Grammar questions.

Can you cite some examples?

 

I think he's full of many amounts of shits.

 

The NFL this year changed the amount of years a player can spend on the practice squad.

"Less" and "fewer" is another one: Freddie Patek has less career hits than George Brett.

No.

Freddie may put less jam on toast than George Brett, but he doesn't have less hits.

 

Thanks, Simon.

Here I thought I'd reached the top of the mountain when I finally, finally figured out the who/whom deal.

 

Actually, Simon, there is a rule out there that says a compound adjective with an adverb ending in "ly" should be hyphenated, as in "commonly-known people"...........

My former copy chief, a solid veteran, showed it to me in print a few years ago, but nobody else in newspapers seems to have heard of it. And I can't remember what his grammar source was.

I think it's better than the default "any adverb ending in 'ly' never gets a hyphen" because it makes it more clear to the readers. And, anyway, I prefer any compound adjective to be hyphenated.

 

My instinct is to agree. Before I learned the "newspaper rule" about this situation, I always used a hyphen because I thought it gave the adverb a stronger connection to the noun, which was its purpose (they go together; it should be as clear as possible that they go together.)

Newspapering has gotten me out of that habit, and a few others that I used when writing academically. Not sure if that's good or bad, but I know I often get corrected by non-newspaper people (English teachers and magazine editors, mostly ) when I submit something I've written. Can't help it sometimes.

 

What's the proper way to use then/than? ( Hi Moddy )

 

If you don't know, than I'm not gonna tell you.

 

That was funnier then your normal post, Ace.

 

A rule?

What rule book are you operating with....?

--------------------
Compound Adjectives


2. However, combining an adverb (usually a word ending in "ly") and an adjective does not create a compound adjective. No hyphen is required because it is already clear that the adverb modifies the adjective rather than the subsequent noun.


Incorrect: The remarkably-hot day turned into a remarkably-long week.
Correct: The remarkably hot day turned into a remarkably long week.

 

Only such -ly exception that I know of is "early".

 

That's because "early" isn't an adverb.