| Grammar and other usage errors grate on the | | | | laying my stuff out on the floor to dry. |
| ears of people in the know--just as fingernails on | | | | 6. Contractions vs. Possessives Puzzlers: |
| a chalkboard do. There are several good reasons | | | | The apostrophe in a contraction replaces one or |
| for knowing and using correct or polished | | | | more letters that have been removed. It's = It is. |
| grammar: you sound smarter in the worlds of | | | | They're = They are. We use the apostrophe to |
| education and business, you have more | | | | show possession when we state a subject's |
| confidence in your ability to speak to anyone, and | | | | name but not with the pronoun for that same |
| you can guide your children to learn the right way | | | | subject. Avoid making the "apostrophe sprinkling" |
| to speak right from the start. Here are my top | | | | error on pronouns --double check what you are |
| 10 grammar gripes. There are more than ten that | | | | really saying. Watch your use of your and you're. |
| occur frequently in basic, everyday American | | | | They should be pronounced differently, too. |
| English that we could work on to repair. These | | | | Examples: |
| are presented in recognition of May is Better | | | | The dog was wagging its tail. (NOT: The dog was |
| Hearing and Speech Month, but our collective | | | | wagging it's tail. Check this error: The dog is |
| attention to correct language usage is needed | | | | wagging it is tail-NOT!) |
| every day of the year. | | | | They're going to the game. (Check it: They are |
| Before getting started, realize as you read that | | | | going to the game. NOT: Their going to the |
| some of my topics and examples will sound | | | | game.) |
| incorrect to you. That will be because you are so | | | | You're really going to like this. (Check it: You are |
| used to hearing yourself and others make these | | | | really going to like this. NOT: Your really going to |
| errors daily, and you think the wrong way is right. | | | | like this.) |
| Check these out by doing a quick online search of | | | | I want to see your new car. (NOT: I want to see |
| grammar errors. Using the format of a popular | | | | you're new car-which would check out as, I want |
| late-night television host, I will count backwards | | | | to see you are new car.) |
| from number 10 to number 1, saving my personal | | | | Tip: Pronounce your as "yore" and you're as |
| most-gruesome grammar gremlin for last. | | | | "yoo-er" to help you keep these two straight. |
| 10. Subject-Verb Disagreement: | | | | 5. Comma Conundrum: |
| I hear subjects and verbs "argue" in everyday | | | | One of the most common "comma sprinkling" |
| speech uttered by everyday people and by | | | | errors I see is the use of a comma where one is |
| people who broadcast the news. We need more | | | | not needed. There should be a comma between |
| agreement in this world! We all know what singular | | | | two clauses that can each "stand alone" as |
| and plural mean. If the subject is singular, the verb | | | | separate sentences without the conjunction (and, |
| must be, also. Similarly, if the subject is plural, the | | | | but, so, etc.) |
| verb must be. Use your knowledge to check if | | | | Example: |
| you usage is correct. "One" means one, right? The | | | | We drove to the mountains, and we stayed in a |
| number one is singular, so you must use a singular | | | | really cute cabin. (This is correct because each |
| verb such as "is". This applies to the words | | | | clause is a separate complete sentence: We |
| everyone, anyone, each person, no one, nobody, | | | | drove to the mountains. We stayed in a really |
| and none. The word couple, as in a married | | | | cute cabin.) |
| couple, represents a singular entity, so it must | | | | There should NOT be a comma between one |
| have a singular verb, also. The words data and | | | | independent (stand alone) clause and one |
| bacteria are actually plural words, so they must | | | | dependent (incomplete sentence) clause. |
| have plural verbs-really. I'm amazed how many | | | | We drove to the mountains, and stayed in a |
| people with advanced science knowledge don't | | | | really cute cabin. WRONG |
| realize this. | | | | We drove to the mountains and stayed in a really |
| Examples: | | | | cute cabin. RIGHT |
| Everyone must bring his or her permission slip | | | | 4. May vs. Can Switcheroo: |
| back. (Not: Everyone must bring their permission | | | | May is defined as being permitted or allowed and |
| slips back.)âEUR¨ | | | | can is defined as being able to. If someone asks, |
| None was home. (NOT: None were home.) | | | | "Can I go with you?" the correct answer really is, |
| The couple was on vacation. (NOT: The couple | | | | "I don't know, are you able to?" Enough said. I |
| were on vacation.) | | | | really wish parents would teach children to ask, |
| The data are wrong. (NOT: The data is wrong.) | | | | "May I...?" rather than, "Can I?" I don't know why |
| There are bacteria on everything. (NOT: There's | | | | "May I" has apparently become viewed as stilted |
| bacteria on everything.) | | | | or too hard for a child to say. It actually is easier |
| 9. Subject and Object Pronoun Scramble: | | | | for young children to pronounce the /m/ sound in |
| The use of "I" as a subject pronoun and "me" as | | | | may than the /k/ sound in can. |
| an object pronoun should be clear to most people. | | | | 3. Less vs. Fewer Fritz Out: |
| So, line up I, he, she, we, and they as subject | | | | This one's simple and used so annoyingly |
| pronouns to use before verbs. Keep me, him, her, | | | | incorrectly in a lot of advertising these days. Use |
| us, and them as object pronouns to use after | | | | less for "mass nouns" that represent things that |
| verbs. It seems the most common error occurs | | | | have an amount that can't be counted and use |
| when people forget their manners and don't let | | | | fewer for "count nouns" that can be counted. |
| others go first, figuratively speaking. When talking | | | | Examples: |
| about yourself and someone else, use the | | | | Calories can be counted, so something can be said |
| pronoun for the other person first. | | | | to have fewer calories. |
| Examples: | | | | This beer has fewer calories than our other beers. |
| She and I went to the concert together. (NOT: | | | | (NOT: less calories!) |
| Her and I went..., or, worse yet, Her and me | | | | Hair is usually thought of in a mass (when is the |
| went, or Me and her went....) | | | | last time you counted strands of hair?) so use the |
| Mom gave it to her and me. (The "check" on this | | | | word less for this one. |
| is to break out each part to see if it is right. In | | | | My daughter has less hair than my son did at this |
| this case, Mom gave it to her, and Mom gave it | | | | age. |
| to me are both correct.) It is NOT correct to | | | | 2. When a Guy is Not a Guy: |
| say, Mom gave it to she and I. | | | | We're getting close to my top pet peeve on this |
| 8. Past Tense Verb Switch Out: | | | | one. I detest the expression, "How are you guys |
| I still rehearse some of the verb "declensions" I | | | | tonight?" most especially when I am being greeted |
| learned in high school. I hope they are still being | | | | by someone at a nice place (restaurant, hotel, |
| taught; it would help people to know the right | | | | etc.) My response inside my head is always a |
| forms. Let's toss the past participles (used with | | | | simmering, "I'm not a 'guy'." The word you is just |
| "have") into this section, too, to add clarity. Here | | | | fine all by itself, thank you very much. Try saying, |
| we go with some declensions of common | | | | "How are you?" the next time you greet |
| verbs:drink drank drunksink sank sunkswim swam | | | | someone. It truly sounds terrific. |
| swumrun ran rungo went gonesee saw seen | | | | 1. Who vs. That Craziness: |
| Examples: | | | | Since when is a dog a person and a person an |
| I drank all of my milk. (Not: I drunk all of my milk.) | | | | animal or inanimate object? I know we love our |
| I have drunk 4 glasses of water. (NOT: I have | | | | pets and often personify them, but they are not |
| drank.) | | | | people. The word who was designed for people, |
| I went to the store. | | | | and it needs to stay that way, unless we are |
| I have already gone to the store. (NOT: I have | | | | ready to switch places with animals and machines. |
| went....) | | | | If I collected $10 every time I heard or read |
| I swam ten laps. | | | | these two pronouns misused on television or in |
| I have swum ten laps. | | | | magazines, I could pay my mortgage with that |
| 7. It's No Lie: Lie vs. Lay is a Top Tripper-Upper: | | | | money each month. Watch how often a dog, |
| This usage error can actually be embarrassing. | | | | company, or other non-human is referred to with |
| Conjugate these:lie lay lain* lying (*use with have: | | | | the word who and how often a person is |
| have lain)-Use this to mean reclining: He lies around | | | | assigned the pronoun that. If you start noticing, |
| all day. She lay in bed with a fever. I have lain in | | | | you will feel as crazy as I do. I am sorry about |
| bed for days. I am lying on the couch because I | | | | that! |
| don't feel well. | | | | If you have read to the end and are thanking me |
| Lay laid laid* laying (*use with have: have laid)-Use | | | | right now for enlightening you on a few or more |
| this to mean placing something, and always use an | | | | of these language blunders, I will say, 'You're |
| object word with it: I lay the book on the table. I | | | | welcome" to you rather than another expression I |
| laid my coat on the chair. I have laid my keys | | | | love to hate which is, "No problem." That |
| somewhere, and now I can't find them. I am | | | | expression makes me growl. Grrr. |