2 Grammar questions.

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
1

<p>What's the rule for distinguishing her and herself? I can almost always sound it out with my ear but I would still like to know</p>

<p>Example sentence</p>

<p>Although she narrowly lost bids for the US Senate in 1982 and 1986, Wood's campaigns earned herself/her national recognition</p>

<p>"her" is correct</p>

<hr>

<p>The phrase "X but Y" has no commas? So "X, but Y" is never correct? </p>

<p>Example:
Several [subtle but significant] cues may come into play, suggesting the choice of either English or Spanish.</p>

<h2>So "subtle, but significant" is always wrong? </h2>

<p>Many bilingual speakers in Miami feel more comfortably/comfortable speaking English than Spanish;</p>

<p>Comfortable is correct. I chose it because it sounded better but "comfortably" made sense because it modifies the verb "feel." Why is comfortable correct?</p>

2

<p>Whose national recognition is it? Her’s. Not herself’s.</p>

<p>Nope there are no commas. The SAT will not put a comma there so don’t worry about punctuation.</p>

<p>You’re comparing two things so you will be using the comparative form.
It’s like fat –> fatter.
Sometimes you cannot conjugate the word with an -er though; for example: favorite. You cannot say favoriter. You have to say more favorite. Likewise, you would say more comfortable.
It’s an adjective and not an adverb. Comfortably does not make sense because you cannot comfortably feel something. Invert the sentence to see if it makes sense. “Comfortably he felt.” Does it? Absolutely not.
Not putting an adjective would put a mystery on the emotion that the subject is feeling. “Comfortable he felt.”</p>

3

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<p>Yes you can? </p>

<p>and this is ACT so commas are insanely important lol</p>

4

<p>^ He’s looking for an explanation that doesn’t rely on the ear.</p>

5

<p>that’s not the only distinction
(btw there’s no such word as her’s)
her is already possessive. however, one can replace “her recognition” with hers in the sense “oh, she’ll get hers” (not the best sentence but…)</p>

<p>as for the OP, “Wood’s campaigns earned herself/her national recognition” is the part of the sentence to pay attention to. Wood’s campaigns are doing the earning, so “her”(standing in for Wood) is the indirect object “receiving” the recognition (the direct object).</p>

<p>However, if the sentence had instead featured Wood as the subject, then herself would be correct because it is used in the reflexive, indicating that the subject of the action is also the object of the action.</p>

<p>It can also be used intensively to add emphasis (like “stay here, i’ll go check it myself” but that’s not relevant here.)</p>

<p>for the 2nd comma question, “subtle, but significant” is not always wrong, but for the purposes of the SAT, the comma is simply unnecessary. Writers often exercise license to place punctuation marks, especially the comma, in locations of sentences even when no specific rule justifies it as long as no rule explicitly prohibits it either (and even then, rules can be broken). </p>

<p>For example, if there is meant to be a pause between subtle and but when spoken (as part of a manuscript, for example), then a comma can be inserted. There are other uses, such as to break up a sentence for clarity’s sake, but I’m too tired to think up any examples. </p>

<ol>
<li>more favoriter does not directly parallel the OP’s example, because 1. favorite is a 3 syllable word and as such favoriter cannot possibly exist and 2. more + comparative is redundant in itself.</li>
</ol>

<p>More comfortably is not always wrong, but it is in your example because feel is a linking verb and requires an adjective to follow. I feel sad, I feel lonely, and so on. </p>

<p>however, a more expensive mattress can allow its owner (or intruders) to sleep more comfortably</p>

<p>also, RAlec, i thought you just had to master CR and you were well on your way to a 2400? what are you doing bothering with the writing section.</p>

<p>edit: ahh, the ACT
I’ve never taken it but standard rules of grammar should still apply</p>

6

<p>Oh the ACT. Why are you posting these questions in the SAT forum then? Can’t really blame me for answering the way I did.</p>

7

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Well, standard rules of grammar should still apply to the ACT…</p>

8

<p>I didn’t read the responses, so I might be repeating what others have said…</p>

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<p>“herself” is reflexive and is used when the object is the same as the subject, as in “She gave herself a metaphorical pat on the back.” </p>

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<p>A comma is required before “but” only when “but” is introducing an independent clause, as in “I eat, but I don’t want to.” When it is being used otherwise, a comma is unnecessary. If you want to use a comma, you need to set off the entire phrase:</p>

<p>Several subtle, but significant, cues may come into play, suggesting the choice of either English or Spanish.</p>

<p>Using one comma is wrong.</p>

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<p>“feel” is not being modified. “feel” is a linking verb here, as it often is (e.g., “I feel happy” and not “I feel happily”).</p>

9

<p>silverturtle and antonioray: Thank you so much! </p>

<p>antonio: haha I’m taking the September ACT and then right after that I’m switching gears to the SAT (which I am taking in october).</p>