Daily Grammar – Week 5

DAILY GRAMMAR (DG) 30-03-2018

1a. You are enjoyed to put to practice what you preach. (No)

You are enjoined to put into practice what you preach. (Yes)

1b. We came into an agreement on the election date. (No)

We came to an agreement on the election date. (Yes)

(“Enjoy” and “enjoin” are two separate verbs that should not be confused. Then, note that people come “to” an agreement, not come into it. Besides, they put things “into” practice, not “to” practice. They can just “practise”, if they like, and avoid the preposition outright!)

2a. He does violates rules with impunity. (No)

He does violate rules with impunity. (Yes)

2b. Did he attends the programme yesterday? (No)

Did he attended the programme yesterday? (No)

Did he attend the programme yesterday? (Yes)

(When the primary auxiliary verb, “do”, is used in a sentence, it is inflected as present or past as the context demands while the main verb maintains its present (plural) form without any inflection. Then, when “did” precedes a verbal group, it expresses past and the main verb is not inflected with “ed” any longer. In fact, if you do not know, or not sure of, the past tense of a verb and you have to use it as past, just insert “did” and let the verb maintain its basic present form. For example, “who did broadcast the news yesterday?”; “he did hurt himself when he tried to open the door.”)

3. In accordance to the university regulation that I know, you can’t travel abroad without a formal approval. (No)

In accordance with the university regulation that I know, you can’t travel abroad without a formal approval. (Yes)

(“In accordance” attracts “with”, not “to”. If you want to use “to”, just say “according to” and it is fine.)

Did You Know?

The word “chicken” has been used to describe cowards since the 14th Century but it didn’t become a slang in the United States until the 1940s.

There are many animals used to describe people. Can you mention some of them and what they mean?