Student Stumpers – English with Jennifer

Student Stumper 57: “There are too many cars on the road” or “There are too many cars on the roads”?

QUESTION: Which sentence is correct, “There are too many cars on the road” or “There are too many cars on the roads”? ANSWER: I prefer the first, but both could be correct. This question was addressed during a recent livestream, and I initially found it challenging to articulate a clear answer. I was able to…

Student Stumper 56: “It’s going to be rain” or “It’s going to rain”?

QUESTION: I said, “It’s going to be rain.” Someone told me I should say, “It’s going to rain.” Why? ANSWER: This question was deceptively hard for me to answer. I broke it down point by point for my student. We use the structure “be going to” in front of a base verb to refer to…

Student Stumper 55: “Had to be” vs. “Had to have been”

Another way to express past speculation. PDF included.

Student Stumper 54: What is a dangling preposition?

QUESTION: What is a dangling preposition? ANSWER: My initial reaction to this question posted by a learner was, “Hmm. What is a dangling preposition?” I hadn’t heard of one before, but there’s always a first, and I never assume I know everything about grammar. I wondered if the person was confusing dangling prepositions with dangling…

Student Stumper 53: “Whether” vs. “Either”

QUESTION: Are “whether” and “either” interchangeable? ANSWER: No. That’s the simple answer, and I was quick to state that in response to this recent question, but what took me by surprise was the confusion itself. I’m aware that students will ask about “whether” vs. “if.” I also know that lack of parallel structure creeps into…

Student Stumper 52: “Earlier” vs. “Before”

QUESTION: What’s the difference between “earlier” and “before”? Is there any difference between “I saw him before” and “I saw him earlier”? ANSWER: There can be overlap in meaning, but first let’s find the more obvious differences. First, we can use “before” as a conjunction to form an adverb clause of time. It’s in direct…

Student Stumper 51: “Kind of” vs. “Kinds of”

QUESTION: Can I use “kind of” with a plural noun or do I have to use “kinds of”? ANSWER: Yes, you can use “kind of” with a plural noun, but first consider the difference in meaning between “kind of” and “kinds of.” “Kind” refers to a type. If you’re referring to one type, then use…

Student Stumper 50: “Last” vs. “Past”

QUESTION: What’s the difference between “last” and “past”? Can I say “the last year” and “the past year”? Do they mean the same thing? ANSWER: We can use both of those phrases, but they don’t necessarily mean the same thing. Anytime there are similarities, we must figure out where exactly there’s overlap. Structurally, the phrases…

Student Stumper 49: “Another” vs. “Other”

QUESTION: What’s the difference between “another” and “other”? They’re very similar. ANSWER: Indeed, they’re similar, so the challenge is to find and remember the differences. A learner’s dictionary can help us identify rules and patterns. Then comes the hard part: we need to commit all that information to memory. Parts of Speech First, let’s look…

Student Stumper 48: Does the house need painting or need being painted?

QUESTION: I know I can say a house needs painting, but why can’t I say the house needs being painted? ANSWER: It’s not always easy to give a satisfactory answer to grammar questions. Sometimes a standard pattern simply must be followed, no exceptions. You learn the acceptable pattern, and like a dutiful soldier you follow…

Student Stumper 46: “As if” and “As though” Revisited

I initially addressed this topic a few years ago in Student Stumper 35. However, some recent questions opened the can back up, and out came some worms that I couldn’t ignore. Not having clear answers to grammar questions makes me squirm in my seat! QUESTION: Can I use the present tense after as if and…