Sentence formation (Guest:Joe)

Question

Who is more important, firemen, policemen, or garbagemen? or Who is more important? Firemen, policemen, or garbagemen? Which (if either) is correct? Why?

Hitchhiker · Accepted Answer

I would say the first mostly, but it might also be written:

Who is most important; a fireman, a policeman or a garbage man?

My grandmother seldom goes to bed this early; she's afraid she'll miss out on something.

The semicolon allows the writer to imply a relationship between nicely balanced ideas without actually stating that relationship. (Instead of saying 'because my grandmother is afraid she'll miss out on something', we have implied the 'because'. Thus the reader is involved in the development of an idea; a clever, subliminal way of engaging the reader's attention.)

SpoonfedBaby · Answer

Why do you use semicolon in “Who is most important; a fireman, a policeman or a garbage man?”? ( ?”? seems strange) I think my grammar book will put colon instead.

From my grammar book:
“The colon follows an independent clause and introduces one of three things, an example, a list, or a quotation.”
“A semicolon can replace a period; in other words, it can appear between two independent clauses.”

I am an English learner; explanations are much appreciated.

Why does not Microsoft Word allow me to write “very appreciated”?

Miriam · Answer

Spoonfedbaby,
I'd use a colon too in that question.

And I have a question myself (or several!): is there actually a difference in meaning between "fireman" and "firefighter"? Has "firefighter" replaced "fireman"? If so, why? Is it a matter of "political correctness"?

Thank you,

Miriam

CalifJim · Answer

Miriam,
In my opinion you have it exactly! "firefighter" is the politically correct form of "fireman"!

The irony is that "fighter" sounds even more masculine than "man"!

What will they think of next?
Jim

Miriam · Answer

Thank you very much, Jim.

You know? I didn't think of it until I read it in your post, but I agree with you. "Firefighter" does sound masculine! ~chuckles~

Thanks again,

Miriam

SpoonfedBaby · Answer

The Online Cambridge dictionary gives for firefighter “a person whose job is to stop fires from burning” and for fireman “a man whose job is to stop fires from burning” and no entry for firewoman. Therefore, I conclude that according to the Online Cambridge dictionary the fireman is firefighter but a firefighter is not necessary a fireman.

The Online Merriam-Webster dictionary gives for firefighter “a person who fights fires” and four definitions for fireman. The four definitions are: a person who tends or feeds fires, a member of a fire department (firefighter), an enlisted man in the navy who works with engineering machinery, and a relief pitcher in baseball. Therefore, I conclude that according to Online Merriam-Webster dictionary, firefighter is a category of fireman.

PS: Bear in mind that my level of English is weak.

Miriam · Answer

Thank you for doing research and sharing your findings, SpoonfedBaby.

Miriam

Anonymous · Answer

The second sentence is correct. because, the question mark seperates the question and answer part.- Venkat

Anonymous · Answer

I want to know the exact english sentence for the following situation:

Consider that Bush is 10th President of US. I want to just ask a question which asks "which (which#) is bush as the president of US".

CalifJim · Answer

Please start a new post instead of selecting any old post randomly and appending your unrelated question. Thanks.

(There is no English word corresponding to the concept you require. You have to circumlocute with "which... in terms of order": "Which president of the U.S. is G. W. Bush in terms of order.")

Sentence formation (Guest:Joe)

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