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 [...]
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. or Would you please not 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.
