Posts tagged learning English grammar

It’s very different from “different than…”

Jun03
2010 2 Comments Written by Renelle George

It’s quite simple, really.  Different is followed by from, not than.  One person or thing differs from another and is therefore different from its counterpart.  Do you say, “This shoe differs than that one?”   Well for the love of Pete, don’t say “than” when you add “-ent!”  And then, there are the dual violators who write “different then” (see my post on the use of than vs. then).  Heaven help us.

I would share one of my traditional mnemonic devices to help you remember that different should be followed by “from” instead of “than,” but the problem appears to have less to do with memory than the fact that people just don’t know they’re making a (big) boo-boo when they say “different than.”  Willing to be corrected if I’m wrong though…

Make my day by not making this mistake, will you?  I know it’s a toughie, but try, just for me :)

Posted in Common Grammar Errors - Tagged , , , , , ,

Ummm, you might want to remove the ‘s at the end of that verb…

May25
2010 1 Comment Written by Renelle George
This entry is part 6 of 6 in the series The Apostrophe Series

I thought this was a given, but clearly I was wrong.  Verbs don’t need an ‘s tacked on to their rear end.  He knows, NOT know’s.  He doesn’t know’s a damn thing.  (And clearly you don’t either if you wrote it!).  I know, you know, he/she/it knows.  No magic, no math.  Just an ‘s’ people, just an ‘s’.  The apostrophe is not invited to this party.  And guess what?  He doesn’t want to be there either!

The apostrophe indicates ownership.  Jack’s car – the car Jack owns, or the car belonging to Jack.  Verbs can’t own things…

Apostrophes are also used for contractions (not the kind women have during childbirth, but if that helps you remember, go for it!).  Therefore, can’t is the contracted form of cannot.  See the lil apostrophe in there?  Expand the contraction.

Check  out the other posts in The Apostrophe Series – who knows, you might get to know a wee bit more about our friend, the apostrophe!

Posted in Common Grammar Errors - Tagged , , , , ,

Oh dear, they’re mixing up “there” and “their…”

May23
2010 3 Comments Written by Renelle George

There isn’t much similarity between there and their beyond pronunciation – they sound the same, but that’s about it.  As you shall see, their meanings are vastly different…

There refers to a place/location.  Over there.  Where?  There.

There is also used to describe the existence of something.  Therefore, there is a really neat website about grammar that you should check out.  (It’s called The Write Foot, btw ;) )

On the contrary, their indicates ownership/possession.  They lost everything when their home was gutted by fire.

Easy enough, isn’t it?  Remember: their can NEVER be followed by a verb, so you should replace with there instead.  Their is always used before things that can be owned.  It follows the same rules as his/her, our, your, etc.

And so my friends, there you have it!

Posted in Common Grammar Errors - Tagged , , , ,

To Whom It May Concern…

May19
2010 3 Comments Written by Shivana Mohammed

Today you weed your garden, so that tomorrow your garden will feed you!  There are days when our subjects are objects and others when our objects are subjects.  However, who is always subject and whom is always an object – some things simply are  not susceptible to change.

Who is an interrogative pronoun used in the place of the subject of the sentence.  Who told you it was acceptable to answer the phone, “Who am I speaking with?”  I am sure most of us are guilty of this crime against the subject.  As uppity as it may sound, “To whom am I speaking?” is more accurate.

Who can also be used as the subject of a clause.  For example, Bob is taking the names of all persons who want to go to the mall on Saturday. (I don’t know Bob, but hope you find him if you want to go to the mall!)

The real trouble begins with the use of whom… whom is always used when one is trying to figure out the object of the verb. If I am speaking, I would like to know to whom I’m speaking. Take this scenario for instance: “The ball went over the wall and hit someone, but I wasn’t sure whom it hit!”  The subject (the ball) is the agent that carried out the verb (hit); however, there is speculation as to whom (object) was hit.  Had I said, “I wasn’t sure who it hit,” I would basically be stating that the ball hit itself (and we can’t have that, now can we?  Unfortunately, objects in grammar do not have magic powers :) )

If you still aren’t clear on the use of who and whom, a handy hint for you: pronouns ending in ‘m’ are generally objects of the sentence e.g. whom, him(her) and them.  So if you find yourself unsure about the use of whom, try re-writing your sentence and replacing whom with him or them.

Examples:

  • This is the boy for ______ the package was delivered.  (The package was delivered for him, so fill in the blank with whom.)
  • _______ is she referring to?  She is referring to them, so fill in the blank with whom.)

I know the use of the word whom  sounds unnatural, but then again, having two left feet is also unnatural. So to those who are feeding their gardens and only getting weeds – get on the write foot!

Posted in Common Grammar Errors - Tagged , , , , ,

It’d be great if you’d save ‘grate’ for cheese and coconuts…

May17
2010 2 Comments Written by Renelle George

Dear reader of The Write Foot,

Please accept my sincerest apologies for not publishing any posts yesterday.  As you know, I am allergic to bad grammar, and an excessive intake this weekend triggered a severe allergic reaction.  Per doctor’s orders, I remained in bed all day.  Today, however, I begin a round of therapy guaranteed to provide relief – a post starring one of the allergens!

Hear ye, hear ye…  Great is an expression to describe goodness… NOT grate.  You grate cheese, carrots, coconuts – food.  A sound grates your ear.  That’s pretty much it right there for grate.  Grate is a verb – an action – not something you say as a compliment.  Nobody ever looks grate… and if they do, that’s a bit insulting, isn’t it?

Thankful = grateful… “greatful” is wrong!!!  It’s one of those things you just have to know.  The only endings which can be added to great are -er and -est, as in greater and greatest.  You can add an ‘r’ to grate to give you the object used to perform the grating/shredding action – our trusted friend, the grater.

Examples:

  • He is the greatest performer I have ever seen.
  • Greater than, less than, or equal to (remember those symbols?)
  • Did you use the grater yesterday?

Get it?  Answer the following questions to help you:

  • Are you shredding food, like cheese, coconuts, or carrots?  Then use grate.
  • Are you describing an irritating sound?  Grate again.
  • Are you trying to describe how good something is?  Then for heaven’s sake, it’s great!

There’s no greater medicine than pen to paper – I feel much better already :)

Posted in Common Grammar Errors, Commonly Misspelled Words - Tagged , , , , , , ,

It’s not too much to add or remove the extra ‘o’, is it?

May14
2010 8 Comments Written by Renelle George

Although too and to sound the same, they are very different words with very different meanings.  And it’s kinda wrong to misuse them, you know?  It’s too easy to figure out which is correct – The Write Foot to the rescue!

Too has two major meanings:

  1. also / as well / in addition
  2. excess / very much (of something)

Examples:

  • You too. (as well/also)
  • He was late too. (as well/also)
  • It’s too hot in here. (excess)

The really neat thing about too (my humble opinion), is that its placement in a sentence can alter its meaning.  Restructuring examples 2 and 3 above:

  • He was too late. (excess)
  • It’s hot in here too. (as well/also)

Isn’t that cool?  I know you are finding it hard to contain your excitement right now – no worries, I’ll give you a moment.  Take a few deep breaths, the adrenalin rush will be over soon.  And if you really aren’t absolutely in awe and completely stoked by how cool the word too is, it’s ok – we can still be friends :)

Now to its counterpart to.  It’s easy because once you know when to use too, you just use to everywhere else!  No rocket science there.  But to avoid being too biased, I’ll discuss some of the main uses of to here as well.  The thing to remember is that to cannot stand on its own two feet – it needs help!  So it’s always to plan, to hope, to love, etc.  Always to do something.

Similarly, to is used with places: to work, to school, to that other place you shouldn’t have been visiting anyway *cough cough*

It shouldn’t be too much of a stretch to see that to is also used with people: to him, to you, to anybody else you’d like.  Get it?

I think people get a little bit confused when to appears after a verb.  No need to be thrown for a loop – you can definitely go to, aim to, plan to and anything else you feel to!  Verbs cannot be followed directly by too - so it’s always hope so too, feel that way too, etc.

Cardinal rule: If it doesn’t past the too test, don’t hesitate to use to instead!  You’re too smart to be consistently making this mistake – remember that!

Posted in Common Grammar Errors - Tagged , , , , , , ,

Mother’s, Mothers’, or Mothers Day?

May09
2010 6 Comments Written by Renelle George
This entry is part 5 of 6 in the series The Apostrophe Series

I’m breaking the “every other day” posting cycle on this auspicious occasion, widely known as Mother’s Day.  I was penning a note to a friend earlier and no sooner had I written “Happy Mother’s Day” than I questioned whether  the positioning of the apostrophe was correct.  Shouldn’t it be Mothers’ Day?  I mean, it’s a day to celebrate all mothers, isn’t it?  Oh TWF, what have you done to me?!?  Can I not share greetings to my loved ones in peace?

I brushed it off ever so gently, but upon a suggestion from a trusted fan of The Write Foot (thanks Stephen!) I decided to do some research and post my findings here.  As it turns out, the grammar gods are a little bit flexible on this one.  They actually allow us to decide whether we treat mother as singular (your own mother, therefore Mother’s Day) or plural (Mothers’ Day).  There’s even Mothers Day if you treat mother as an adjective describing the word day (I’d personally draw the line here, but I suppose mother is no less descriptive than teacher, author, or housewife – thoughts?).  Check The Blue Book’s Confusing Possessives for additional details.

Whether you prefer to call it Mother’s Day, Mothers’ Day, or Mothers Day (gag), be sure to show some love to the mothers in your lives today, will you?

Cheers!

Posted in Out of Sorts - Tagged , , , , ,

Your welcome, as opposed to mine?

May08
2010 4 Comments Written by Renelle George
This entry is part 4 of 6 in the series The Apostrophe Series

I see this one so frequently that it is worth its own post (see earlier post on the use of your vs. you’re).  I think people just don’t get it, so I’m here to set them straight… or as I like to say, put them on “the write foot.”

It’s you’re welcome, NOT your welcome.  Your eyes, ears, head, big toe – anything else.  But the response to “thank you” is you’re welcome.  As in, you are welcome.  Remember, expand the contraction.

The words that follow your are objects (nouns) indicating ownership.  Do you own welcome?  Highly unlikely, though one can’t be too certain these days.  You may have the distinct honor of delivering a welcome speech or address at an event, in which case, the use of your is entirely appropriate: your welcome address, your welcome speech.  You see, the welcome address/speech is the thing that you “own” because you’ve written and delivered it.  It’s not unlike your rendition, performance, recital, etc.

I think you should be straight on this one, but if you still can’t remember, use “Don’t mention it” or “No problem” as a substitute.  Even “De nada” is better – your audience will be impressed by your knowledge of another language (even if it’s a mere two words).  Save yourself the stress and embarrassment of using the wrong form.  And save me from fighting a losing battle to contain myself when you don’t get it right :)

Don’t forget to check out the other posts in The Apostrophe Series!

Posted in Common Grammar Errors - Tagged , , , , , ,

You’re out of your mind… you really are!

May06
2010 2 Comments Written by Shivana Mohammed
This entry is part 3 of 6 in the series The Apostrophe Series

Do not let ‘you’re’ mistake be your downfall. Too many people with fluid English language writing skills overlook this simple distinction.  The misuse of your and you’re often makes otherwise sound arguments seem sloppy.

The difference is simple.  Your is a possessive pronoun meaning ‘something that belongs to you’.  It is also an attributive adjective; it relates to a noun the same way other adjectives do.  If red or green identify the color of a book, for instance, your identifies the owner of the book.  Example: The red book is your book.  Your book, your ideas, your mistakes, your uncanny ability to overlook that squiggly green line in the spell check (hypothetically speaking, of course).

On the other hand, you’re is the contracted  form of you are.  You’re (you are) now amazed at the simplicity of your errors, aren’t you?!

If you’re still not sure about using you’re vs. your, try the replacement test: replace you’re with you are (expand the contraction).

Example: It is ___________ responsibility to conserve water!

Your, or you’re?  I doubt you’re trying to say, “It is ‘you are’ responsibility to conserve water”, so you should fill in the blank with your instead.  Therefore, the sentence should read:

It is your responsibility to conserve water.

I bet you can now see how silly a mistake this is!

Where you’re fails, you’re go for using your!  Remember, ‘Don’t let your mistakes be your downfall!’

Posted in Common Grammar Errors - Tagged , , , , , , , ,

It’s ours; it’s certainly not “their’s…”

May04
2010 4 Comments Written by Renelle George
This entry is part 2 of 6 in the series The Apostrophe Series

Dear reader of The Write Foot,

I must apologize for the assumption I made in my last post, Which is it, its or it’s? (part one of The Apostrophe Series).  I mistakenly believed that people were aware of the use of his, hers, theirs, ours, etc.  This was a gross oversight on my part.  An earlier sighting of our’s and their’s drew my attention to this shortcoming.  And so, in lieu of the post which I had intended to publish today, I am taking a few steps back to address the concern and remedy the situation.

Loyal fans, followers, friends, enemies… there is no apostrophe present in ours, his, hers, theirs, etc.  THE END.

But, for the sake of completeness, I continue.

The apostrophe is used to reflect ownership.  Thus, expanding the contraction:

  • Jack’s car = the car belonging to Jack / the car Jack owns
  • Mary’s dog = the dog belonging to Mary / the dog Mary owns

The apostrophe is not only limited to objects, but to actions related to the individual(s) performing the action as well.  Hence,

  • The group’s presentation = the presentation done by the group

In English, the possessive pronouns his, hers, and ours/theirs indicate the ownership relationship between Jack and his car, Mary and her dog, and the group and its presentation.  These words DO NOT include the apostrophe:

  • Whose car was towed?  His (his own).
  • Whose dog ran away?  Hers (her own).
  • Whose presentation is the teacher referring to?  Ours (our own)
  • Whose presentation is being discussed?  Theirs (their own)

Get it?  Omit the apostrophe when using his, hers, ours and theirs (it’s that simple!).

See you next time, when The Apostrophe Series continues.

Please note: This is a work of fiction.  Any resemblance to persons living or dead is merely coincidental.

Posted in Common Grammar Errors, Commonly Misspelled Words - Tagged , , , , , , ,
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