045 Grammar Police

The Grammar Police is in town!

Please don’t roll your eyes until you’ve read the blog! Yes, I am a bit of a nerd--four years of Latin, two of French and four of German can make a nerd of a person when it comes to subjects, objects and where to put the modifiers. Good grammar, though, IS important. Perhaps, even, more important than you might think.

Two clichés give us clues: You only have SEVEN (7) seconds to make a first impression (says Forbes magazine); your good elevator speech to introduce yourself (based on the non-stop time from first floor to top floor of a building) should be said in 30 SECONDS (yes, thirty seconds). Okay, so your chances are limited to make a great impression and good grammar helps!

Grammar rules facilitate clear communication whether written or oral. Errors that the GRAMMAR POLICE find particularly offensive detract from your message, could cost you a job interview, and can hinder your success. Good grammar shows respect to your audience whether that audience is only one friend on Facebook or an audience of hundreds at a business conference. Some errors are funny: the new secretary at the auto repair shop who sent out an email with new prices for “Toe Jobs.”

Others are just plain embarrassing! 





The GP (Grammar Police) asks you to be on the lookout for the following common mistakes:

1. YOUR = a possessive pronoun (e.g. that is YOUR car); YOU’RE = a contraction of the pronoun YOU and the verb ARE (e.g. you’re reading a blog). And using UR in texts does not count as grammar knowledge!




2. ITS = another possessive pronoun (e.g. its shell is broken); IT’S = a contraction of the pronoun IT and the verb IS (e.g. it’s an egg). Check yourself by inserting “it is” to see which you should use.

3. THERE = in a place; THEIR = belonging to them; THEY’RE = this is the pronoun/verb contraction. (e.g. They’re putting their stuff over there!)

4. ME and I! Many, many, many people confuse these two. They believe they are correct and sound intelligent. BUT choose between the two by removing the other person to figure which is correct. I = subject; ME = object. (e.g. The party is for Jane and I! NO! NO! NO! The party is not for “I.” The party is for “me.”)

5. WHO v. WHOM: This can get confusing. WHO is the subject; WHOM is an object. Often our sentences have clauses and word order that make the decision tricky. The easiest fix is to say to yourself the simplest statement. One headline in The New Republic got many letters to the editor: “Careful Whom You Call A Hypocrite.” The headline is correct, although the meaning is “Who is the hypocrite?”

6. FEWER and LESS: If the objects are countable – use fewer; if not, use less. AND, YES, most grocery stores have that limited number of items checkout sign WRONG. Properly, it should read “FEWER than 10 items.”

7. LIE and LAY. People LIE down; chickens LAY! The cartoon says it better than I.











8. Dangling participles and misplaced modifiers. Proof your work or read it aloud. These are easy mistakes to make but easily corrected. I always smile at this example from Grammar Diva’s blog:  "While reading the paper by the window, the cat jumped on my lap."  I don’t know many cats who can read.

Or from Brian Clark: “After rotting in the cellar for weeks, my brother brought up some oranges.” Nasty brother!

9. A LOT and ALOT: “alot” is not a word! Just forget about writing it – ever!









10. WHICH or THAT: This is advanced grammar. “That” is a restrictive pronoun and vital to the noun (e.g. I don’t eat fruits that are not organic). “Which” qualifies the subject and verb and begins a relative clause. Therefore, if you use “which,” you will need a comma. (e.g. I recommend organic fruits, which are now in most grocery stores.”

Enough for today? Oh, but there are so many more! The GP shall (or will) return!

Glenne