Q. Is it redundant to write “and also”? I cannot find this issue (of redundancies) in the Manual. Is it there?
A. It’s fine to use “and also.” If you search for that phrase (with quotation marks around it) you can find it used in CMOS itself.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Do you need to use two indefinite articles with coordinate nouns when one noun begins with a vowel sound and the other begins with a consonant sound? For example, “walking the halls of an elementary or [a] secondary school.” Is the a before secondary required? Would the same be true for coordinate adjectives? For example, “including a relatable and [an] encouraging teacher”? Is the an required?
A. The second article is not required. Readers will mentally supply it.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Hi there—I’m working on a brochure for a cruise line in which we are describing Mayan ruins and Mayan civilization. The client keeps changing Mayan to Maya, which looks strange to me outside the realm of academia. Does Chicago have a preference on this? Thanks!
A. Maya is the new Mayan! Use Mayan only to refer to the language of the Maya. You can see this usage at work at tourist websites such as Yucatantoday.com and Belize.com.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Lie down on your stomach or lay down on your stomach? M-W.com suggests “lie down” is preferable to “lay down.” Please clarify.
A. Merriam-Webster ought to know: “lie down on your stomach” is correct. “Laying down” requires an object: you can lay down your burdens, your money, or the law. You can even lay your body down, as long as body is included as the object. However, “lay down” has now become so popular for any and all constructions that it’s hard to call it incorrect, although major dictionaries and usage manuals do not yet accept it.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Help! Can you please tell me which is correct: “if one or more component is ineffective,” “if one or more components is ineffective,” or “if one or more components are ineffective.” The document I’m reviewing uses all three constructions, and I haven’t been able to find any solid guidance on which is correct.
A. Go with the last one. The adjective nearest the noun normally signals the number of the noun (e.g., “one or two components”; “one or more components”), so the plural components is the noun you want. And a plural subject requires a plural verb (are). Please see CMOS 5.138 (“Agreement in Person and Number”).
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. I’m having an argument with my English teachers over what I think is a grammatical mistake in Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes story A Study in Scarlet. The sentence in question is: “The Daily News observed that there was no doubt as to the crime being a political one.” Since I’m fairly certain “being a political one” is a gerund and not a participial phrase, I think that crime should be changed to crime’s, but multiple English teachers have told me I am incorrect (yet the arguments they presented do not make sense to me whatsoever). Is the sentence correct as is, or did Doyle make a grammatical mistake?
A. We are in awe of your perseverance, not merely in investigating this controversial construction, but in doubting the advice of multiple English teachers. But when such a noun (crime) follows a preposition (as to), the possessive with a gerund is optional. Please see CMOS 5.114 (on “fused participles”), as well as the last part of paragraph 7.28, for examples.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Hello, Chicago. I am slightly confused about what the difference between “compare with” and “compare to” is. Paragraph 5.195 seems to suggest that it’s a matter of whether one is making a “literal comparison” or a “poetic or metaphorical comparison,” whereas 5.250 says it’s a matter of whether one is identifying “both similarities and differences” or “primarily similarities.” What’s the rundown?
A. The two paragraphs of CMOS use different ways to describe the same thing. Strictly speaking, to “compare with” is to investigate the similarities and differences between things, such as when you make an actual (literal) comparison between wine and apples, perhaps noting that they both are fruity (similarities), but that one is liquid and one solid (differences). To “compare to” is to note that one thing is like another, but not necessarily literally. Saying that the flavor of a wine is like apples or someone’s cheeks are like roses (similarities) involves more metaphorical or poetic comparisons. Of course, actual usage of those prepositions does not always distinguish so finely.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. This may sound existential, but is the appropriate word be or is in the following sentence: In the end, it is actual life, whether it be easy or difficult.
Q. Please let me know your thoughts on using compete as follows: “The grants are competed annually.” I’m inclined to rewrite the sentence.
A. That looks like jargon. Since you aren’t sure, don’t rewrite without querying the writer. If the document you’re editing is written for a group that uses the word that way, you should leave it.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Is it appropriate to delete man or woman from chair when presenting someone’s official job title? For example, would you recommend saying “Joe Schmo, chair of company A” even if that person’s title is listed as chairman on the company’s website?
A. The term chair is useful when gender-neutral language is needed, but if the chairman himself (or his organization) chose the title chairman, it would be overstepping to change it.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]