Language Facts & Figures: A Few From the Forum

For this month's edition of Language Facts and Figures, let's pay another visit to the Grammar & Composition Forum. Here are just a few of the many good questions that readers have recently submitted--along with my best attempts to answer them.

• Parts of Speech
  
  Question:
  I am always coming across sentences where I don't know how the words are being used. I know that sometimes a word can be a pronoun and other times it can be an adjective, etc. Here is a sentence that is troubling me:

  John will be going with him to see several new movies.

  In this case what parts of speech are to and see?
  
  Answer:
  You're not alone. Even linguists sometimes find themselves arguing over how words are used and what labels to attach to them. In your example, the particle to and the verb see are conventionally identified together as an infinitive.



• Possessives
  
  Question:
  Is two weeks notice supposed to be two weeks' notice?
  
  Answer:
  Although not all would agree, the Associated Press Stylebook says yes--use the apostrophe with this "quasi possessive":

  Follow the rules above in composing the possessive form of words that occur in such phrases as a day's pay, two weeks' vacation, three days' work, your money's worth.

  Some writers, however, would regard "two weeks" as an adjective phrase and omit the apostrophe in favor of a hyphen: "two-weeks notice." Others would write "two weeks notice" without any punctuation at all.

  If you're writing for a newspaper, follow the advice of the AP and use the apostrophe. If not, trust your own judgment.



• Quotation Marks
  Question:
  I've written a book and am now trying to clean it up. Question: When I describe a feeling or what I was thinking at the time, do I use quotation marks? For example: I started to wonder, "Do I still have what it takes?"
  
  Answer:
  In general practice, thoughts, feelings, and conjectures (unlike direct speech) are not put inside quotation marks. Best wishes on your book.



• Abbreviations
  Question:
  In my job, I frequently have to write the abbreviation for United States. What is the preferred way to write the abbreviation? Is it U. S. (with a space after the U.) or U.S. (no space), or US? I see it done so many different ways. I tend to do U. S. (with the space), but I don't have a clue whether that is the best option.
  
  Answer:
  Good question--and there's not a simple answer. In general, newspaper style guides (Associated Press and The New York Times) recommend U.S. (periods but no space).
  

  However, scientific style guides say to omit periods in capitalized abbreviations, thus US (no periods, no space).

  The most widely used guide, The Chicago Manual of Style, can't quite make up its mind:

  "U.S." or "US." Except in scientific style, U.S. traditionally appears with periods. Periods may nonetheless be omitted in most contexts. Writers and editors need to weigh tradition against consistency. In running text, the abbreviation (in either form) is permissible when used as an adjective, but United States as a noun should be spelled out.

  Unless you're writing for a scientific publication or for a website (online writers tend to omit the periods as well), I'd suggest going with U.S. (periods but no space).




• Verb Tenses
  Question:
  Is use of the pluperfect obligatory in the following sentence:

  I remember him telling me how hard he HAD been working.

  In other words, would the following construction also be correct:

  I remember him telling me how hard he HAS been working.

  
  Answer:
  I wouldn't say "obligatory," but after the verb remember either the past progressive was working or the pluperfect (also known as the past perfect) had been working would be appropriate. The present perfect progressive (has been working) brings the action up to the present time--which seems to be contradicted by the notion of remembering.

To read past editions of Language Facts & Figures, please visit the Grammar & Composition Forum. And while you're there, let us know if you have any questions about English grammar or usage.