Which is correct

hello teachers,

I just joined this forum, and I wish to improve my command of the english language, thanks!

may I start by asking which of the following is correct:

1. "everyone has to .... " or "everyone have to"

2. "the data is invalid" or "the data are invalid", if I'm referring to pages and pages of 'data'

3. "are anyone interested" or "is anyone interested"

4. "the information contains" or "the information contain" - is information countable?

5. "run toward her" or "run towards her" - and why?

6. "with regard to" or "with regards to" - and why?

7. "several types of cars" or "several types of car"

8. "help him clean the house" or "help him to clean the house"

I saw the following random quote:

"I feel that if a person has problems communicating the very least he can do is to shut up"
Tom Lehrer


is it valid to say "the very least he can do is shut up" (note the absense of 'to') ?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ExK

hello teachers,

I just joined this forum, and I wish to improve my command of the english language, thanks!

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Welcome to the UsingEnglish Forum! :D

1. "everyone has to .... " or "everyone have to"

Both of these are correct grammatically. When selecting one of the would depend on the context you wish to use it in.

Examples: "Everyone has to pay their taxes" and "When did everyone have to pay their taxes?"

2. "the data is invalid" or "the data are invalid", if I'm referring to pages and pages of 'data'

Hmmm, I'll have to think about this one a bit more! :roll:

3. "are anyone interested" or "is anyone interested"

"is anyone interested" is correct.

4. "the information contains" or "the information contain" - is information countable?

"the information contains" is correct.

5. "run toward her" or "run towards her" - and why?

Both are correct.

6. "with regard to" or "with regards to" - and why?

Both are correct.

7. "several types of cars" or "several types of car"

Both are correct.

8. "help him clean the house" or "help him to clean the house"

Both are correct.

I'm going to leave the explanations to one of the other teachers here, but I hope what I have said will be a good start.

Regards,

thanks Red5 - now all I have to do is wait for someone to tell me when to use 'run toward' and when to use 'run towards'.

thanks for your help!

I've one more:

9. "the left and right channel"
"the left and right channels"
"the left channel and the right channel"

Which of the above is/are wrong (assuming that there is ONE channel on the left, and ONE channel on the right).

My english is weak so I appreciate your attention!

"the left and right channel"

"the left and right channels" <- This is fine

"the left channel and the right channel" <- This one sounds too complicated and cluttered, I'd use the shorter version.

:wink:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ExK

thanks Red5 - now all I have to do is wait for someone to tell me when to use 'run toward' and when to use 'run towards'.

thanks for your help!

I've one more:

9. "the left and right channel"
"the left and right channels"
"the left channel and the right channel"

Which of the above is/are wrong (assuming that there is ONE channel on the left, and ONE channel on the right).

My english is weak so I appreciate your attention!

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Both sound fine to me. Both are correct.

As a matter of preference, I would most likely say "the left channel and the right channel".

or "both the left and the right channels" - This phrase would have to fit into a sentence in the correct way.

example: We adjusted both the left and the right channels.

I'm not sure if that is the best context to use it in, but for the sake of showing how the phrase functions in a sentence, it's fine.

thanks teachers :oops: but there are actually THREE expressions there, with the first one spotting a singular 'channel' and the second one spotting a plural 'channels'

So the second and third expressions are 'ok', but how about the first? I've seen expression like 'the first and second story' before.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ExK

thanks teachers :oops: but there are actually THREE expressions there, with the first one spotting a singular 'channel' and the second one spotting a plural 'channels'

So the second and third expressions are 'ok', but how about the first? I've seen expression like 'the first and second story' before.

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I would not use "the right and left channel". There are two channels. I would use the plural form only.

Some might say "the right and left channel" is okay, but I don't like it.

Any comments from the other teachers and experts on this?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ExK

hello teachers,

I just joined this forum, and I wish to improve my command of the english language, thanks!

may I start by asking which of the following is correct:

1. "everyone has to .... " or "everyone have to"

2. "the data is invalid" or "the data are invalid", if I'm referring to pages and pages of 'data'

3. "are anyone interested" or "is anyone interested"

4. "the information contains" or "the information contain" - is information countable?

5. "run toward her" or "run towards her" - and why?

6. "with regard to" or "with regards to" - and why?

7. "several types of cars" or "several types of car"

8. "help him clean the house" or "help him to clean the house"

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1. In most cases, "everyone" is singular in American English. The word means "every one" as as individual. There are times, as was pointed out that logic dictates that "everyone" or "everybody" is meant to be plural, but it is rare.

2. The word "data" is the Latinized plural of "datum", so it is technically a plural word. However, there has been a split in the meaning of data. In the scientific and mathematical world, "data" is an accumulation of sepecific points or values. Scientists say "The data are clear." In the computer and information world, "data" is information. The cupmuter person says "The data was enetered." One's use should depend on one's audience.

3. "Anyone and "anybody" are clearly singular.

4. Information is usually uncountable. This means that it is usually not pluralized. But that has nothing to do with the verb choice. It is a singular noun.

5. Toward amd towards are used interchangeably. I believe that British English favors "towards" and American English favors "toward" but neither is incorrect.

6. It should be "with regard to". Regard means "concern" and is a noun. "Regards" as a noun refers to good wishes. "Give him my regards." There is an idiom "as regards" which is related to "with regard to". This is the usage note from AHD:

USAGE NOTE Regard is traditionally used in the singular in the phrase in regard (not in regards) to. Regarding and as regards are also standard in the sense “with reference to.” In the same sense with respect to is acceptable, but respecting is not.•Respects is sometimes considered preferable to regards in the sense of “particulars”: In some respects (not regards) the books are alike.

7. With this phrase, you will hear both forms. There is a small technical difference, but this matters little to most speakers. "Types of car" is probably the most defendable from a technical standpoint, but "types of cars" is probably more common in use.

8. Either form is acceptable. In both cases "clean" is an infinitive. One is a "to" infinitive and the other is a bare infinitive. The verb help takes either.

Some might say "the right and left channel" is okay, but I don't like it. <<

On second thought, this could be okay. It would have to be in the correct context. We would have to know that "right" refers to a "channel".

"the right and the left channel"

If we know that "the right" definitely refers to a channel, this phrase could be all right.