Homework Help: Grammar

Posted by Odette on Tuesday, March 24, 2009 at 5:39pm.

MAKE EACH OF THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS PARTIALLY NEGATIVE BY USING PARTIALLY NEGATIVE VERB. FOR WHICH CAN THE ADVERB BE PLACED IN FRONT OF THE SUBJECT?

I am confused for which the adverb can be placed in front of the subject and which is correct in the following:

Marie studies with Ken.
-Seldom does Marie study with Ken. (or is it: Marie seldom studies with Ken.)

The farmers were able to support their families.
-Just barely were the farmers able to support their families. (or is it: The farmers were barely able to support their families.)

The patient could speak.
-Hardly could the patient speak. (or is it: The patient could hardly speak.)

The tenants complained to the landlord.
-Rarely did the tenants complain to the landlord. (or is it: The tenants rarely complained to the landlord.)

There is some food in the refrigerator.
-Scarcely does the refrigerator have some food. (Or is it: There is scarcely some food in the refrigerator.)

Grammar - Writeacher, Tuesday, March 24, 2009 at 5:44pm
Marie studies with Ken.
-Seldom does Marie study with Ken. (or is it: Marie seldom studies with Ken.)
Both are correct.

The farmers were able to support their families.
-Just barely were the farmers able to support their families. (or is it: The farmers were barely able to support their families.)
The second one (in parentheses) is correct.

The patient could speak.
-Hardly could the patient speak. (or is it: The patient could hardly speak.)
The second one (in parentheses) is correct.

The tenants complained to the landlord.
-Rarely did the tenants complain to the landlord. (or is it: The tenants rarely complained to the landlord.)
Both are correct.

There is some food in the refrigerator.
What do you think for this one?
Grammar - Odette, Tuesday, March 24, 2009 at 5:48pm
Actually for that one I put
Scarcely does the refrigerator have some food. or There is scarcely some food in the refrigerator.

I am confused because I read in my grammar book that if there is a helping verb in the sentence, you simply reverse the subject and the verb but if there is no helping verb you add a form of "do" taking all the information from the main verb and leaving the main verb in its base form.

In this sense isn't "Barely were the farmers able to support their families" "Hardly could the patient speak" correct?
Grammar - Writeacher, Tuesday, March 24, 2009 at 5:56pm
They are correct grammatically, but very awkward. Those sentence structures are seldom used.

Answer this Question

Related Questions

Chemistry - When an ionic compound dissolves in water, splitting into its ...
ap biology - Molecules that result from this bond do not dissociate in water ...
A&P - Compare ionic, covalent, and hydrogen bonding, and fully describe an ...
Emily - Need to find the Adverbs in each sentence. 1. Native Americans ...
MATH - WHAT IS THE TENTH DIDGIT IN THE QUOTIENT 120 / 11? A. 0 B. 1 C. 8 D.9 I ...
English/Grammar - I have an English 10 Summer Assignment about grammar and such...
Org. Chem. - 1. Are the following soluble, insoluble, or partially soluble. - ...
math-calculus - write the following absolute value functions as piecewise ...
math-calculus - write the following absolute value functions as piecewise ...
Grammar - I instructed the patient to return tomorrow. return = adverb modifying...

For Further Reading

First Name:
School Subject:
Answer: