IX - A BIT CONFUSED Person & people

THE CORRECT USE OF 'PERSON' AND 'PEOPLE'

People is the plural form of person. So for example we talk about one person and two people. So in normal everyday speech you will hear for example:

• Many people like to do sports 
• There were a lot of people at the concert

However it becomes slightly more complicated because sometimes you do see the word persons.

For example if you're in a lift or elevator you might see the sign:

• Four persons only

And sometimes if you're listening to the news, to news reports you may hear news reports talking about persons. So for example:

• Four persons were injured in the accident 
• Police are looking for five persons.

Persons is normally a more formal use, a more formal plural form.

It gets slightly more complicated when you find the word peoples. People can be used to mean a nationality – all of the people of one country – so for example the people of Cuba. And when you're talking about a group of nationalities you may find the word peoples, for example:

• The peoples of South America.

So that's another slightly more complicated and not so common use of the word peoples.

Finally you may find the word person attached to a number. For example:

• A two-person car 
• A three-person room

This is where person is being used to describe the noun. 2 – person is the adjective describing car and as you know we don't put an s on an adjective. So for example we talk about a two-week holiday not a two-weeks holiday or a three-year course not a three-years course. So here we use two-person car.

So in summary, normally you find people as the plural form of person – one person, three people. Sometimes you'll find people used to describe the nationality so you'll find peoples to describe different nationalities and sometimes you'll find the word persons in more formal styles of writing or in signs for example. 

VIII - A BIT CONFUSED Either & neither

Listen to this entry:

Please, can you give me some explanation about the correct use of the words "either" and "neither".

Callum Robertson answers: Now to answer this question, I want you to imagine that you are going shopping with your mother, she wants to buy a new blouse. You go to the shop and she sees two blouses that she likes. She holds them up and shows you and asks you which one your prefer, which one should she buy?

You look at them and think for a while and you decide that both blouses are good, it doesn't matter which one she buys, both are OK In this case you could say to your mother - 'Either', 'either one is OK'.

So 'either' here means in a choice between two things both choices are ok.

Now, let's go back to the clothes shop - your mother decides that actually she doesn't like those blouses and chooses two more. These, you think, are both completely wrong. They're not her colour, not her style, she would look terrible - so in this case, you want to tell her that. Remember that either means that both choices would be good - you want the opposite this time - you want a word that means 'not either' - and that word is 'neither',with an 'n', 'neither'. So if both blouses are terrible for your mum, you would say, 'Neither! Neither one is good'

So 'neither' here means that in a choice between two things, both choices are bad. Not one and not the other one.

You could also say here, I don't like either. Here we use the word 'either', because the negative meaning is given when we say 'don't', 'I don't like either'. We wouldn't say 'I don't like neither', that would be a double negative and we wouldn't usually say 'I like neither' it's much more natural to say 'I don't like either'

So in this context, trying to choose two things, either and neither are opposites. What is interesting is that although both of these words are talking about a choice between two things, when we use them they are used with a singular verb.

So if we look at our examples again: Remember there are two blouses - which one is good? Well, either 'is' Ok. Or neither 'is' OK. It might sound strange to be talking about two things with a singular, but that's really because that 'either' means 'either one' and 'neither' means 'neither one', and 'one', of course is singular.

Let's take a look at some of the other ways that these words are used.

Either can be paired with the word 'or'. Going back to the shop and the good blouses, let's imagine that one is red and one is blue - you like both of them so you could say.

"You could buy either the red one or the blue one."

Neither can be paired with nor in a similar way but to join two negative ideas. For example, 'I went to visit my brother but neither he nor his wife was at home'. I'll repeat that - 'I went to visit my brother but neither he nor his wife was at home'.

Another example, this time about television watching, 'I neither watch soaps, nor reality TV, but I love dramas'. 'I neither watch soaps, nor reality TV, but I love dramas'. But this does sound a little formal and perhaps it would be more common to say I don't like soaps or reality shows, but I love dramas

Finally, one of the other questions that's often asked about these words is about the pronunciation. Is it either (ai) or either (i:) - and the answer to that - either or either - both pronunciations are used, though in American English either (i:) is perhaps the most usual.

VII - A BIT CONFUSED Another, other & others

Listen to this entry: 

A question from Yenny. 

I want to ask the difference between 'other', 'another' and 'the others' and how to use them.

Professor Michael Swan answers: Well Hallo Yenny. This is Michael Swan. It’s an interesting question. They’re quite complicated, aren’t they? Basically, there are two ways to use other. You can use it before a noun, like an adjective, so you can say: "Another office", or you can use it alone, just like a noun, you can say “I’ll have another” and they work differently.

If it’s like an adjective before a noun then you don’t put 's' on the plural because adjectives don’t have 's' – we say the other houses, not the others houses just like we say the big houses, not the bigs houses. So the other houses, the other people, the other political parties.

But if it’s alone, like a noun, we do put 's' for the plural. So we do say I’ll take this cake, and you can have all the others. Or this car cost £8,000, and the others cost £10,000 upwards. We often use the others to mean “ the other people” so I might say “If you tell Jane, I’ll tell the others” – means the other people.

Another – that’s just a spelling irregularity – for some reason we write it as one word. Don’t ask me why, it’s just one of those things. It started back in the 16th century, and we can’t go back and ask them about it. There’s one odd thing about another. You can use it before a plural expression with a number.

So for instance I might say I’ll need another three days to finish the work. Or she’s borrowed another £20. This might be connected with the fact that plural quantities are often treated as singular in English, so we say “£5 is a lot to pay for a cup of coffee.” Not ''£5 are a lot''.

So, back to other – no 's' in the plural if it’s an adjective, the other houses, 's' if it’s a plural noun, I’ll tell the others. OK? Thanks for your question and good luck with your studies, Yenny.

Yenny:
Thank you.

XXIX - VIDEO Cheching in at a hotel

Lisa: Wow! I've never stayed in a place this fancy before!

D: Welcome to the Hula-Hula hotel. How can I help you?

Mary: We'd like to check in. Our names are Lisa and Mary Lee. We have a reservation for a double room.

D: Let's see ... Yes, we have a suit for you on the third floor, room three-two-one, for five nights.

Mary: Great! Oh and my sister's luggage was lost. Please tell us if it's delivered to the hotel.

D: Of course. I'll need your passport, and please sign this guest card.

Mary: Ok. Here you are. Oh, and what is the checkout time?

D; Eleven A.M. And if you need any assistance, please see our concierge or call the front desk. Here are your keys.

D: Hello. What can I do for you?

Lisa: We just arrived at the hotel. Can you tell us what restaurants you have?

D: The Hula-Hula Restaurant is open now, there's also a complimentary breakfast buffet each morning.

Mary: Great! Can we have a wake-up call at eight tomorrow?

D: No problem. What's your room number?

Lisa: We're in room three-two-one.

D: OK. Be sure to try our gym on the second floor. There is also a business lounge on the third floor, with computers, copiers and fax machines.

Mary: How about a nice place to relax here?

D: The beach is just down the street. And out in back, we have a swimming pool, Jacuzzi and sauna.

Mary: Great! Now we have an excuse to shop, to buy swimming suits!

D: This is the front desk. How can I help you?

Lisa: We're having some problems in room three-two-one. Can you send someone up, right away?

D: Certainly. What seems to be the problem?

Lisa: Well, my sister spilled some juice on the bed sheets ...

D: Oh, dear! We'll send a maid up with fresh linen as soon as possible.

Lisa: Well, my sister tried to clean the sheets, but the water wouldn't stop. Now there's water everywhere ...

D: Oh, no! We'll send the janitor and the plumber, too!

Lisa: And then my sister slipped on the wet tile and hurt her toe.

D: Oh, we'll also send a doctor. (Lisa screams.) What's the matter?

Lisa: And send an electrician, as well. The lights just went out!

D: Hello. What can I do for you?

Lisa: We'd like to check out of our room. Here are the keys. It's room number three-two-one.

D: Did you take anything from the refrigerator?

Mary: Yes, we had two colas. We also ordered room service once.

D: Ok. Your five-night total comes to three hundred and ten dollars. Are you paying by cash or credit card?

Mary: Credit card. Here you are. Oh, and can you call an airport taxi for us?

D: I'll do that right away. (A moment later) Please sign on the dotted line.

Lisa: (To Mary) you bought so much, we can barely carry it all. I'm glad they lost my suitcases.

D: Oh, I almost forgot. Ms. Lee, someone dropped this off for you this morning.

Lisa: What? Hey, that's my luggage!

VI - A BIT CONFUSED Prefer, would rather & had better

PREFER, WOULD RATHER & HAD BETTER

Prefer and would rather can be used interchangeably. When we are talking about general preferences, prefer is followed by verb-ing, thus:

• I prefer listening to music to watching TV.
• I'd rather listen to music than watch TV.

                                   'd rather

However, when we are talking about specifics, would rather is used as an alternative to would prefer to followed by an infinitive. Would rather is very common in spoken English and is often abbreviated to 'd rather. It is used in this form with all personal pronouns:
I'd / you'd / he'd / she'd / we'd / they'd rather…

Study these examples:

• Would you like to go out for dinner tonight? ~ No, I think I'd rather eat at home / I'd prefer to eat at home.
• Would you rather drink beer or wine with the curry ~ I'd rather drink beer. What about you?
• They'd rather have the strawberries by themselves, but I'd prefer to have them with cream. 

Note that would rather is followed by a bare infinitive without to, whereas prefer requires to + infinitive. Would rather (but not would prefer to) is also followed by a past tense when we want to involve other people in the action, even though it has a present or future meaning. 

Study the following:

• Shall we go out for dinner tonight? ~ No, I'd rather we ate at home, if you don't mind.
• Shall I write to Harry and tell him that we've sold the car? ~ I'd rather you didn't.
• My mother would rather we caught the bus, rather than walk home after the party. 

Rather than means instead of and can be used in combination with would prefer to and would rather. 

Study the following and note the intricacies of the verb forms:

• Rather than lose precious sleep discussing it now, I think we should go to bed and talk about it in the morning.
• My mother would prefer us to email each other once a week, rather than spend half an hour on the phone every night.
• My mother would rather we emailed each other once a week instead of spending half an hour on the phone every night. In fact, she insists on it. So we'd better do that, I suppose.

                                   'd better

Note that 'd better, which is similar structurally to 'd rather, is used to suggest necessary action. In this case however, 'd is the abbreviated form of had, not would. Like 'd rather, 'd better is followed by the bare infinitive without to. 

Study the following:

• We'd better not be late for the Ambasador's party. It would be unforgivable to arrive late.
• You'd better phone him and tell him that you're not going.
• They'd better buy me a Christmas present or I shall never forgive them.

Note that it is sometimes slightly threatening in tone, as in the last example. Had better is always more urgent than should or ought to and has the same force as I would advise you strongly to…. or We must / we mustn't….

XXXI - GRAMMAR Basic rules to form a question

QUESTION FORMS: BASIC RULES

1.    Questions are made by putting an auxiliary verb before the subject.

-          Have you received my letter of June 17th?

-          Is your mother coming tomorrow?

auxiliary	subject	main verb
have	you	received
is	your mother	coming

Note that only the auxiliary is put before the subject. 

The rest of the verb phrase comes after it:

-          Where are the president and his family staying?

2.    When a verb phrase has no auxiliary its question form is made with do, followed by the infinitive without to.

-          Do you like Mozart?

-          What does ‘periphrastic’ mean?

3.    Do is not used to make questions with modal verbs (can, must, should, may etc.), or with the verb To Be:

-          Can you tell me the time?

-          Are you ready?

4.    When who, what or which is the subject of a sentence, it comes directly before the verb, and do is not used:

-          Who left the door open?

If who, what or which is the object of a sentence, the normal rules are followed:

-          Who do you want to speak to?

-          What are you doing?

XXIII - VIDEO The truth about the economy

What's the problem with the economy? Let me connect the dots and show you the big picture in less than two minutes fifteen seconds.

Dot 1 - Since 1980 the American economy has doubled in size but adjusting for inflation most people wages have barely increased.

Dot 2 - Where did all that money go? Almost all the gains have gone to the super rich. The top one percent used to take home about ten percent of total income now it takes home more than twenty percent and the super rich have forty percent of the nation's entire wealth.

Dot 3 - All this money at the top has given the super rich lots of political power, especially power to lower their tax rates. Before 1980 the top tax rate was over seventy percent now it's down to thirty five percent and much of their income is capital gains subject to only a fifteen percent tax. According to the IRS the richest four hundred Americans pay only seventeen percent.

Dot 4 - This means huge budget deficits. Tax revenues are down to less than fifteen percent of the total economy, the lowest in sixty years. So public services are being cut at all levels of government. Our kids are being crowded into classrooms with more and more other children. Roads, bridges, levies, health care, safety nets, they're all being sacrificed.

Dot 5 - Instead of joining together for better wages and jobs many people are so scared that they're competing with other working people for the scraps that are left behind. So we get union versus non-union, public employee versus private, native born versus immigrants.

Dot 6 - The vast middle-class, unable to borrow as it could before, no longer has the purchasing power need to get the economy growing again. Which means continued high unemployment and an anemic recoverty.

So you see the big picture? The only way we can have a strong economy is with a strong middle-class.

XXVII - VIDEO How to Answer "Tell me about yourself"