# Has this proper grammar? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 8, 2000, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-this-proper-grammar/8453 "2000-03-08T22:03:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Powers106](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@Powers106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Powers106)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2000, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-this-proper-grammar/8453/1 "2000-03-08T22:03:00Z")
From the news today: Bush is yet to lose a southern state primary. I think the word “is” should be replaced by “has” - but is there a grammar rule that allows for this usage? * * * Even if I had a signature, I doubt I’d have room for it. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2000, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-this-proper-grammar/8453/2 "2000-03-08T22:12:00Z")
Which is correct, “Do you herd sheep?” or “Have you heard sheep?” ---
**Author:** ![billehunt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c37758/32.png) [@billehunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billehunt)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2000, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-this-proper-grammar/8453/3 "2000-03-08T22:19:00Z")
Which is correct: “Clinton strives for peace,” or “Clinton strives for a piece.” ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2000, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-this-proper-grammar/8453/4 "2000-03-08T22:29:00Z")
Powers, Bubba would say “It depends on what the meaning of “is” is.” No, seriously, this is one of my pet peeves. TV people constantly and incorrectly use “is” instead of “has”. ---
**Author:** ![pluto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f08c70/32.png) [@pluto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pluto)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2000, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-this-proper-grammar/8453/5 "2000-03-08T22:35:00Z")
“Is” is usually used to state that a condition is true – The sky “is” blue. “Has” has an ownership overtone – My dog “has” fleas. Based on my little grammar rule stated above, “Bush has yet to lose…” would be more correct. However, “Bush is yet to lose …” is perfectly intelligible. It doesn’t fail like “My dog is fleas.” does. I guess it has a matter of opinion. * * * I have the body of a god – Buddha! ---
**Author:** ![billehunt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c37758/32.png) [@billehunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billehunt)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2000, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-this-proper-grammar/8453/6 "2000-03-08T22:39:00Z")
I don’t understand. Does Bush have fleas or not? ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2000, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-this-proper-grammar/8453/7 "2000-03-08T23:50:00Z")
And for that matter, the OP is correct as well. “Is this proper grammar?” equals “Is [this grammar] proper grammar?” “Has this proper grammar.” equals “Has [this sentence} proper grammar?” or “Does this sentence have proper grammar?” Just call me Strunk. Y’all can pick a White yerselves. -andros- ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Zambezi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@Mr.Zambezi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Zambezi)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2000, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-this-proper-grammar/8453/8 "2000-03-09T00:01:00Z")
Has not lost is a bit different from is not lost. I think that the auhyor was trying to convey the former. ---
**Author:** ![Arjuna34](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Arjuna34](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arjuna34)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2000, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-this-proper-grammar/8453/9 "2000-03-09T00:01:00Z")
It’s not correct. “Is” it not a substitute for “has” here- “has” isn’t being used as a helping verb, it’s being used as the past participle of “to have”, with the meaning “to bear”, as in “bear a loss”. “Is” doesn’t make sense. Consider the plural version: “The Republicans have yet to lose an election.” This is ok, but if you pluralize the “is” version, you get “The Republicans are yet to lose an election.” - clearly wrong (on several levels 🙂 ). Arjuna34 ---
**Author:** ![FarAniSOAD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@FarAniSOAD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FarAniSOAD)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2000, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-this-proper-grammar/8453/10 "2000-03-09T02:11:00Z")
I know this is kinda off the topic a bit…but I also have a grammer question. My boyfriend and I are celebrating our 6 month anniversary as of yesterday. I was telling my friend, “It’s me and Ty’s anniversary today!” when I realized that I can’t think of the grammatically correct way to say it. Can anyone help? I tried me and Ty’s, Ty and I’s, and a bunch of other ones until finally I gave up and said “our”. * * * ~_brandie_~ “Where it is a duty to worship the sun it is pretty sure to be a crime to examine the laws of heat.” ~John Morley ---
**Author:** ![pluto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f08c70/32.png) [@pluto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pluto)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2000, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-this-proper-grammar/8453/11 "2000-03-09T02:14:00Z")
“Mine and Ty’s” is a possibility. Still sounds a bit awkward but it’s the commonest way I’ve heard it expressed. ---
**Author:** ![OliverTwistofLime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b487fb/32.png) [@OliverTwistofLime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OliverTwistofLime)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2000, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-this-proper-grammar/8453/12 "2000-03-09T02:20:00Z")
_Ty and I celebrate our anniversary today_ * * * The closest I ever got to a 4.0 in high school was my blood alcohol content. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2000, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-this-proper-grammar/8453/13 "2000-03-09T02:46:00Z")
You could say, “It’s my and Ty’s…” but you would sound like you were celebrating the anniversary of a tropical drink. ---
**Author:** ![nebuli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/0ea827/32.png) [@nebuli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nebuli)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2000, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-this-proper-grammar/8453/14 "2000-03-09T02:57:00Z")
Well, since we are sort of picking nits here… “It is Ty’s and my _semi_-anniversary.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2000, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-this-proper-grammar/8453/15 "2000-03-09T04:38:00Z")
The way it was explained to me, when you are in doubt abuot using I, me, my etc, just construct the phrase leaving the other subject out. Since “it is _my_ anniversary” would be the correct form, it follows “it is my and Xs annyversary” is correct. Still, it can be correct and sound a bit stilted or awkward. Regarding the is/has issue, constructing the plural form is a very good test. I hate it when they use _is_ in place of _has_ ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2000, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-this-proper-grammar/8453/16 "2000-03-09T05:51:00Z")
I haven’t managed to find a gloss on which verb(s) can take the adverbial phrase **yet + infinitive**. As far as I know, there is no rule against `is’ except insofar as it sounds wrong to some of us. ---
**Author:** ![Boris\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@Boris\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boris_B)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2000, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-this-proper-grammar/8453/17 "2000-03-09T06:06:00Z")
Here’s my defense of “is”: The sentence would work just fine would without the “yet” - “Bush is to lose an election.” So the “yet” just means “only in the future, if at all”. Which raises an interesting question about “yet”, since in this case it seems pretty close to what we usually mean when we say “_not_ yet”. “Bush has not yet lost an election.” vs. “Bush has yet to lose an election.” One’s got a “not”, but they mean pretty much the same thing, except perhaps that the latter could be construed as implying a future loss for George… ---
**Author:** ![Arjuna34](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Arjuna34](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arjuna34)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2000, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-this-proper-grammar/8453/18 "2000-03-09T06:18:00Z")
Boris B: “Bush is to lose an election” doesn’t mean the same as “Bush has yet to lose an election”. In fact they are sort of opposites, since the former states that he will lose, while the latter implies that he probably won’t (since he hasn’t yet). I don’t see how removing “yet” to create a new, different, sentence shows that using “is” with “yet” in place is ok. Arjuna34 ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2000, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-this-proper-grammar/8453/19 "2000-03-09T06:19:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Since “it is _my_ anniversary” would be the correct form, it follows “it is my and Xs annyversary” is correct. Two things: 1. “My” should come last. You wouldn’t say, for example, “I and you are going to the store.” It’s “you and I.” 2. When dealing with multiple possessives, only the last is made possessive. You wouldn’t say “John’s and Mary’s yard.” You’d say “John and Mary’s yard.” So the correct construction would be “Ty and my.” ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2000, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-this-proper-grammar/8453/20 "2000-03-09T13:25:00Z")
Reminds me of one of my favorite Gracie Allen-isms: She is the man who owns the grocery store’s sister. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-this-proper-grammar/8453.md?page=2)