verbs act on and act upon.
 The verbs act on and act upon mean to take action, frequently as a result of advice or information received. The provincial government shows no reluctance to act on municipal issues. The detective acted on the information she received from the informer. The federal government acted upon most of the recommendations it received from the parliamentary committee. Those chemicals act upon the environment in a very harmful way.
Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)

Sons of the Clergy Islands

A writing tip on the geographical name Sons of the Clergy Islands.
 Articles and prepositions within geographical names are spelled with lower case initial letters, as in Sons of the Clergy Islands. The Sons of the Clergy Islands in Nunavut were originally named the Sons of the Clergy of Scotland Islands in 1830.
Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)

speculate about, speculate in, speculate on, speculate upon

A writing tip on the prepositions to be used with the verb speculate.
 The verb speculate is typically followed by the prepositions about, on or upon. In finance, one speculates in land, gold, commodities or stocks, but one speculates on the stock market. With a downturn in the American economy, many are speculating about how severely the Canadian dollar will be affected. The attorney refused to speculate upon (or on) the outcome of the trial. Petra enjoys speculating in real estate. My broker advised me to speculate on the stock market with only the money I could afford to lose.
Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)

secure against, secure from, secure in

An article on the prepositions to be used after the adjective secure.
 The adjective secure can be followed by the prepositions against, from and in. The base was made secure against attack. People generally have a need to feel safe and secure from harm. Secure in the certainty that she was not observed, Selina rifled through the contents of the desk.
Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)

revolve around

An article on the preposition to be used after the verb revolve.
 The verb revolve is followed by the preposition around. The pop star acted as if the world revolved around him.
Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)

Saskatchewaner, Saskatchewanian, Franco-Saskatchewanian

A writing tip on using Franco-Saskatchewanian, Saskatchewaner and Saskatchewanian.
 The residents of Saskatchewan are known as Saskatchewanians or far less often as Saskatchewaners. Both these designations and the hyphenated Franco-Saskatchewanian are capitalized. Saskatchewanians (or Saskatchewaners) live in Canada’s sunniest province. The Franco-Saskatchewanian Youth Association office is in Saskatoon.
Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)

satisfaction in, satisfaction of

An article on the prepositions to be used after the noun satisfaction.
 The expression find or take satisfaction is followed by the preposition in. The teacher took great satisfaction in her work. The expression have the satisfaction is followed by the preposition of. Once the bridge was complete, the engineers had the satisfaction of seeing the results of their hard work.
Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)

satisfied with

A writing tip on the preposition usually used after the past participle satisfied.
 Satisfied is generally followed by the preposition with. The Western Canada Sceptics Societies urge us not to be satisfied with scientists’ explanations.
Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)

right of

An article on the preposition to be used after the noun right in expressions such as right of way, right of passage or right of reply.
 When the noun right means “something one is entitled to,” it is often followed by the preposition of. The driver turned first because he had the right of way. By law, the public has a right of passage on foot along the shoreline. Right of reply is the right to defend oneself against any personal attack published or broadcast in the media.
Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)

report for, report on/upon, report to

An article on the prepositions to be used after the verb report.
 The verb report may be followed by the prepositions for, on (or upon) and to. Report for work or for duty means to show up at a job at the required time. She was disappointed to learn that she was expected to report for work at 7:00 a.m. The officer was unable to report for duty because of his injury. Report can be followed by on or upon when it means to give a report about something. Supervisors report on their employees’ performance every year. The preposition to is used after the verb report to introduce the name of a superior who has authority to give directions and review work. During this assignment, you will report to Art Donaldson.
Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)

reproach for, reproach with

An article on the prepositions to be used after the verb reproach.
 The verb reproach can be followed by the prepositions for and with. The nurse reproached herself for forgetting to give the patient his medication. The supervisor reproached the employee for his tardiness. The director reproached the actors with laziness for not learning their lines.
Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)

research in, research into

An article on the preposition to be used after the noun research.
 The noun research is followed by the preposition in when the object of the preposition is a field of research. The research in the field is extensive. The professor was renowned for her research in biology. The noun research is followed by the preposition into when the object of the preposition is an issue. Scientists are conducting research into global warming.
Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)

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