Grammar Guide

You GRADUATED What?

2008-07-13T15:17:00.001-05:00

Welcome back, Everyone! Today's topic always seems to rear its head every year around the time of graduation-and Wow! Do we have all kinds of graduations nowadays--not only from high schools and colleges, but from kindergartens, primary schools, middle schools, and junior highs. I've even heard of graduations from day care centers...and, of course, graduations occur at all times of the year nowadays. Guess we like to start out early struttin' our stuff.

All right. If we're probably going to hear this word used more and more, we should give a good look at the awkwardness of using it the way our ancestors used it back in the nineteenth century. Back then, the common way to use this word was as follows:

Even though Homer couldn't blow his nose if his brains were dynamite, he graduated eighth grade yesterday. (not as preferred today...graduated from...)

...or...

The Class of 2009 will graduate Whiteville High School as soon as they finish and pass their last courses next spring. (not as preferred today...graduate from...)

...or...

I graduated Southeastern Community College five years ago with a nursing degree. (not as preferred today...graduated from...)

More than a century ago, the commonly accepted use of this verb was, indeed, NOT TO USE from in front of a form of graduate. Today, however, the preferred way is TO USE from before a form of graduate.

Filling out a resume for a job that included a sentence such as...

I graduated UNC in 2002...

is considered awkward and archaic in today's world, so don't be misled when you hear the occasional use of this verb. You are correct to say...

Jack graduated FROM NC State two years before his sister did.

This lesson's so easy you should have absolutely NO trouble remembering it! Also, we see here the constantly changing nature of our language and how rules that were once cast in stone are no longer in force. Just check your Webster's and you'll see how many uses that once were forbidden are now making headway into our speech and writing. Don't forget, though, that some words seen in the dictionary are NOT generally accepted in Standard English or polite society.

I'm signing off for this time. Hope your day is great! Happiness and peace to all. GG

The AFFECT - EFFECT Disconnect

2008-03-17T11:52:00.002-05:00

Hello, again, all of you! I hope you're continuing to practice good grammar all over the place, whether you're writing or speaking. Maybe we can slowly eliminate the bad grammar practices we hear and see daily by modeling Standard English for our friends and neighbors...and maybe even the media will start paying attention to some of these much needed changes! The water won't clear till you get the hogs out of the creek, as we have heard around these parts of North Carolina :-)

Today's lesson addresses a major mix-up we see frequently with AFFECT and EFFECT, so let's tale a look at the differences between them.

Now, both of these words sound very much alike, which is probably one of the reasons we hear them confused so much. They are, however, very different in meaning, so check out the following explanation:

AFFECT is a VERB that means "to cause a change in" or "to influence." Here's an example of its correct use:

Insulting an alligator before you cross stream may AFFECT your health. ( Better get out of the water first !)

EFFECT, however, may be either a NOUN or a VERB, and this, very likely, contributes to even more confusion.

EFFECT used as a NOUN means "result" and here's an example of its correct use:

Passing the time of day with your family will have a good EFFECT on your relationship with them. (But only if everybody is bound and determined to be nice :-)

And, finally, EFFECT is used as a VERB when it means "to bring about" or "to accomplish". Actually, this use isn't as prevalent today as the other two uses, but we still see and hear it at times. Notice the correct use here:

Never drowning in his own sweat EFFECTS a negative opinion from Tom's boss that he's too lazy to work. ( Being lazy as a tarred dog won't work!)

Pretty simple, I hope. Okay, so let's see if you've mastered these little words.

1. Will the cashier's being as slow as cream rising have an (AFFECT, EFFECT) on how many people use that check-out lane at Food Lion?

2. Johnny's trifling behavior at the beach last night (AFFECTED, EFFECTED) changes in my opinion of him.

3. Myrtle's ability to catch more flies with honey than vinegar when speaking to others (AFFECTED, EFFECTED) the Nominating Committee's decision to choose her to represent them .

All right! How did you do? Here are the answers:

1. EFFECT is correct because it is used as a NOUN and means "result".

2. EFFECTED is correct , but this time because it is used as a VERB and means "brought about" or "accomplished."

3. AFFECTED is correct here because it is used as a VERB and means "causes a change in" or "influences."

All right, way to go, all of you Grammar Stars, if you made a perfect score! If you missed one or two or (heaven forbid!) all three, just review the rules above, think about it, and try to apply the rules to some sentences of your own. Never fear. You'll get it! Practice really does make perfect.

Okay, Y'all. Time to finish up and wish you each a wonderful day with much happiness!. Do continue giving me great ideas for lessons and thanks for sharing your favorite grammar peeves. Peace, GG

LIKE, AS, and AS IF : Are they alike?

2008-03-08T18:20:00.002-05:00

Hey! Today's lesson reviews problems we seem to have quite frequently with LIKE, AS and AS IF. Have you ever wondered whether to use LIKE or AS in a sentence such as the following?

Marti thinks (LIKE, AS) I do about iced tea - we both prefer a little tea with our sugar...

or...whether to use LIKE or AS IF in a sentence such as this one?

Jeff acts ( LIKE, AS IF) he knows everything there is to know about all 5,000 snakes in North Carolina.

If you chose LIKE in the first sentence, join the crowd of many folks who mistakenly use the wrong verb...

and... if you also chose LIKE in the second sentence, you're there again.

Here's why:

Standard English requires us to use LIKE (and its forms) only as a VERB, such as the one seen in the following sentence:

Kelly and Anthony LIKE to attend all of Brennan and Brady's ballgames...

Or as a PREPOSITION such as the one seen in the next sentence:

Robert drives LIKE a maniac.

That's pretty simple, huh? Just remember that LIKE should be used only as a VERB or a PREPOSITION.

NOW, what about AS or AS IF?

AS and AS IF are SUBORDINATE CONJUNCTIONS when they introduce clauses in a sentence. As we've studied before, a clause is a group of words with its own subject and verb and sentences can contain more than one clause.
In the first example sentence above...

"Marti thinks..." is one clause...

"...as I do about iced tea..." is another clause...and...

"...we both prefer and little tea with our sugar"...is a third clause--all in the same sentence.

Our main concern, however, is the second clause that indicates new subjects and verbs are being used in the sentence - not "Marti thinks...". and...

that new clause is "...I do about iced tea..." Since this is also a separate clause, a subordinate conjunction must appear at its beginning - hence, AS is correct, not LIKE. Remember that LIKE is considered just a VERB or PREPOSITION and since you just learned that AS is a subordinate conjunction when it precedes a clause, you know that AS is the correct answer.Well, all right!

Okay. So let's take a look at the second example sentence:

"Jeff acts..." is the first clause...

"...AS IF he knows everything ...in North Carolina" is the second clause.

So how do you prove that AS IF is correct? You should have no problem recognizing that AS IF precedes a clause. It's just that simple! .

Now it's time to give you a chance to show how much you know. Choose the correct answer in the following sentences:

(1) (Like, As) all children, Davy wanted a bike.

(2) Homer and Tony believe just (like, as) their daddy does about the dinner bell always being in tune.

(3) Junior looks (like, as) the hindquarters of bad luck.

(4) That man looks (like, as if) he's been hit in the face with a wet squirrel.

(5) Sally felt (like, as) her boyfriend did about deer season needing to be a national holiday.

Wasn't this easy? Here are the answers:

(1) LIKE is correct since there's no clause following it. LIKE is also used as a preposition.

(2) AS is correct since there IS a clause following it.

(3) LIKE is correct since no clause follows it. LIKE is also used as a preposition.

(4) AS IF is correct since there IS a clause following it.

(5) AS is correct since there IS a clause following it.

My hope is that you all made 100 on this little quiz and will never again make these mistakes! Celebrate!

Well, it's about time to close up shop and rest a spell. Y'all have a wonderful week and be as happy as you can as often as you can. Peace and happiness to all, GG

The Bottom Line on Messed-Up Signs and Ads

2008-02-03T12:12:00.000-05:00

Hello again all you good grammar enthusiasts! How many times have you observed signs and ads all over the place with notoriously flagrant grammatical errors -- on highway signs, billboards, and tv? What about those in newspapers, magazines, and online? I think it's time to declare a revolution on sign errors, so here we go again with more information on this problem. A former classmate of mine who is quite an expert with our language actually saw these signs recently. (Groan)

Here's one he saw right here in North Carolina identifying a parking lot for a Country Club:

PARKING FOR MEMBERS AND GUEST ONLY

Aargh!! Does this mean that each member could have only one guest? Better be sure you choose the right one! ( An S needs to be placed on the word GUEST! It's plural.)

Here's another sign he saw on the side of the road:

BOILED PEANUT FOR SALE

Lordy, Lordy. I don't know anyone around these parts who could eat just one boiled peanut. While this most likely is the result of the sign writer being too busy to pay much attention to what he's doing, somebody needs to tell him to slow down and look at what he's advertising! (Please put an S on PEANUT! It's plural.)

Take a look at the next one, seen at Oak Island:

OAK ISLAND

T SHIRT'S

& TOWELS

3 FOR $10.00

Have mercy! Here we go again with the Amazing Apostrophe. It pops up all kinds of places it shouldn't be, and is not placed where it should be! Why would T SHIRT'S have an apostrophe and TOWELS not have one? (Both nouns are plural and both should end in a simple S. Apostrophes are used ONLY to show the omission of letters and possession.)

...And, finally, I recently saw this one in a regional newspaper for gardening supplies:

BEST POTTERY

BEST SELECTION OF PLANTS

BEST GIFTS

AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT OUR CUSTOMER'S TELL US

Puhleeze, save me. Right here we see the exact same mistake with the Amazing Apostrophe that was made in the prior ad: CUSTOMER'S does not need an apostrophe! (It is plural and does not show possession, nor have any letters been omitted.)

So much for the Annoying Apostrophe. Whew! We really need to get this one straight. Just stop for a minute and think through the rules and common sense will prevail :-) I'd love to hear about other sign and ad mistakes you might see around these parts. The revolution will continue... Have a great week! Peace and happpiness to all. GG

The Run-On Sentence Blooper

2008-01-20T16:15:00.001-05:00

Welcome, Everyone! I hope you've been well since our last lesson and that you're ready for another topic on a grammar blooper we see all the time. If you'll pay attention and learn today's rules, you'll get an A+ for being sharp as a brier.

Today's lesson is centered on something we see written way too much: run-on sentences. Back in my teaching days, I constantly saw students using tons of them in things they wrote. This error is also seen quite a bit in written publications such as newspapers, magazines, and other such material. Let's see if we can fix this problem right now!

Here are some examples of this mistake:

1. He was behind the door when brains were passed out, he's also so clumsy he couldn't hit the ground if he fell.

...or...

2. We knew which truck we wanted to buy, we didn't have enough money.

...or...

3. Horror stories are thrilling, many people enjoy them.

...or...

4. Stephen King is a very popular horror writer, his books sell especially well at Halloween.

So... what do you think is wrong with these sentences? Each example shows two separate sentences written as though they were one sentence. This error is called a run-on sentence since they show two sentences joined by a comma. (They have run into each other :-)

All you need to do to correct this is

1. Form two separate sentences by using a period between them:

He was behind the door when brains were passed out. He's also so clumsy, he couldn't hit the ground if he fell.

2. Add a comma and a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, for, so, yet, nor) between the two sentence parts (or clauses):

We knew which truck we wanted to buy, BUT we didn't have enough money.

3. Join the two sentence parts with a semicolon:

Horror stories are thrilling; many people enjoy them...or finally...

4. Use a semicolon with a conjunctive adverb (therefore, then, moreover, nevertheless, besides, also, still, finally, consequently, accordingly, furthermore, hence, however, indeed, otherwise, thus)followed by a comma between the two sentence parts:

Stephen King is a very popular horror writer; THEREFORE, his books sell especially well near Halloween.

Now try your hand at figuring out which one in the two pairs of following sentences is correct:

A. Waccamaw Academy will have its first football team in its 40-year history next fall. The decision was made Monday night by the school's board of directors.

B. Waccamaw Academy will have its first football team in its 40-year history next fall, the decision was made Monday night by the school's board of directors.

C. The Columbus County Courthouse should look beautiful, it should also be a place where people can work or visit safely.

D. The Columbus County Courthouse should look beautiful, but it should also be a place where people can work or visit safely.

E. Whiteville's newest retail destination, Lowe's Home Store, will open next week, and many residents are thrilled.

F. Whiteville's newest retail destination, Lowe's Home Store, will open next week, many residents are thrilled.

G. The Columbus County Parks and Recreation Department began in 1977 with a budget of only $13,000, today it operates on a budget of roughly $500,000.

H. The Columbus County Parks and Recreation Department began in 1977 with a budget of only $13,000; however, today it operates on a budget of roughly $500,000.

...And...here are the incorrect answers: B, C, F, and G...and they're all incorrect because we see two sentence parts (or independent clauses) joined together by a comma as one sentence...that's why we call them run-on-sentences. Now how did we correct them?

A. We simply placed a period between the two parts.

D. Both parts are joined together by a comma and the coordinating conjunction, BUT.

E. Both clauses are joined together by a comma with another coordinating conjunction, AND.

H. Both clauses are joined together by a semicolon and the conjunctive adverb, HOWEVER.

Well, all of you grammar scholars, that should help if you've been confused by a teacher writing RS somewhere on your composition. RS just means that you've used a run-on sentence in your paragraph. Of course, now you know what to do to avoid this...Right? You have several options when choosing how to correct this error, but just be sure it makes sense. Read your idea to yourself and, no doubt, your "ear" (and common sense) will tell you what is correct.

Time to go, so take good care of yourself, and keep on with your good speech and writing. Peace and happiness to all, GG

Begone WENT for GONE!

2008-01-13T16:27:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to another grammar lesson. I know you've heard this error before as it is very common in these parts of North Carolina, but we surely aren't alone, and I'm about as determined as a duck after a June bug to help get rid of it!

Just recently I heard a sheriff on national TV make the following statement about a crime that was being investigated:

"It (the outcome of a crime) could have WENT either way."

Aargh!! Once again we hear people who should know better making unbelievable errors when they speak! Just ask any English teacher and others who love the Mother Tongue :-)

I imagine you can now guess what the topic of today's lesson will be. Yup, the outrageous misuse of WENT for GONE.

Let's see what's going on here.

Okay. If you'll just think about a few simple little rules, I think you'll never have trouble again with these two verbs.

The verb GO is a very irregular verb in English, and both WENT and GONE are some of its forms. As we have learned before, we sometimes need to take a look at verb conjugation to understand more fully why some rules are they way they are. Since this error is most often seen in the present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect tenses, we will concentrate there. Here's the correct use of GO in these tenses:

Present Perfect - I have gone, you have gone, he/she/it has gone, we have gone, you have gone, and they have gone

Past Perfect - I had gone, you had gone, he/she/it had gone, etc.

Futre Perfect - I shall/will have gone, you will have gone, he/she/it will have gone, etc.

Ah, ha! Did you see any examples of

"I have WENT..." , "You had WENT..." , "He/she/it will have WENT..." ?

No way! And that's because using WENT for GONE in these cases is about as bad as throwing a clod in the churn.

Now all of this begs the question: Why do lots of folks make this mistake? Maybe the answer lies in the fact that WENT actually IS corrrect in the PAST tense form of GO. Check this out:

Past of GO - I went, you went, he/she/it went, we went, you went, they went

Considering this, it's pretty easy to figure how some folks just confuse the past tense use with the three perfect tenses of GO.

Now let's see how well you can do with the following sentences:

1. David had (gone, went) a country mile before he saw the racetrack.

2. I have (gone, went) just about as far as I can go on this rocky path with no shoes on.

3. Ray (gone, went) down the road to find Linwood and jerk a knot in his tail.

4. Have you ever (gone, went) to a pig pickin'?

5. Junior (gone,went) to Cafe Gourmet last night and told me today that he ate so much his stomach was touching the table when he finished.

Here are the answers: GONE is the correct answer in sentences 1, 2, and 4. WENT is correct in sentences 3 and 5. The explanation is very simple. Sentences 1, 2, and 4 each have an "H" word (had, have, and Have) as part of the verb. The other two sentences do NOT have an "H" word as part of the verb. Pretty easy, huh? If for no other reason than that, you should never make a mistake again with GONE and WENT!

Be merciful to us English teachers by helping others who persist in saying things such as, " I had WENT to see my aunt, but she wasn't home," or "Have you WENT to buy your new shoes yet?"
We'll be forever in your debt!

For now, I'm signing off. Have a great week and practice perfect grammar! Peace and happiness, GG

To Clarify ALUMNI...

2008-01-06T16:42:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone!

Have you ever been confused about which word is correct when you are referring to "graduates"? When should you use ALUMNA, ALUMNAE, ALUMNUS, and ALUMNI? The misuse of these words is fairly common, but if you'll pay attention, I'll try to show you how to use them correctly so you'll never be confused again.

Here are some examples of common mistakes with this problem:

I am an ALUMNI of Whiteville High School...or...All of the ladies in our Sunday School class are ALUMNI of The University of North Carolina at Wilmington...or Butch is an ALUMNI of NC State University in Raleigh.

Notice how the word ALUMNI is getting a good workout in the above sentences. It seems that we tend to use ALUMNI much more frequently than any of the other three words we should be using.

So what's going on here and what should we remember?

Okay...Here are some simple definitions to help you keep them straight:

ALUMNA is singular and simply means one female graduate. (Diane is an ALUMNA of Appalachian State University.)

ALUMNAE is plural and means two or more female graduates. (Heather, Alice, and Tiffany are ALUMNAE of South Columbus High School.)

ALUMNUS is singular and means one male graduate. (John is an ALUMNUS of Wake Forest University.)

...and finally...

ALUMNI is plural and means two or more male graduates. (Bill, Fred, Harry, and James are ALUMNI of South Columbus High School.)

Now... here's an additional use of ALUMNI that does not apply to the other three words:

ALUMNI (still plural) can ALSO be used when referring to both males AND females. ( All ALUMNI of the East Columbus High School Class of 1998 are invited to a class reunion on Saturday night at the Vineland Station Depot in downtown Whiteville.)

How about that? Pretty easy, I hope. Let's try a little practice to see how well you do:

1. All the (alumni, alumnae) of the Girls' Dance Team performed perfectly for the guests.

2. Because the (alumni, alumnus) of the Boys' Fishing School caught plenty of fish, everyone was happy.

3. Being an new (alumnae, alumnus) of East Carolina University made Steve's face light up like a new saloon.

4. Is it true that all your brothers and sisters are (alumni, alumnae) of Pembroke University?

5. Mrs. Baldwin told us that she was an (alumna, alumnus) of Queens University in Charlotte.

...And now, here are the answers:

1. Alumnae is correct because the reference is to more than one female graduate.
2. Alumni is correct because the reference is to more than one male graduate
3. Alumnus is correct because the reference is to one male graduate.
4. Alumni is correct because the reference is to both male and female graduates.
5. Alumna is correct because the reference is to one female graduate.

So there's another grammar lesson and I hope you've learned how to differentiate between these four words. Have a wonderful week and until next time, be happy. Peace and many regards to you all! GG

The WEARY/LEERY/WARY Query

2007-11-19T14:51:00.000-05:00

Hey all of you grammar enthusiasts! Welcome back to another lesson on some problems we hear quite a bit with our language.

Today's topic deals with a problem suggested by two special readers, and one that, I think, will be very easy to clear up. Just hang with me and I'll try to make this short and simple.

Have you ever wondered about the differences between WEARY, LEERY, and WARY? We probably have more confusion between WEARY and WARY, but because WEARY sounds so much like LEERY, sometimes even it gets thrown into this confusing muddle.

Let's begin with WEARY. This word, according to Webster's, is an adjective and means "...exhausted in strength, endurance, vigor, or freshness." Think of it also describing someone's patience, tolerance, or even pleasure being depleted.

Here's an example sentence:

I'm so WEARY of political commercials that I cut the TV off every time one comes on.

Here, WEARY means that the speaker is exhausted from watching so many commercials--his patience, tolerance, and/or pleasure is gone from doing so.

Next, let's move right along to WARY. This word, also an adjective, simply means "...marked by keen caution, cunning, and watchful prudence, especially detecting and escaping danger."

Here's how WARY could be used in an example sentence:

Bobby's cat kept a WARY look at the fox lurking behind the fence.

With this sentence, the implication is that the cat senses danger and is watchful in order to escape from the fox's clutches, if necessary. Pretty easy, so far, huh?

The final word is LEERY (sometimes spelled LEARY, but the former is preferred.) LEERY is another adjective and means "...suspicious, wary." WHOA! Did you notice that? WARY is a synonym (means the same) of LEERY. Now, we see one of the reasons why these three words get confused.

Here's a good way to keep this straight:

WEARY means exhausted or worn-out...while...

both LEERY and WARY mean about the same thing: suspicious or watchful.

Try your hand at these sentences:

1. Mike was (leery, weary) of hearing, "It's so dry around here the trees are bribing the dogs."

2. Kathy became (wary, weary) of the telemarketer when he told her to send a $5,000 check to cover the expense of shipping the big prize she had just won.

3. Ava became (leery, weary) of the meal her mom fixed for her after she saw something green on her plate.

How did you do? These are some simple rules to remember, so I hope you did well.

Here are the answers:

1. WEARY is correct because it means Mike is "tired" or "worn-out" about hearing this so much.

2. WARY is correct because it means Kathy is "suspicious" at hearing about such a large demand of money.

3. LEERY is correct because it means that Ava is "suspicious" since she probably doesn't want anything green on her plate.

Okay, Everyone. Did you make 100 again? See how easy most of these little problems are if you'll just think them through and remember the rules for each?

Well, it's about time to sign off. Thanks for reading this info. again, and have a wonderful week! I love hearing from you with your suggestions for another topic. Peace and happiness, GG

More Mispronunciation Madness - Part II

2007-11-11T16:50:00.000-05:00

Hello, Everybody! I hope you're all finer than frog hair and spending lots of time with those you love most.

Today, we're going to take a look at two commonly mispronounced words around these parts. Actually, I don't think we Southerners are the only ones hoein' this row, but you can bet we kill that skunk...a lot.

The first word is

INCENTIVE, a noun which means, according to Webster's, "...something that incites...determination or action...motivates..."

A common way we use this words is to say something such as,

One of the best INCENTIVES used by employers to encourage employees to work longer and harder hours is to pay them higher wages.

The problem occurs when the speaker pronounces the word INCENTIVE with four syllables, and not the correct three syllables. Thus, the word sounds something like this:

IN-CEN-I-TIVE (Please...horrors...I know none of you would pronounce it this way, would you?)

The word should be pronounced the following way:

IN-CEN-TIVE (Notice, please, there are only three syllables when you pronounce the word correctly...ahhhh, such music to my ears.)

The second word we're taking a look at today is PREVENTIVE, an adjective which means, again according to Webster's, "...undertaken to forestall hostile action..."

An example sentence using this word would be

PREVENTIVE steps against soil erosion were undertaken by the farmer to protect his corn crop.

As with INCENTIVE, many times folks give PREVENTIVE an extra syllable so that it, too, is pronounced with four syllables and not the correct three syllables. As a result, the word then sounds the following way:

PRE- VEN-TA-TIVE (Groan...This is enough to make a poor English teacher funeralize the English language...)

The word should be pronounced IN-CEN-TIVE! Three syllables only! (Help...Let's toss this pronunciation!)

Now before some of you get all fired up and tell me that PREVENTATIVE is in the dictionary, remember what I said in an earlier lesson. Many, many words have been included in the dictionary since the 1970's that are NOT Standard English. They are there because their use has become common. However, this doesn't mean that PREVENTIVE as PREVENTATIVE is correct! Besides, adding another syllable is completely unnecessary--in both words. If you'd like to impress your peers, professors, and everyone else around you, pronounce these words in the acceptable Standard English manner.

All right! There we have it for today. That's the last shingle off this barn. I hope this has been informative for you and that you'll be able to speak these words correctly from now on if you haven't been. Just practice, as usual, and you'll make a habit of it in no time.

Enjoy your week and thanks for reading. Drop me a line when you get a chance and let me know if you have any grammar pet peeves I haven't addressed yet. Peace and happiness to you all, GG

The SIT - SET Snafu

2007-11-04T15:42:00.000-05:00

Hey, Y'all! I hope you've been doing well and working hard on using your best grammar around your friends, family, and acquaintances. What a great way to make a good impression and to pass on to others the correct way of speaking and writing!

Today's lesson is another one suggested by a friend and former student, and is one that we hear folks struggle with many times. Have you ever been confused about using SIT or SET? These two verbs plague many folks but there are actually some very simple things to know about them that should solve the problem. You will probably notice that the rules for this verb are very similar to the rules for LIE and LAY, so let's take a look at them and see if we can get that rubber-nosed woodpecker in the Petrified Forest look off your face... for now and evermore.

First, let's look at what each word means and then each word's principal parts.

SIT means "to occupy a seat" and it usually does NOT take a direct object. (We've already discussed direct objects several times, but I'll briefly remind you that direct objects answer "What?" or "Whom?" to the subject and verb.)

The principal parts of SIT are

Present - sit

Present Participle - sitting

Past - sat

Past Participle - (have,has, had) sat

Remember that when verbs are conjugated they change into these forms.

Now, here are a couple of examples of the correct use of SIT:

1. Some airline passengers refuse to SIT (not SET) in row 13.

Notice that this sentence means the passengers are refusing to "occupy a seat," and if you tried the direct object test to be sure SIT is correct, you would read the subject and verb to yourself, saying, "...passengers SIT... What? or Whom?" There is, of course, no answer--this makes no sense, so SIT is correct.

2. Queen Elizabeth II SAT (not SET) on the Stone of Scone at her coronation.

In this example, SAT, the past tense of SIT, is correct. Again, the sentence is speaking of the Queen "occupying a seat." In addition, when you try the direct object test and ask "What?" or "Whom?" after the subject and verb ("Queen Elizabeth II SAT"...What? or Whom?"), you can certainly see that there is no answer to the question. Once more, this make no sense, so SAT is correct.

Okay. Now that we've reviewed SIT, we need to mention a little exception before going on to SET. As I've said many times before, exceptions to the general rule do occasionally present themselves, so here we go with one using the verb SIT.

SIT can sometimes, but not often, have a direct object. Here's an example.

SIT the patient carefully in that chair.

The meaning--"occupying a seat"--still is correct, but when you try the direct object question... ah ha! There's an answer! "(You) SIT What? or Whom? "...patient..." answers the question Whom? As a result, SIT, here, is correct.

Yes, yes, I know. It's maddening to have these exceptions, but there it is and we just have to accept another example of our very diverse and complicated language.

So...let's move right along with the verb SET.

SET simply means "to place" and DOES have a direct object most of the time.

The principal parts of SET are

Present - set

Present Participle - setting

Past - set

Past Participle - (have, has, had) set

Notice the following examples of the correct use of SET:

1. The Archbishop of Canterbury SET (not SAT) the royal crown on the new queen's head.

In this sentence, SET is used to mean "place". Now, try the direct object test. "The Archbishop of Canterbury SET..." What? or Whom? Yes, now, we have an answer: "...crown..." answers What was being "placed", so SET is correct.

2. Many sci-fi writers have SET (not SAT) the action of their stories on distant planets.

Here, again, SET is used to mean "place." Once more, try the direct object test. "...writers have SET...What? "...action..." is the answer, so SET is the correct answer.

I hope you're doing well and following these explanations. They're really very simple if you'll just practice them a little.

Now I have to tell you about another exception to a rule involving SET and all of its principal parts.

In this exception to the general SET rules, notice that this rule involves only the direct object part of the rule, much like the SIT rule above.

In certain situations, SET and all of its parts will NOT have a direct object. Here are a couple of examples:

1. The sun SETS early in the winter. (The sun SETS... What?...Whom? There's no answer, but SETS is still correct. Just stretch your thoughts and think of the sun being "placed".)

2. Some types of cement SET faster than other types. (The sun SETS...What?...Whom? Again, there's no answer, but SET is still correct. Think of the cement being "placed.")

Okay...Now it's your turn. Try the following sentences to see if you can make a grade of 100.

1. In the early days of photography, people (set, sat) motionlessly in front of a camera for long periods.

2. The police officer (set, sat) the explosive device carefully into a box lined with lead.

3. There is only one remaining bowling alley in town where Bobby (sets, sits) up the pins by hand.

4. From where we were (setting, sitting), it looked like a home run.

5. Martin had (set, sat) out his corn long before the first peep of day.

So...How was it? I hope nice and easy! Here are the correct answers and why:

1. SAT...past tense of SIT, means "occupying a seat," and there's no direct object.

2. SET...past tense of SET, means "places", and there is a direct object--device.

3. SETS...present tense of SET, means "places,"and there is a direct object--pins.

4. SITTING...present participle of SIT, means "occupying a seat," and there's no direct object.

5. SET...past participle of SET, means "placed", and there's a direct object--corn.

All right! I hope this is a Whoo Hooo moment for you! If not, just read back over the rules again and see if you can discover something you missed before. I'm also available to answer any questions anytime, so let me hear from you if there's something you're not quite sure about. I love hearing from you.

Well...since it's about dinner-gettin' time, I'm signing off. Have the best week ever and enjoy those you love the most. Peace and happiness, GG

.

The ACCEPT/EXCEPT Misstep

2007-10-14T14:43:00.000-05:00

Hello, Friends, and thanks for visiting again as we take a look at another common grammar problem. Today's lesson is another special request from a good friend who says he's always been confused about these two words. He's not alone! Lots of folks seem to have run across the same dilemma and still aren't sure when to use one or the other.

Let's see if we can clear this problem up. Once again I will say that so many of our little problems like this can be easily understood if we have a good understanding of basic grammar, starting with the eight parts of speech. So... let's start there.

ACCEPT (in all of its forms) is simply a verb and means "to agree" or "to receive something willingly."

Some examples of the correct use of this verb follow:

Did you ACCEPT the nomination to be class treasurer?

I've just about ACCEPTED the fact that J.R. is so lazy he'll never drown in his own sweat.

Couldn't be easier, could it? Now...

What about EXCEPT? EXCEPT can also be used as a verb which probably explains some of the confusion between these two words that sound so much alike. However, the meaning changes when EXCEPT is used:

EXCEPT, when used as a verb (in all of its forms), means means "leave out" or "exclude."

You'll notice that EXCEPT used with this meaning doesn't appear to be used nearly as much as the prior or next use, which should help make this rule about as easy as pie. Here are a few examples:

It's unfair to EXCEPT people from the team that are so skinny you can't see them when they turn sideways.

Our teacher EXCEPTED all students who talked during class from the mid-morning break.

We most assuredly don't hear this use too much anymore, but if you do run across it, just think about the meaning--EXCEPT as a verb means "leave out" or "exclude."

What we DO have trouble with is with the other use of EXCEPT. More often, EXCEPT is used as a preposition. (Remember previous lessons where I have explained prepositions as words that show relationships?)

As a preposition, EXCEPT means "but" or "excluding."-- but its most common meaning is "other than."

Notice the following sentences using EXCEPT this way:

Carolyn was fixin' to cook supper for everybody EXCEPT her one-time boyfriend who stood her up last night.

EXCEPT for Aunt Eleanor who was mad enough to spit nails, the rest of us smiled and ignored Bob's comment about her new hairstyle.

Well, that's about it for the explanations of these words, and I hope you see how easy these are. Now try your hand at a few more examples:

1. The band director (accepted, excepted) Marvin from playing his trumpet in the parade because of the injuries to his mouth from the wreck.

2. All of the boys tore up the corn rows in that fight (accept, except) for Fred who took off running through the woods in the opposite direction.

3. I will not (accept, except) your pilin' up with trash like that any more!

4. Bring me a mess of turnips any day of the week (accept, except) days that don't end in "Y".

5. Greg (accepted, excepted) grits, country ham, and eggs for breakfast as fast as his mama could serve them.

All right! How did you do? I hope this lesson has been as easy for you as the others. Here are the correct answers.

1. EXCEPTED is correct because it is used as a verb and means "left out" or "excluded."

2. EXCEPT is correct because it is used as a preposition and means "but", "excluded", or "other than."

3. ACCEPT is correct because it is used as a verb and means "to agree" or "to receive something willingly." (Although the opposite is intended here.)

4. EXCEPT is correct because ...same as #2.

5. ACCEPTED is correct ...same as #3.

So, how well did you do? I hope you made 100 again and are proud of yourself! See how easy most of these things are? Just keep studying up a little on basic grammar rules, and you'll soon be a Master Grammarian!

The clock on the wall says it's time to finish today's lesson. Hope you have the best week ever. Continue to write and let me know what concerns you have about the grammar problems you hear most often, and I'll address them ASAP. Take care, peace, and much happiness. GG

The COMPLEMENT - COMPLIMENT Confusion

2007-10-06T17:07:00.000-05:00

Welcome back, Everybody, and I hope all of you are healthy and happy and have been enjoying yourself since our last lesson.

We're moving right along with a new topic, addressed especially for a friend who wondered about this one, so let's put it on the front porch and take a good look at a little problem that shouldn't prove too difficult.

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between COMPLEMENT and COMPLIMENT? Yes, they do sound exactly alike but have different meanings--making them HOMOPHONES. (Other examples of homophones are TO, TOO, and TWO.)

I think you'll see that these two words are very easily distinguishable if you'll just use the little trick that follows.

Let's take a look first at COMPLEMENT.

COMPLEMENT simply means something that fills up, makes perfect, or completes. Notice that both COMPLEMENT (along with its other forms) and COMPLETE have two "E's", so the meaning of COMPLEMENT has its own definition right there in the word itself. An example can be seen in a sentence such as this:

Joan's shoes and pocketbook COMPLEMENT her dress since the color gold is used in all three items.

Here, the idea is that the shoes, pocketbook, and dress are all "completed or made perfect" by Joan's idea of using a monochromatic color scheme.

Now, what about COMPLIMENT?

COMPLIMENT (and all of its other forms) just means to praise or admire. Here, we have only one "E'" in COMPLIMENT, so we now have a different meaning.

An example for this follows:

Greg loved to COMPLIMENT Debra's beautiful eyes.

Here, Greg is showing his admiration for Debra's eyes.

Easy, right?

Try the following sentences to see if you have this rule down pat.

(1) Some young ladies are suspicious of a man's attempt to (complement, compliment) their looks.

(2) What a wonderful (complement, compliment) to a baked ham supper is a big bowl of black-eyed peas!

(3) The sound of Whiteville High School's Marching Band (complements, compliments) the floats and other units in the Homecoming Parade.

(4) Steve's gorilla costume was perfectly (complemented, complimented) by hairy hands and feet.

(5) Betty said her blind date was so ugly he'd have to sneak up on a glass of water to get a date--even if he (complemented, complimented) it all night long.

So...how did you do this time?

(1) COMPLIMENT is correct because it implies a man's attempt to praise or admire these young ladies.

(2 COMPLEMENT is correct because it suggests how the addition of black-eyed peas is completing or making the supper perfect.

(3) COMPLEMENT is correct because it refers to the sound of the band completing or making the parade perfect.

(4) COMPLEMENT is correct because it implies how the hairy hands and feet completed or made the costume perfect .

(5) COMPLIMENT is correct because it suggests praise or admiration of the date (in the negative form).

Well, all right! I hope you made 100 on this little quiz and now completely understand these two homophones. Just keep in mind the two "E's" rule and you'll be good to go.

That time has come again, folks. As I write this, it's about pink of the evening, so I'm signing off for now. I hope all goes just perfect for you until we meet again. Do continue to give me ideas and suggestions about these lessons and I'll get right to them as soon as possible Much peace and happiness to you and yours, GG

The SAW / SEEN Spin

2007-09-30T16:48:00.000-05:00

Hey, all of you Grammar Stars! It's good to have you back again and ready for a new lesson. I hope you've all been as busy as bees on a watermelon rind, enjoying yourself and being happy.

Today's lesson is another special request and I am eager to address it since I think this one is especially peculiar to our Southeastern North Carolina area -- and maybe throughout most of the South. Let me know. At least I haven't seen this one addressed in any grammar books (as a separate problem) that I've seen recently or even in the past. This one belongs to us!

So what is it?

This hindersome and annoying mistake is heard just about everywhere around Columbus County N. C.-- the irritating misuse of SEEN for SAW. If you live around here, I know you've probably heard it dozens of times, so I'm now going to see if we can clear up the cobwebs on this one now and forever!

First, though, here's a quick review of verb tenses. All English verbs have six tenses and I'll use examples from today's subject lesson to go through them.

PRESENT - I see, you see, he/she/it sees, we see, you see, they see

PAST - I saw, you saw, he/she/it saw, we saw, you saw, they saw

FUTURE - I shall see, you will see, he/she/it will see, we shall see, you will see, they will see

PRESENT PERFECT- I have seen, you have seen, he/she/it has seen, we have seen, you have seen, they have seen

PAST PERFECT - I had seen, you had seen, he/she/it had seen, we had seen, you had seen, they had seen

FUTURE PERFECT - I shall have seen, you will have seen, he/she/it will have seen, we shall have seen, you will have seen, they will have seen

Now, don't worry about all of this technical language just now. There ARE things you need to know about all of these tenses, including what they mean and when they are used, but for right now, we're concentrating on just SAW and SEEN.

Okay. So this is the kind of thing we hear way too much:

I SEEN (instead of SAW) that movie last week at the Cinema... or...

Betty SEEN (instead of SAW) her second cousin at the Harvest Festival in Whiteville last November...or...

Did you know we SEEN (instead of SAW) some good talent at the Columbus County Fair last night?

Groan...Hearing this mistake makes me about as crazy as a lost dog in a meat market. PUH - LEEZE! Spare me!

Just remember this and you'll get it right every time:

Use SAW ONLY when you are speaking or writing in the PAST TENSE and when HAS, HAVE, or HAD is NOT a part of the verb.

Example:

I SAW the football game last night at Legion Stadium.

Here, the football game happened obviously in the past (last night), and HAS, HAVE, or HAD is not a part of the verb.

Use SEEN only when you are using HAS, HAVE, or HAD as part of the verb.

Example:

Louise HAD SEEN that TV program several times by the time Kenwood saw it.

Here, SEEN is correct because Had is part of the verb.

There is one little thing you should keep in mind: If the subject and verb are separated from each other, the broken apart verb still remains the verb of the clause you are working with. This happens most frequently in sentences that ask questions. For example:

Have you SEEN my little brother?

In this sentence, the subject is YOU and the verb is HAVE SEEN, even though HAVE SEEN is not together. I'm not sure we have much trouble saying something such as, "Have you SAW my little brother?", but this has been known to happen, so if this has been troublesome for you, just remember, once again, that using HAVE in a sentence such as the preceding requires us to use SEEN -- not SAW.

Try a few on your own.

(1) Ricky (saw, seen) his flat bed trailer being used in the parade.

(2) I never (saw, seen) such a big sweet potato!

(3) Have you (saw,seen) the oysters being served at Dale's Seafood this week?

(4) Greg (saw, seen) his sister's pocketbook hanging on the back of the chair.

(5) Mrs. White had (saw, seen) many apples disappear from her kitchen until she decided to catch the culprit.

I hope you see how very easy these sentences are. Here are the correct answers:

(1) SAW...because there is no "H" word part of the verb (HAS, HAVE, HAD) , and past tense is obviously required.

(2) SAW...same as (1)

(3) SEEN...HAVE is part of the verb

(4) SAW...same as (1) and (2)

(5) SEEN...HAD is part of the verb

All right! Isn't that easy? Just watch out for the "H" words as a part of the verb, and you'll never have trouble with SEEN again!

Well, it's about time to let you go, and since we've moved that ox out of the ditch, let me wish you a great week with lots of happy things for you and yours. Next time we'll continue with some of the special requests I've been receiving. Keep your ideas for lessons coming! Much peace and time to relax. Warmest regards, GG

Different FROM or Different THAN

2007-09-23T16:45:00.000-05:00

Hey, Friends! How has your week been? Have you been trying out your grammar expertise on your friends and family? Go right ahead! Let's see if we can spread good grammar everywhere we go and make everyone as smart as a tree full of owls. :-)

Today's lesson comes as a special request--something I love to hear -- since YOU hear as many mistakes as I do and I want to give you a voice.

Now... how many of you have found yourself trying to figure out what you should say when it comes to using ...different FROM... or ...different THAN? Thank goodness, this is one of the easiest and shortest rules to know (most of the time), so if you HAVE found yourself in this dilemma, you shouldn't have any more difficulties after this lesson.

Here's all there is to it:

RULE #1:

Use ...different FROM...almost all the time. Technically, ...different FROM... simply precedes a noun or pronoun. How easy is that?

Here are a few examples:

1. Jack is so different FROM Tom, his brother -- Tom's about as bright as a burned - out light bulb! (Here, FROM precedes TOM, a noun, so, of course, FROM is correct, not THAN.)

2. These cloud formations are different FROM THOSE. (Same thing, different words. FROM precedes THOSE, although THOSE is not a noun, but a pronoun. Remember the rule? Pronouns work as well as nouns. THAN is wrong.)

3. Thad proved that ice skating is different FROM roller skating. (Once again, FROM precedes roller skating, a noun, so FROM is the only thing we can use. Again, THAN is wrong.)

Got it? I am going to assume that you're as sharp as a brier and do. Therefore, we'll move on to the other phrase, ...different THAN..., and see how to use it correctly.

Oh, yes. There IS a time when we CAN use ...different THAN... although I'll have to be honest and tell you that some grammarians would say not even to mention this part of the rule. However, because some of you scholars out there might wonder why I didn't include the next section, I figured I would at least give it a brief acknowledgment.

RULE # 2:

Use... different THAN...right in front of a clause ( a group of words with with its own subject and verb. Many times you will see several different clauses in one sentence. Nevertheless, you only want to focus on the clause that follows ...different THAN...)

Before I say more on this topic, I think it might be helpful to review CLAUSES with you.

All clauses in sentences have at least one subject and verb. Some clauses are called Subordinate (or Nonessential) Clauses, and others are called Independent (or Essential clauses.) We won't worry about this part of clauses until a little later, though. For now, let's just think about clauses being little groups of words with a subject and verb. Here are some examples:

1. The job was quite different THAN what I imagined.

In this sentence, there are two different clauses: "The job was quite different..." is one clause and the subject is JOB and the verb is WAS. However,
that's not the only clause. The second clause is "...what I imagined." Here, I is the subject and IMAGINED is the verb. Yes, this is a pretty short one,
but it's still a clause.

Now, are you putting all of this together? Do you see how THAN can be used correctly? It's correct because THAN is followed by the clause, "..what I
imagined." and NOT by a noun or pronoun which requires us to use FROM, not THAN, as seen in RULE #1.

2. Mary's performance was much different THAN she wished it had been.

Here, we have, not two, but three different clauses. "Mary's performance was much different..." is one clause. Another separate clause is "...she
wished...", and the third clause is " ...it had been."

Don't let a number of clauses throw you. Yes, there are three clauses in this sentence, but the only one we are concerned with is the one that follows
THAN. We can prove that THAN is correct because the subject ("she") and verb ("wished") follow it.

Okay. Now I need to add a little thought that, I hope, won't confuse you. Once again, our complicated language has all kinds of exceptions and variations to major rules, and if you keep this in mind, you'll understand, I think, why it was necessary for us to take a look at ...different THAN...as we just did. However...

you can actually use EITHER ONE of these phrases SOMETIMES, depending on the wording of a sentence, but ONLY if a clause follows the phrase and if the use of ...different FROM...produces awkwardness. Notice this example:

1. Music is much different today (from, than) what it was 100 years ago.

In a sentence like this, take your choice. Either FROM or THAN would be correct because a clause follows the phrase in question and we don't see any awkwardness with FROM in the sentence.

However...in a sentence like the following, we can see what happens sometimes when FROM doesn't work:

2. Neal's new home was much smaller (from, than) he wanted it to be.

Here, FROM doesn't make any sense. Surely you wouldn't say, "Neal's new home was much smaller FROM he wanted it to be." (You could, of course, add the word "what" after "smaller" and everything would change.) :-)

Okay, so this begs the question: What's the easiest way to keep all of this straight?

Answer: Just avoid using THAN. Use FROM and for all practical purposes, you'll be right nearly all the time. Anytime you have doubts, think of the suggestions offered here and use some good ole common sense when using FROM if it sounds awkward -- just use THAN if it comes before a clause (only).

Well, I hope this has been a help and, since it's about time to close up shop, let me wish y'all a wonderful week. Study your grammar rules,and keep the great ideas coming in. They will be the subjects of future lessons. Peace and Happiness, GG

Pronouns as Indirect Objects

2007-09-16T17:11:00.000-05:00

Hey, Y'all! I hope you've had a wonderful week and are as happy as a toad frog under the drip of a house. Around here in Columbus County, we finally got a little bit of rain, although it was NOT a fence lifter...more like a dry weather shower. Maybe soon...

Now back to some more lessons to help you with grammar problems. Today's focus is the third on pronouns used in the objective case, INDIRECT OBJECTS. Our first lesson discussed pronouns used as OBJECTS of PREPOSITIONS and last week's lesson discussed pronouns used as DIRECT OBJECTS.

But first, a quick review:

I hope you all now remember that objective case pronouns look like this:

ME...HIM...HER...US...THEM...WHOM...and WHOMEVER...

not...

I...HE...SHE...WE...THEY...WHO...and WHOEVER. These are called nominative case pronouns and we will look at them a little more closely soon.

Now, though, let's concentrate on objective pronouns since we have such a tough time with them.

In our last two lessons, we first reviewed pronouns used as OBJECTS OF PREPOSITIONS. Remember that the object of a preposition is part of a prepositional phrase. In the often mentioned sentence, "The airplane went _________ the cloud," many of the words that would fit into the blank are prepositions and all prepositions have an object. In this sentence, the object is "cloud". Hence, "_______the cloud" is the prepositional phrase. What we were concentrating on here, though, was NOT an object of a preposition as a NOUN, but one used as a PRONOUN. Here are some examples of prepositional phrases with pronouns as the objects:

...for ME (not I)...through Sherwood and HIM (not he)...at Becky and HER (not she), ...around the team and US (not we)...over the pitcher and THEM (not they)...

...and I can scarcely bear to mention this killer of English teacher sanity...between you and ME ( NOT I)..aargh...puh-leeze...NOT...!!!

Secondly, we also reviewed pronouns used as DIRECT OBJECTS. Direct objects answer "What?"or "Whom?" to the subject and verb and are nouns or pronouns. Here are some examples:

George threw the ball. George threw WHAT? "ball" is the answer, so "ball" is the direct object. Now this sentence uses a NOUN as the direct object, and this type of use is not difficult at all. It's when the PRONOUN is needed for a direct object... boy, oh, boy, do we have a problem! Here are some examples for you to peruse. Read on...

Martha joined Andrea and (I, me) at the crash up derby. Martha joined... WHOM? Andrea and ME (NOT I), because we must use the objective form of the pronoun when the word in question is used as a direct object, and that's exactly what it's doing here. Here's another:

We watched Kevin and (he, him) in the music video. We watched ...WHOM? Kevin and HIM (NOT he), because, again, we must use the objective form of the pronoun when the word in question is used as a direct object, and that's what we have here.

...So, now, all of this brings us to today's lesson. You will see just how important what you've already learned is when we begin this one, since it's imperative that you understand what a DIRECT OBJECT is in order to determine what an INDIRECT OBJECT is.

In its simplest definition, an INDIRECT OBJECT answers the question "to whom?" or "for whom?" to the subject and verb or "to what?" or "for what?" after an action verb. Only sentences with DIRECT OBJECTS can have an INDIRECT OBJECT. (However, interestingly enough, DIRECT OBJECTS don't require INDIRECT OBJECTS.) INDIRECT OBJECTS are usually nouns and pronouns and will ALWAYS come between the verb and the DIRECT OBJECT and NEVER after a preposition. Let's look at some examples:

Steve bought Judy and (I,me) some lunch.

Okay, how do we figure this one out? First, choose the subject and verb. Here, the subject is STEVE and the verb is BOUGHT. Next, check to see if there's a DIRECT OBJECT in the sentence by asking yourself the DIRECT OBJECT questions :

Steve bought...WHAT? or WHOM? Is there an answer? Yes, indeed...and that thing or person is LUNCH, which makes LUNCH the DIRECT OBJECT, and, which, by the way, is also a noun. (Incidentally, if you thought that the WHOM? question was answered by the compound JUDY AND ME, look at the sense of the sentence. How could Steve "buy" two people. Come on, Y'all, I don't think people are for sale! What he paid money for was LUNCH. He wasn't buying two people.)

Now, how do INDIRECT OBJECTS fit in? First, say the subject, verb, and DIRECT OBJECT to yourself and then ask the "to whom?'',"for whom?", "to what?", or "for what?" questions.

Steve (subject)...bought (verb)... WHAT? or WHOM?... lunch..TO WHOM? or FOR WHOM? etc. ...and, of course, you see that you have an answer.

Steve bought lunch FOR WHOM? The compound Judy and ME answers the question so ME becomes the INDIRECT OBJECT. Judy and I is wrong, wrong, wrong!!! Since the pronoun must be in objective case, ME must be used, NOT I. Remember that ME is objective case and I is nominative case.

Try a few on your own.

1. Engineers gave many students and (we, us) enough awards to fill a banquet hall.

2. Trish gives little Larry and (he, him) her full attention.

3. Stuart brought Polly and (she, her) a delicious piece of pig pickin' cake from the party.

4. Uncle Bill offered Walter and (I, me) another piece of watermelon.

5. Our church granted Lucas and (I, me) permission to use the Fellowship Hall Monday evening to organize a Scout meeting.

So, were these easy? I surely hope so. Here are the answers and why they are:

1. Engineers (subject) gave (verb)...WHAT? or WHOM?...awards...TO WHOM? FOR WHOM? (etc.)...students and US (NOT WE).

2. Trish (subject) gives (verb)...WHAT? or WHOM?... attention...TO WHOM? FOR WHOM? (etc.) ...Larry and HIM (NOT HE).

3. Stuart (subject)... brought (verb)...WHAT? or WHOM?...cake...TO WHOM?...FOR WHOM? (etc.)...Polly and HER (NOT SHE).

4. Uncle Bill (subject)...offered (verb)...WHAT? or WHOM?...watermelon...TO WHOM?...FOR WHOM? (etc.) Walter and ME (NOT I).

5. ...church (subject)...granted (verb)...WHAT? or WHOM?...permission...TO WHOM?...FOR WHOM? (etc.) Lucas and ME (NOT I).

Just remember that an INDIRECT OBJECT must have a DIRECT OBJECT to be in a sentence. If you'll ask the questions to determine both DIRECT and INDIRECT OBJECTS, choosing the correct pronoun will make you happier than a clam at high tide, because you'll know what to say--correctly!

Well, that's it for today, Everybody. Thanks for visiting and to many of you for passing on some good ideas for future lessons. There are lots of you out there greatly bothered by some of these grammar errors, and I'll do my best to address them all! Have a wonderful week and much happiness to you all, GG

Prounouns as Direct Objects

2007-09-10T14:02:00.000-05:00

Hey, Everbody! I hope you're all having a great week and that you're impressing your friends and family with your grammar know-how. Welcome back to a new lesson.

Today we will continue looking at the objective use of pronouns. Last time we discussed another very common mistake--using the wrong pronoun when the pronoun in question is the OBJECT of a PREPOSITION.

Today, we'll be taking a look at pronouns as something different, DIRECT OBJECTS.

First, however, let's review what a DIRECT OBJECT is. As we discussed in an earlier lesson, DIRECT OBJECTS are always nouns or pronouns and simply answer " What?" or "Whom?" to the subject and verb of a sentence.

Here's an example sentence:

Alvin watched the ship come in to shore.

In this sentence, ALVIN is the subject, and WATCHED is the verb. Next, all you need to do is ask the questions "What?" or "Whom?" If there is an answer, that noun or pronoun becomes the DIRECT OBJECT.

ALVIN WATCHED "What?" or "Whom?"... Ah, ha! There's NOT an answer to "Whom?", but there IS to "What?" and that answer is SHIP. It's also a noun, making SHIP the DIRECT OBJECT.

Let's try another:

Jan helped Mary Anne clear the table.

In this sentence, JAN is the subject, and HELPED is the verb. Now ask the "What?" or "Whom?" questions again. Once more, an answer will make the word a DIRECT OBJECT.

JAN WATCHED "What?" or "Whom?" ...Yes, indeed! MARY ANNE answers the question "Whom?" here and it's also a noun. Therefore, MARY ANNE becomes the DIRECT OBJECT.

Pretty easy, huh? I'm going to assume you are eagerly nodding "yes". However, in these two sentences, both of the DIRECT OBJECTS are NOUNS--not PRONOUNS...and this is where the problem comes in. Way too many times, we want to use the wrong case of pronouns, especially when a DIRECT OBJECT is compound in a sentence.

First, remember this: These are the objective case pronouns: ME...HIM...HER...US...THEM...WHOM...and WHOMEVER.

The subjective case pronouns that we often confuse with the objective case pronouns are these: I..HE...HER...WE...THEY...WHO...and WHOEVER. We'll study more about the subjective pronouns later. Just remember that, for now, we're concentrating on objective pronouns.

Here's, unfortunately, what we see and hear too much:

Bill joined Butch and I at the dinner table....Aargh! This use is dead wrong! Please notice why.

Pick out the subject and verb. BILL is the subject and JOINED is the verb. Now ask the DIRECT OBJECT questions.

BILL joined "What?" There's no answer.

Bill joined "Whom?" All right! Now we have an answer...the pronoun should be the answer (but is it I or ME?)

All you have to do now is remember that if the "What?"or "Whom?" question has an answer, use the objective form--ME, not I.

Of course, you can, once again, as stated last time, try the trick for leaving out the compound part. That is, read the sentence to yourself and leave out the "...and Butch" part. I surely hope you wouldn't say, "Bill joined I at the dinner table." Please make my day and say you would say, "Bill joined ME at the dinner table."

Now, try a few on your own.

1. The principal told Louise and (we, us) about the new attendance policy.

2. Our seniors nominated Martin and (I, me) for class treasurer.

3. Joe warned Stuart and (he,him) that playing hookey from school was about as dumb as trying to sneak daylight past a rooster.

4. Tom's tennis serve challenged Martin and (she, her).

5. Sandra likes Mary and (I,me) very much.

How did you do? In all of these sentences, the objective forms of the pronouns should be used, because all of them are used as DIRECT OBJECTS.

1. ...principal told...What? or Whom? US

2. ...seniors nominated...What? or Whom? ME
P
3. Joe warned...What? or Whom? HIM

4. ...serve challenged...What? or Whom? HER

5. Sandra likes...What? or Whom? ME

Okay, Everybody. I hope this has helped some. If you read the last lesson, I'm sure you're beginning to see a pattern with these objective forms. If so, that's great! This will help you apply your knowledge to other examples that may puzzle you.

Next time, we'll take a look at the final of three types of problems with objective case.

Thanks for visiting, and remember that I'd love to hear from you with suggestions for future topics. Have a great week. Peace and happiness, GG

Pronouns as Objects of Prepositions

2007-09-02T14:08:00.000-05:00

Hello, again, Friends, and welcome back to the Grammar Guide. Once again, I have heard another one of my colleagues mention a problem that bothers her, and one that is very annoying to me, as well. As a matter of fact, just this past week, I heard a TV commercial with the voice - over announcer saying, "This cereal is the very best for you and I." GRRRRR. What's going on here? Whatever happened to learning the little rule about omitting the "you and" and THEN reading the sentence to yourself? With this technique, you will naturally hear what the right answer should be!

All right. So let's give this frequently seen problem a look and see if we can clear up the confusion.

Technically, grammar rules tell us that the objective form of a pronoun is used as the object of a preposition. Now, the only problem with this is that if you don't remember what objective pronouns are or what the object of a preposition is, reading a rule like this is about as useful as a trap door on a rowboat.

So, first, let's take a look at objective pronouns. You will notice that there are only six of them that change form, depending on whether you need nominative
or objective case. YOU and IT don't change. (We'll get to nominative case later.)

ME..........HIM.........HER.........US.........THEM........ WHOM....... and...WHOMEVER.

These are the pronouns to use when the word in question is either a direct object, indirect object, or object of a preposition. (Notice how the word OBJECT is a part of each phrase.) Our focus today, however, is NOT on the direct object use or on the indirect object use, but only on the OBJECT of a PREPOSITION use since this one seems to give us the most trouble.

Now for those of you who have been regularly visiting the Grammar Guide, you may remember that we had a discussion already about prepositions in the second lesson, "Behind the Preposition AT". For a quick review, I'll just mention that old standard example sentence,

The airplane flew ____________ the cloud.

Many, many words that fit into the blank above are prepositions: over, between, under, in, through, around, at, to, toward, against, beside, etc. Simply put, prepositions show a relationship between words.

Now, what about prepositional PHRASES? One interesting thing to remember is that prepositions don't stand alone . (If you ever see a word such as those listed above standing alone, the word is NOT a preposition anymore--it has changed into an adverb. Example:

Come NEAR. Your perfume smells delicious! (NEAR is simply an adverb, telling WHERE, something adverbs do.)

This kind of use, however, doesn't happen nearly as much as one like this:

Come NEAR the STOVE and see how the butter beans taste. (Here, NEAR becomes the preposition and STOVE is the object. The entire phrase is called the prepositional phrase.)

Now that you know what prepositions and their phrases are, we'll move on to today's problem.

How do we determine which object of the preposition is correct when the objects are COMPOUND PRONOUNS? Example:

The note tacked on the door was for Kate and (I, me).

Notice that FOR precedes the compound parts: ... Kate and (I, me). This should be a clear signal to you that the correct answer is being used as the object of a preposition. That means we must use the objective case pronoun, so ME is the correct answer. (Remember the list above with the six correct objective pronouns?) Try another:

A terrible argument broke out BETWEEN Kim and (he, him). Again, BETWEEN is a preposition, so there's your signal that the correct word must be in objective case since the word in question is the object of the preposition. Hence, HIM is correct.

Try a few on your own:

1. The baseball flew over the head of the pitcher and (they, them).

2. Chicken bog is one of the best meals available according to our friends and (we, us).

3. For Pat, Elsie, and (she, her), this was a first at gigging frogs.

In sentence 1, OF is the signal word alerting you that you have a prepositional phrase with THEY or THEM as the object. The correct answer must, of course, be THEM since it is the objective form of the pronoun.

In sentence 2, ACCORDING TO is called a compound preposition, and works the same way a one- word preposition does, but if you notice the little word TO , you also have another signal that we have a prepositional phrase, requiring the objective form of the pronoun, US.

In sentence 3, FOR is the signal word alerting you that you have a prepositional phrase and its object is either SHE or HER. Since objects of prepositions can only be in objective case, HER is correct.

Finally, if all else fails, just do what I mentioned at the beginning of this lesson: Read the sentence to yourself (or silently think it through), saying each of the given possible answers alone without the compound part. For example:

The baseball flew over the head of THEM. (Leave out "...the pitcher and...") See how this sounds right?

Chicken bog is one of the best meals available according to US. (Leave out "... our friends and...")

For HER, this was her first time gigging frogs. (Leave out "...Pat, Elsie, and...)

While it is VERY true that we can't always listen to what SOUNDS right, this is one time when we can. Woo, Woo! Be thankful for small blessings :-)

So, that about does it for today. I hope this is all nice and clear to you and that you will never use the wrong pronoun again. Have a good week and many happy days to you. Peace and happiness. GG

Subject - Verb Agreement - Part III (Compound Subjects)

2007-08-26T17:11:00.000-05:00

Hello, all of you Grammar Stars. I hope you've had a great week and are now ready to tackle some more problems we have with Subject - Verb Agreement.

As stated in the first two lessons we did on this topic, it is very important that you know what the subject of a sentence is if you are trying to figure out which verb is correct. In those lessons, however, we only discussed SINGULAR subjects requiring SINGULAR verbs and PLURAL subjects requiring PLURAL verbs. Today we'll take a look at COMPOUND subjects and discuss how they can require either SINGULAR or PLURAL VERBS.

Quick Review:

Remember that the subject of a sentence is simply what or who the sentence is about and it (or they) will be a noun (s) or pronoun(s). Verbs simply tell something about the subject, show action, or indicate a state of being.

Now in our earlier examples, we tried to determine which verbs were correct in sentences such as these:

1. Johnny (love, loves) pig pickings more than anybody in Whiteville, I believe.

In this sentence, JOHNNY is who the sentence is about and it's a noun, so it's the subject. JOHNNY is also one person, so the subject is SINGULAR, which means that the verb must also be SINGULAR. Therefore, since LOVES is singular, LOVES is the correct verb to use.

2. The football players (is, are) hot when they practice outside in August.

Here, PLAYERS is who the sentence is about, and it's a noun, so it is, therefore, the subject. PLAYERS is also more than one person, so the subject is PLURAL this time, requiring a PLURAL verb. As a result, ARE is the correct verb since it is PLURAL.

Okay. So now let's add another facet of Subject - Verb Agreement.

What happens when the subject of a sentence is compound? Now I'm sure you know that the word COMPOUND means MORE THAN ONE. So... here we are referring to sentences that have two or more subjects joined by the little conjunction AND.

Here are some examples:

1. Oil AND natural gas ARE are the most common heating fuels in the United States.

The subjects of this sentence are the COMPOUND words OIL and GAS. Because we are speaking of two things joined by AND, we need to use the PLURAL form of the verb which is ARE, not IS.

2. Butch, Mack, and Paul SWIM in Lake Waccamaw every time they get a chance.

The subjects of this sentence are the COMPOUND words BUTCH, MACK, and PAUL, and since all three names joined by AND make up the subject and also make it PLURAL, the verb must also be PLURAL. Therefore, SWIM is the correct verb form because it is also PLURAL.

But what happens when COMPOUND subjects are joined not by AND, but by OR or NOR (often seen as NEITHER...NOR or EITHER...OR)? In this case, the verb agrees with the subject NEARER the verb.

Notice these examples:

3. Neither the son nor his parents SPEAK highly of their next door neighbor.

The COMPOUND subjects are SON or his PARENTS, but the first subject is singular (SON) and the second subject(PARENTS) is plural, What to do? Because the SECOND subject is PLURAL, the verb must also be PLURAL. Hence, (SPEAK, not SPEAKS, is correct.)

4. Either the Senators or the Governor usually ATTENDS official events in Raleigh.

This time we have the opposite example. The COMPOUND subjects are SENATORS or the GOVERNOR, but here the second subject(GOVERNOR)is SINGULAR. Even though the first subject is PLURAL (SENATORS), the correct verb is the SINGULAR verb ATTENDS because it must agree with the second subject, GOVERNOR.

For our final look at Compound Subjects, we'll discuss two little words and a word phrase that you should become very familiar with:

EACH...EVERY...and MANY A...

This rule is pretty straightforward, but lots of folks have trouble with it. Here's what you should remember:

Use a SINGULAR verb with any subject that is preceded by EACH, EVERY and MANY A. Just keep in mind one very important thing. No matter how many people, places, or things your subject is about, don't use a PLURAL verb if EACH, EVERY, or MANY A comes in front of the subject.

Here are some examples:

5. Each county in North Carolina HAS its own local government.

Yes, there are 100 counties in North Carolina, but because EACH precedes COUNTY (the subject), the SINGULAR verb must be used (HAS), not the PLURAL verb HAVE.

6. Many a person TRIES to dance, but not all enjoy it.

There may be millions of people who try this, but because MANY A precedes PERSON (the subject), the SINGULAR verb must be used (TRIES), not the PLURAL verb (TRY).

7. Every student in our school HOPES to graduate with his class.

There may be hundreds of students in this school, but because EVERY precedes STUDENT (the subject), the SINGULAR verb must be used (HOPES), not HOPE.

Well, there you have it! I hope all of this makes sense to you and that you're using the very best English you can. Drop me a line sometime and have a wonderful week. Peace and happiness, GG

Mispronounciation Madness- Part I (UNDOUBTEDLY and MRS.)

2007-08-18T17:12:00.000-05:00

Hey, all of you Grammar guys and gals once again! I hope you're all enjoying yourself and becoming better speakers and users of the Southern version of the language of our ancestors every day. Keep practicing on those rules that have given you trouble and soon you'll be impressing all of your friends.

Today, we'll take a look at a few words commonly heard around Columbus County that are mispronounced much TOO MUCH! If you've never heard them mispronounced, I'm going to guess you're new to our area. Never fear, the first time will come. Let's see if we can clear up the problems with just a little effort. These are easy.

1. The first one of these words is the word "UNDOUBTEDLY".

Now as you can see, the word ends with "...eDly", not "...eBly".

Here's a common way this word is used:

"Buster undoubteBly felt sick after eating five cat head biscuits with butter and molasses."

Obviously, you can see (and I hope hear) that the word is NOT undoubteBly, but undoubteDly.

If you've ever fallen into the trap of mispronouncing this one, PUH -- LEEZE say you won't ever do it again! If a poor English teacher hears it, he or she might have a major ear shut down.

2. The second of today's commonly mispronounced words is "MRS."

Lots of folks have no problem correctly pronouncing this, which should sound like this: "MIZ - IZ", or even "MIZ" as we Southerners like to shorten it. Both are correct. Really! Some, though, pronounce "MRS." as follows:

"MIZ - RIZ."

Oh, the horror! Please remember that the "R" is silent in this word, so MIZ-RIZ is NEVER correct!!

We hear this a lot. Here's a typical sentence where this error might appear:

"George was so ugly Mrs. Jones had to borrow a baby to take to church."

We just need to remember that we are not speaking of MIZ-RIZ Jones, but MIZ - IZ Jones.

Ok, Everyone -- and I hope this is all nice and cleared up. You won't make these errors again now, will you?

Have a wonderful week and much peace and happiness to you all. I'd love to hear from you! GG

The Irregardless Imposter

2007-08-12T13:43:00.001-05:00

Hey Y'all! I hope all of you are doing well and practicing becoming Grammar Stars.

Today's lesson will be nice and short! Some of the earlier ones I've done have been pretty lengthy but couldn't be helped, so I'm going to try to focus on some other rules that aren't so long. (Hey, I want you to come back!) We'll cover some of the ones needing more explanation eventually, but now for something brief... :-)

Have you ever heard anyone say something like this:

"Grace takes her orange pocketbook with her everywhere, IRREGARDLESS of the color of her clothes" ?

Whoa! This sentence is using a word that is not in our language--IRREGARDLESS.

The prefix IR and the suffix LESS are both negatives, so to use both of them in one word is to make the word a double negative. Remember when an earlier lesson discussed double negatives? At that time, you learned that using double negatives in a sentence is incorrect. We discussed the error in writing or saying such things as, "I don't have no reason to go outside when it's 105 degrees in the shade." In this sentence, using both DON'T and NO in the same sentence constitutes using double negatives, so, of course, this is an incorrect usage.

Now, while it's true that in the example sentence, IRREGARDLESS is not a SENTENCE with double negatives, but a WORD with double negatives, the rule still stands. Double negatives just aren't acceptable unless you mean to make the sentence or word positive, and I don't believe the first sentence means that Grace takes her orange pocketbook with her everywhere because she DOES care whether her clothes match her orange pocketbook. Likewise, the speaker in the second sentence surely doesn't actually mean that he DOES have a good reason to go outside when it's 105 degrees in the shade! Just think about what makes sense and you'll be fine.

Therefore, NEVER use the word IRREGARDLESS! There's just no such word in English!

Your sentences should sound (and look) like this:

REGARDLESS of the rain, Bobby jogs from the courthouse to the depot every morning... or...

Mrs. White sang louder and more off-key than anyone else in the church choir, REGARDLESS of the pained expressions on the faces of the congregation... or ...

REGARDLESS of being hungry enough to eat the south end of a north bound skunk, Henry waited on his sister to come to the table.

So, there you have it. Just never say or use IRREGARDLESS. Today's lesson is a shorty. How great it would be if all of our English rules could be this easy!
Have a great week and be happy. Peace, GG

The Annoying A Words--A LOT, ALL RIGHT, ASK

2007-08-05T14:24:00.000-05:00

Hello Grammar Bloggers once again! I hope you've had a great week and that you're continuing to work on improving any little grammar problems you may have had that we have covered. Practice and you'll soon be the grammar expert in your circle of friends. :-)

Because my last blog was pretty long (and couldn't be helped since LIE and LAY can be complicated), you're going to be able to enjoy a nice short lesson today. Nevertheless, "short" doesn't mean "unimportant". Mercifully, we do have some fairly short and to the point rules and today we'll take a look at three of them:

Three of the most common usage errors we often see deal with the words A LOT (not alot), ALL RIGHT (not alright), and the mispronunciation of ASK.

(1) Simply, there is no such word in our language as ALOT! Never! This error is a nonstandard form and should be avoided always. We do, however, see many, many people write A LOT as one word (alot) , but now you know that doing this is a major boo boo. When you mean a great number of things, use A LOT-- two separate words. Actually, A LOT is overused quite a bit and should be replaced with more specific information whenever possible.

Here's an example:
Ronald has helped his friends A LOT. (You're not seeing the two words together--separate them!)

However, the better sentence would be
Ronald has often helped his friends by sharing his tomatoes with them.

(2) Again, as with ALOT, the word ALRIGHT is a nonstandard form of English and should be deleted from your writing. This problem is seen everywhere-- in published books, newspapers, pamplets, and just about anywhere we see the written word . What are the editors of these publications thinking?

When you mean "everything is correct", use the two words separately--ALL RIGHT (not alright). Here are some examples:

We kids were ALL RIGHT. (Not alright)
Is it ALL RIGHT with you if we come directly? (Not alright)
I'm ALL RIGHT with watching that TV program. (Not alright)

(3) The final mistake has become increasingly common, although this one is strictly a pronunciation error -- saying AX/AXE for ASK.

Just turn on your TV or listen to people all over the place and you'll hear things such as

"Libby AXED him if he would lend her a pencil..." or

" Let me AXE her where she's going..."

Granted, it's probably easier to say AXE than ASK, but that doesn't mean you should do it. If we keep on AXING people the way we're doing it now, we're all going to end up a bunch of murderers on death row.

Well, that's it for today, Y'all! I hope you'll jump on this lesson like a hawk on a bitty. Enjoy your week and do let me hear from you when you need a grammar question answered. Peace and happiness to you all, GG