Archive for June, 2008
Error of Possessive Pronoun Agreement
Check if possessif pronouns agree in person and in number.
INCORRECT: If anyone calls, take their name.
CORRECT: If anyone calls, take his name.
Error with WHO and WHOM 2
There was a discussion as to who/whom was better suited.
Try substituting she/her:
she was better suited / her was better suited.
Here the pronoun is the subject of the verb suited:
CORRECT: There was a discussion as to who was better suited.
Error with WHO and WHOM
When in doubt about the correctness of WHO/WHOM, try substituting the subject/object of a simpler pronoun to clarify the meaning:
I don’t know who/whom Sarah meant.
Try substituting he/him; then rearrange the clause in its proper order:
he/him Sarah meant / Sarah meant him.
Now it is clear that the pronoun is the object of the verb meant, so [...]
Error in Pronoun Subject-Object
Check if a pronoun is the SUBJECT or the OBJECT of a verb or preposition.
INCORRECT: All of us–Fred, Jane, Alice, and me–were late.
CORRECT: All of us–Fred, Jand, Alice, and I–were late.
INCORRECT: How could she blame you and he for the accident?
CORRECT: How could she blame you and him for the accident?
Error in Negative Imperatives
Note the two forms for negative imperatives:
A. Please don’t do that.
B. Would you please not do that.
INCORRECT: Would you please don’t smoke here.
CORRECT: Please don’t smoke here.
[...]
Error in Conditional Sentences 2
The verb to be will ALWAYS appear as were in present conditonal:
INCORRECT: If I was you, I wouldn’t do that.
CORRECT: If I were you, I wouldn’t do that.
Error in Conditional Sentences
In conditional sentences, the word if will NEVER be followed by the words will or would.
INCORRECT: If I would have known, I wouldn’t have gone.
CORRECT: If I had known, I wouldn’t have gone.
Error in Subject-Verb Agreement 2
If a singular subject is separated by a comma from an accompanying phrase, it remains singular:
INCORRECT: The bride, together with the groom and her parents, are receiving at the door.
CORRECT: The bride, together with the groom and her parents, is receiving at the door.
Error in Subject-Verb Agreement
Check if the subject of the verb is singular or plural. If multiple subjects are connected by the word AND, they are plural:
INCORRECT: Ted, John, and Sam is going.
CORRECT: Ted, John and Sam are going.
Error in Tense Formation
Check if the tense has been formed correctly. Know the past participle of irregular verbs!
INCORRECT: He throwed it out the window.
CORRECT: He threw it out the window.
