Happy National [Good] Grammar Day: March 4

Grammar Still Matters to Most Literate Readers
When you are tempted to push the envelope and decide that many traditional grammar “rules” have become irrelevant, beware. If, for example, you choose the traditional all right instead of the more casual alright, no one will notice, even those who choose to use alright. Yet if you use alright, conservative readers will likely wince. Acceptable grammar usage changes slowly, and this is not a movement where you benefit from being in the forefront!

Here's a little quiz where you can identify what might be considered incorrect and then “fix” it: 
1. His goal was to always win.  
2. Richard and him were the last ones hired.
3. The secret must remain with you and I.
4. They gave the gift to John and myself.
5. Accuracy of movement, like accuracy of words, are essential     to the success of magical rites. 
6. Where is he at?
7. We are striving to make the world a better place to live in.   
 
Comments on the Quiz
1. You may recognize to win as an infinitive. Although conservative writers choose never to split one (as I just avoided), many grammarians suggest that you “listen to yourself” and see how it sounds—always a good idea when you write. I don't like the sound of this split infinitive, so I might say, His goal was always to win (or) His goal was to win—always. On the other hand, here is a familiar and wonderful split infinitive: To boldly go . . . .

2. Unfortunately, this pronoun error still creeps into good writing. Fixing it may require separating the parts of the subject: Richard was hired. He was hired (both subject words). Richard and he were hired.

3. This is such an uncomfortable error that it clearly causes listeners to squirm; again, separating the two object words helps clarify: with you, with I. Whoops! With you and (with) me.

4. The pronoun myself cannot stand alone—either as a subject or an object. Use it only after you use I: Ouch, I hurt myself (or) I did it myself.

5. When a phrase is set off from the subject, it must be ignored when choosing the verb to use: Accuracy of movement is essential.

 6. Ending a sentence with a preposition has a bad, and undeserved, reputation because too many people fail to see the difference in a proposition and a verb phrase. Clearly, Where is he at? and Where are you going to? are inappropriate because they are redundant. Where is he? and Where are you going? serve the same purpose.

7. Here, live in is a verb phrase, different from live. I am comfortable with this sentence. Of course, if you want to avoid any question, you could use the somewhat stuffy phrase, in which to live.

I challenge you to consider every day a good grammar day!

What is a Semicolon?

Punctuating Two Cores in One Sentence

Here’s an assertion I encountered when working on my dissertation: Adults rarely use semicolons incorrectly; in fact, they rarely use semicolons! (Still, I have observed some wonderfully creative uses.) However, I am not proposing a greatly increased use of semicolons. What I am suggesting is that there are places where they are useful and places where they are incorrect. You just oughta know which is which—and what your other options are!

Semicolons serve to separate two Cores in one sentence. We’ll get there, but first let’s just consider how and why we might put two Cores together in the first place when they could be two separate sentences:

1. They are logically related.
2. The are parallel.
3. They are short. 

Punctuation Options for Two Cores in One Sentence

1. Cores can be connected with a comma plus and, or, but:
I like coffee, and she likes tea. I like coffee, but she does not.
Notice that the only pause is after coffee. (We’d never pause after but.) And if you know these are coordinate conjunctions, you probably don’t need to read this!

2. Cores can be connected with a semicolon: a “soft period.” This means the Cores, again, could be separate sentences. So, the semicolon requires a Core on each side.
I like coffee; she prefers tea.
Dark chocolate is not just better; it is better for you. Incidentally, don't use a semicolon with and, or, but (except as indicated in # 6 below).

3. Cores can be connected with a qualifying word or phrase: however, moreover, furthermore, on the other hand:
I like coffee; however, she prefers tea.
Although these connectors look like and or but, they are not. Notice that while and and but are stuck between the two cores, these words can move around: I like coffee; she, however, prefers tea. I like coffee; she prefers tea, however. Unfortunately, many writers do not see (or hear) the difference and tend to punctuate them the same. 

Here’s what I often find: I like coffee, however she prefers tea. Whoops, just read the sentence aloud to test it. In fact, this is a sentence with two Cores where the second Core is preceded by the introductory word, however. Without the semicolon, this is a terrible error: a comma splice.

4. The second Core can serve as an explanation for the first Core: They have canceled the event: there is too much snow. Arguing purely from punctuation, one could use a semicolon here (they are both Cores); however, these two sentences don’t just sit side-by-side: in fact, the second explains the first, and only the use of a colon predicts that for the reader (remember “yoo hoo.”)
 
5. Semicolons can serve to separate sets of words in a sentence when the sets contain internal commas: We’re excited to be considering venues in these locations: New York, Monday, April 5; Boston, Monday, April 12; and Baltimore, Tuesday, April 20. (If the list is long or complicated, I'd strongly advise presenting the information in a table.)

6. Commas serve to separate a series of short Cores—usually: I walked the walk, I talked the talk, but I did not fool anyone. However, if one or more of the items in the series contains an insert, it is necessary to separate the items with semicolons: I walked the walk; I talked the talk; but, in fact, I did not fool anyone. (Remember, don’t use commas at two levels in the same sentence.) And, finally, note that when you do use a semicolon after the first Core, you must also do so before the and or but.

I think these guidelines have addressed the key ways to use a semicolon. And I hope they make sense, because their function is really to help you help your reader.

 

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Punctuation: Traffic Signals in a Sentence

Structural Punctuation in a Sentence

First, here is a little punctuation “quiz.”
(Just add punctuation and justify it.)
1. When I called Jane came running.
2. We moved to Liberty Missouri years ago.

3. My best friends Tom Dick and Harry enjoy my corny humor.
4. These are my best friends Tom Dick and Harry.
5. Here is why I like them they laugh at my jokes!  (Answers below)

Punctuation is not arbitrary! It makes sense because it makes a sentence flow. I have received a variety of interesting requests to address punctuation, especially the comma! What I want to present is a logical analysis of a sentence to show where punctuation fits— and where it does not. Here’s a practical tip: Listen to yourself. If you hear a pause, “feed it”—but, please, not always with a comma. 

Analyzing the Core Sentence
Instead of using grammatical language, let me begin with the simple idea of a Core: the essence of a sentence. When a set of words comprises a story—an actor and action; a subject and a predicate—we have a sentence. For example: John reads books. Sue reads slowly. The children are happy with their books.
Notice two features of these Core sentences:
1. As you read each basic Core sentence aloud, you do not pause; therefore, you have nothing to feed until the period.

2. At the end of a Core sentence, your voice falls. In contrast, here is a bunch of words where your voice would rise to indicate a lack of closure: After thinking about the problem for weeks and asking countless questions . . . . Clearly, this is not a story; in fact it is that awful monster, a fragment.

Punctuating Before the Core: the “Introductory ” 
It is quite appropriate to create a sentence with “attachments” to the Core. However, because the Core is the basic structure for meaning, any attachments must be indicated with punctuation!

Before the Core, a comma functions to convey the pause (as it did in this sentence). It may also serve to avoid temporary ambiguity, as in After I called Bill answered. (Actually, I did not call Bill—but that is what the sentence first seems to convey.)
After I called, Bill answered. (Now, the ambiguity is gone.)
Since the writer always knows what is intended and may not recognize an ambiguity, The Gregg Reference Manual suggests always using the introductory comma, even with very brief introductory elements. The Associated Press Stylebook disagrees and first wants the writer to first determine if there might be an ambiguity. But most of us don’t write for the press, so why not do it the easy way?

Punctuating Within the Core: “Inserts”
An insert is a group of words within the Core that provides useful information, but is not essential to the Core. An insert actually results in two audible breaks when read aloud and needs two pieces of matching punctuation to set it off: a pair of commas, a pair of parentheses, or a pair of em dashes.
1. My younger sister, who lives nearby, is a good friend.
2. Your book (in case you hadn’t noticed) is overdue.
3. Three very important people—my spouse, my best friend, and     my supervisor—will help me.
Some comments on my punctuation:
1. For the first sentence, a pair of commas works best because this is a simple insert, and there is no other internal punctuation. With an emphatic statement, I could also have used a pair of em dashes. (An em dash is two hyphens with no space on either side.)
2. For the second sentence, instead of a pair of parentheses, I could again have conveyed emphasis with a pair of em dashes. (Commas do not provide an adequate break here.)
3. For the third sentence, a pair of em dashes is necessary for two reasons: (a) Setting the series off with commas would create confusion because commas are already associated with the list. Tip: Never use commas at two levels at once.
(b) Parentheses convey material that is “parenthetical”—not so important. Clearly, that's actually contradictory here.

Further Explanation after the Core
Information after the Core has punch! Here’s what I mean: BAM! The end of the Core is a great place for a word or phrase, a series, or even an explanatory sentence. 

For a word or phrase following the Core, there are three punctuation options: a comma, a colon (my favorite), or an em dash.
 I have one important goal—survival! Compare that sentence with this one: Survival is my most important goal. (Clearly this second sentence lacks punch.)

For a series, there are only two punctuation options: a colon or an em dash. Using a comma to set off a series would truly be confusing. I like to think of the colon as a “Yoo hoo”: it is a clear signal that whatever follows the Core will point back to and elaborate on the Core itself. I really enjoy these three fruits: mangoes, passion fruit, and pineapple. An em dash also works here—if the statement is emphatic. 

For an explanatory sentence after the Core sentence, a colon serves best: It clearly conveys that the second Core explains the first. I have one request: please come early. An em dash here would convey emphasis, but otherwise, it looks too casual. Although a semicolon is grammatically correct between the two sentences, it fails to convey that the second Core explains the first, and thus a semicolon is not helpful here. (More in a later posting.) 

Answers: Remember, it is not enough to be right, you need to know why!

1. When I called, Jane came running. (an introductory to avoid ambiguity)
2. We moved to Liberty, Missouri, ten years ago. (an insert—hear the pause?)
3. My best friends—Tom, Dick, and Harry—enjoy my corny humor. (an insert)
4. These are my best friends: Tom, Dick, and Harry.     
    (an explanation after the Core)
5. Here is why I like them: they laugh at my jokes!
    (an explanation after the Core)

To Lie or Not To Lie (Let sleeping dogs lie.)

Greetings, Friends,

Generally folks who grew up in literate households use correct grammar. However, lie and lay are different and confuse many people.

Interestingly, nearly every medical professional I have encountered (and there have been many) who has asked me
to recline—for examination or treatment—has requested me
to “Lay down.” Of course, it's no time for a grammar lesson,
but I do, in fact, flinch before the treatment has even begun.

So here's a quick review of the “three principal parts” of the verb to lie: lie, lay, lain:
To lie means to recline (for people, creatures, and things) and works for both the present and future tense:

I lie on the sofa to read. The cat lies near me. The book will lie on the table until I retrieve it.

Lay is the past tense of to lie. (Since it is also the present tense of to lay, it causes the most confusion.)

This afternoon, I lay on the sofa. The cat lay near me. The paper lay on the table.

Lain works with helping the verbs: have, has, and had:

I have lain there too long. The cat has lain in the same place. The book had lain there since noon.

And then there is lying: The book is still lying there.
The cat has been lying there.

Perhaps folks think using the verb to lay instead of to lie feels more “down home.” (Maybe the medical professionals just want to put me at ease?)

Below is a quick review of the three principal parts of the verb “to lay”: lay, laid, laid:
To lay means to put or place and requires an object. To lay is used for the present and future tense: Each day the dog lays the paper at my feet. I will lay the book on another surface.

Laid is the past tense. He laid the paper at my feet.

I laid the baby in his bed.

Laid also works with helping verbs: He has laid the paper down. They have laid the blame at his feet.

Laying completes the set: When he arrived, I was laying some papers on the desk.

Below is a little quiz, followed by some real errors:
1. Please (lay, lie) down.

2. You should (lay, lie) the infant on her back.

3. Earlier she (lay, laid) on her tummy.

4. Having (laid, lain) there for several hours, he finally got up.

5. He (lay, laid) the puppy beside its mother.

Here are a few representative samples from my treasure trove of wonderful, awful examples. 
A. Most people associate reading with laying lying on the beach.  (David Baldocci in Newsweek)

B. Rosie went and got her a cool wet compress ... and lay laid it on her forehead. (Faith Sullivan, The Cape Ann)

C. Never forget: You're still on the ride, and much further down the road lays lies the destination. (Anne Lamott, Crooked Little Heart) 

Answers to quiz: (1) lie, (2) lay, (3) lay, (4) lain, (5) laid

Who or Whom; Whoever or Whomever

Hello, Friends, 
Here is one of the most common errors I encounter: the confusion between who and whom or between whoever and whomever.
 This fun little “quiz.” will give you a sense of the challenge: Take the quiz first, review the discussion, and only then look at the answers. And with punctuation and grammar, remember: It is not enough to get the right answer, you need to know why!

Who or Whom? (Whom is on First?)

So, which is correct?
1. The man (who, whom) I saw walking up the lane has arrived.
2. The man (who, whom) I thought was coming has arrived.
3. She promised a copy to (whoever, whomever) wanted one.
4. She promised a copy to (whoever, whomever) he selected.

Choosing between who and whom or whoever and whomever seems to cause serious anxiety—and serious errors. And, practically speaking, I have noticed that the errors tilt in the whom, whomever direction. So, if in doubt, you are safer with the simpler who, whoever choice.

 
Back to Some Simple Grammar
Who and whoever are subject pronouns. Whom and whomever are object pronouns.

Subject Pronouns
Pronouns that serve as the subject of a sentence include these:
I, she, he, they, we, who, and whoever:
I did it. She did it. Who did it? I saw that she did it. I saw who did it. Whoever did it? 

Object Pronouns
Each object pronoun pairs up with a subject pronoun and serves as the object of a verb or a preposition: me, her, him, them, us, whom and whomever.
They saw me. They saw her. They saw him, them and us.
They saw whom? (Whom did they see?)

A Practical Tip
If he works in the sentence, use who or whoever. If him works in the sentence, use whom or whomever. (In fact, most errors occur with “stories within stories,” like in the sentences on the quiz.)

Answers

1. The man whom I saw walking has arrived.
    (The man has arrived. I saw him/whom walking.)

2. The man who I thought was coming has arrived.
     (I thought he/who was coming.)

3. She promised a copy to whoever wanted one.
    (He/whoever wanted one.)

4. She promised a copy to whomever he chose.
    (He chose him/whomever.)

Below are some interesting errors I have encountered in my reading and listening:
1. There will be time later to litigate whom who the true fools and fooled are (from a judge in the Los Angeles Superior Court).
2. Elizabeth, recalling this now, heard it as a prayer and repeated it to whomever whoever or whatever might be listening. (Anne Lamott, Crooked Little Heart, p. 261)
3. He never wanted to have children whom he said he found terrifying and boring in equal measure except for Leo, whom who he said didn't count as a child. (Anna Quindlin, Rise and Shine)
4. I played it for whomever whoever was around. (Senator Lamar Alexander on NPR)
 
I'd be happy to receive and share any “wonderful, awful” examples you encounter.

Punctuation Traps and Tips

Hello, Friends,

It's an addiction: I notice grammar and punctuation errors! Of course, not all errors are created equal, and some get more attention than they deserve. Here are suggestions to manage some of the most noticed issues:

1. With a greeting, like mine above, put a comma before and after the recipient's name.

2. In the US and Canada, place periods and commas inside the quotation marks—always!

3. Use semicolons only between complete statements that form a sentence (think of them as soft periods): "I like coffee; she prefers tea." Here is one other use: to separate sets in a list: name, age, rank; name, age, rank; name, age, rank. Of course this information might work better in a table.

4. Do not use apostrophes with family names on mailboxes or holiday greetings. It's the Smith Family or the Smiths, but never the Smith's. The apostrophe makes it look possessive when it is not. It could also be the Smiths' home or John and Mary Smith's home.

5. Unless you are writing for publication, use the serial comma. More often than you would think, leaving it out leads to confusion—and all the grammar books advise its use. Here's an example from The Gregg Reference Manual: "The job involves restocking shelves, cleaning and serving customers." Even the Associated Press Stylebook acknowledges that there are occasions where the serial comma avoids ambiguity—like in the example above.

6. A Shocker: Use only one space between sentences or after colons. Why? Of necessity, the traditional typewriter used the Courier font, allotting equal space to each letter so we could correct our mistakes, like replacing an i with a w. This spacing resulted in so much space between some letters that two spaces seemed necessary between sentences. Now, with proportional spacing, more than one space between sentences looks excessive:

Courier 12: www iii.  Here, I'd use two spaces between sentences.  You can see why!

Times 12: www iii.   Here, I'd use one space between sentences. You can see why.

Finally, don't believe anything I said just because I said so. Look it up in any contemporary style book, examine any printed item, or, for the last one, ask a grade school child.

I hope some of these tips are useful. I plan to continue sharing grammar and punctuation issues that intrigue and distract me.

Thanks for reading, and keep on punctuating!

Neita