{"id":117,"date":"2012-04-26T14:59:00","date_gmt":"2012-04-26T14:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.communicationcoach.ca\/blog\/?p=117"},"modified":"2015-03-09T09:21:40","modified_gmt":"2015-03-09T13:21:40","slug":"20-common-grammar-mistakes-that-almost-everyone-makes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.communicationcoach.ca\/blog\/20-common-grammar-mistakes-that-almost-everyone-makes\/","title":{"rendered":"20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Everyone Makes"},"content":{"rendered":"

20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Everyone Makes<\/a><\/p>\n

Column by Jon Gingerich<\/a> January 31, 2012<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve edited a monthly magazine for more than six years, and it\u2019s a job that\u2019s come with more frustration than reward. If there\u2019s one thing I am<\/i> grateful for \u2014 and it sure isn\u2019t the pay \u2014 it\u2019s that my work has allowed endless time to hone my craft to Louis Skolnick levels of grammar geekery.
\nAs someone who slings red ink for a living, let me tell you: grammar is an ultra-micro component in the larger picture; it lies somewhere in the final steps of the editing trail; and as such it\u2019s an overrated quasi-irrelevancy in the creative process, perpetuated into importance primarily by bitter nerds who accumulate tweed jackets and crippling inferiority complexes. But experience has also taught me that readers, for better or worse, will approach your work with a jaundiced eye and an itch to judge. While your grammar shouldn\u2019t be a reflection of your creative powers or writing abilities, let\u2019s face it \u2014 it usually is.
\nBelow are 20 common grammar mistakes I see routinely, not only in editorial queries and submissions, but in print: in HR manuals, blogs, magazines, newspapers, trade journals, and even best selling novels. If it makes you feel any better, I\u2019ve made each of these mistakes a hundred times, and I know some of the best authors in history have lived to see these very toadstools appear in print. Let\u2019s hope you can learn from some of their more famous mistakes.<\/p>\n

Who and Whom<\/h2>\n

This one opens a big can of worms. \u201cWho\u201d is a subjective \u2014 or nominative \u2014 pronoun, along with \u201che,\u201d \u201cshe,\u201d \u201cit,\u201d \u201cwe,\u201d and \u201cthey.\u201d It\u2019s used when the pronoun acts as the subject of a clause. \u201cWhom\u201d is an objective pronoun, along with \u201chim,\u201d \u201cher,\u201d \u201cit\u201d, \u201cus,\u201d and \u201cthem.\u201d It\u2019s used when the pronoun acts as the object of a clause. Using \u201cwho\u201d or \u201cwhom\u201d depends on whether you\u2019re referring to the subject or object of a sentence. When in doubt, substitute \u201cwho\u201d with the subjective pronouns \u201che\u201d or \u201cshe,\u201d e.g., Who loves you?\u00a0<\/i>cf.,\u00a0He loves me. <\/i><\/i>Similarly, you can also substitute \u201cwhom\u201d with the objective pronouns \u201chim\u201d or \u201cher.\u201d e.g., I consulted an attorney whom I met in New York.\u00a0<\/i><\/i>cf.,\u00a0I consulted him.<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n

Which and That<\/h2>\n

This is one of the most common mistakes out there, and understandably so. \u201cThat\u201d is a restrictive pronoun. It\u2019s vital to the noun to which it\u2019s referring.\u00a0 e.g., I don\u2019t trust fruits and vegetables that aren\u2019t organic.<\/i> Here, I\u2019m referring to all non-organic fruits or vegetables. In other words, I only trust fruits and vegetables that are organic. \u201cWhich\u201d introduces a relative clause. It allows qualifiers that may not be essential. e.g., I recommend you eat only organic fruits and vegetables, which are available in area grocery stores.<\/i> In this case, you don\u2019t have to go to a specific grocery store to obtain organic fruits and vegetables. \u201cWhich\u201d qualifies, \u201cthat\u201d restricts. \u201cWhich\u201d is more ambiguous however, and by virtue of its meaning is flexible enough to be used in many restrictive clauses. e.g., The house, which is burning, is mine.<\/i> e.g., The house that is burning is mine.<\/i><\/p>\n

Lay and Lie<\/h2>\n

This is the crown jewel of all grammatical errors. \u201cLay\u201d is a transitive verb. It requires a direct subject and one or more objects. Its present tense is \u201clay\u201d (e.g., I lay the pencil on the table<\/i>) and its past tense is \u201claid\u201d (e.g., Yesterday I laid the pencil on the table<\/i>). \u201cLie\u201d is an intransitive verb. It needs no object. Its present tense is \u201clie\u201d (e.g., The Andes mountains lie between Chile and Argentina<\/i>) and its past tense is \u201clay\u201d (e.g., The man lay waiting for an ambulance<\/i>). The most common mistake occurs when the writer uses the past tense of the transitive \u201clay\u201d (e.g., I laid on the bed<\/i>) when he\/she actually means the intransitive past tense of \u201clie\u201d (e.g., I lay on the bed<\/i>).<\/p>\n

Moot<\/h2>\n

Contrary to common misuse, \u201cmoot\u201d doesn\u2019t imply something is superfluous. It means a subject is disputable or open to discussion. e.g., The idea that commercial zoning should be allowed in the residential neighborhood was a moot point for the council.<\/i><\/p>\n

Continual and Continuous<\/h2>\n

They\u2019re similar, but there\u2019s a difference. \u201cContinual\u201d means something that\u2019s always occurring, with obvious lapses in time. \u201cContinuous\u201d means something continues without any stops or gaps in between. e.g., The continual music next door made it the worst night of studying ever. <\/i>e.g., Her continuous talking prevented him from concentrating.<\/i><\/p>\n

Envy and Jealousy<\/h2>\n

The word \u201cenvy\u201d implies a longing for someone else\u2019s good fortunes. \u201cJealousy\u201d is far more nefarious. It\u2019s a fear of rivalry, often present in sexual situations. \u201cEnvy\u201d is when you covet your friend\u2019s good looks. \u201cJealousy\u201d is what happens when your significant other swoons over your good-looking friend.<\/p>\n

Nor<\/h2>\n

\u201cNor\u201d expresses a negative condition. It literally means \u201cand not.\u201d You\u2019re obligated to use the \u201cnor\u201d form if your sentence expresses a negative and follows it with another negative condition. \u201cNeither the men nor the women were drunk\u201d is a correct sentence because \u201cnor\u201d expresses that the women held the same negative condition as the men. The old rule is that \u201cnor\u201d typically follows \u201cneither,\u201d and \u201cor\u201d follows \u201ceither.\u201d However, if neither \u201ceither\u201d nor \u201cneither\u201d is used in a sentence, you should use \u201cnor\u201d to express a second negative, as long as the second negative is a verb. If the second negative is a noun, adjective, or adverb, you would use \u201cor,\u201d because the initial negative transfers to all conditions. e.g., He won\u2019t eat <\/i>broccoli or asparagus<\/i>.<\/i> The negative condition expressing the first noun (broccoli) is also used for the second (asparagus).<\/p>\n

May and Might<\/h2>\n

\u201cMay\u201d implies a possibility. \u201cMight\u201d implies far more uncertainty. \u201cYou may get drunk if you have two shots in ten minutes\u201d implies a real possibility of drunkenness. \u201cYou might get a ticket if you operate a tug boat while drunk\u201d implies a possibility that is far more remote. Someone who says \u201cI may have more wine\u201d could mean he\/she doesn\u2019t want more wine right now, or that he\/she \u201cmight\u201d not want any at all. Given the speaker\u2019s indecision on the matter, \u201cmight\u201d would be correct.<\/p>\n

Whether and If<\/h2>\n

Many writers seem to assume that \u201cwhether\u201d is interchangeable with \u201cif.\u201d It isn\u2019t. \u201cWhether\u201d expresses a condition where there are two or more alternatives. \u201cIf\u201d expresses a condition where there are no alternatives. e.g., I don\u2019t know whether I\u2019ll get drunk tonight. <\/i>e.g., I can get drunk tonight if I have money for booze.<\/i><\/p>\n

Fewer and Less<\/h2>\n

\u201cLess\u201d is reserved for hypothetical quantities. \u201cFew\u201d and \u201cfewer\u201d are for things you can quantify. e.g., The firm has fewer than ten employees.<\/i> e.g., The firm is less successful now that we have only ten employees.<\/i><\/p>\n

Farther and Further<\/h2>\n

The word \u201cfarther\u201d implies a measurable distance. \u201cFurther\u201d should be reserved for abstract lengths you can\u2019t always measure. e.g., I threw the ball ten feet farther than Bill. <\/i>e.g.,\u00a0The financial crisis caused further implications<\/i>.<\/i><\/p>\n

Since and Because<\/h2>\n

\u201cSince\u201d refers to time. \u201cBecause\u201d refers to causation. e.g., Since I quit drinking I\u2019ve married and had two children. <\/i>e.g., Because I quit drinking I no longer wake up in my own vomit.<\/i><\/p>\n

Disinterested and Uninterested<\/h2>\n

Contrary to popular usage, these words aren\u2019t synonymous. A \u201cdisinterested\u201d person is someone who\u2019s impartial. For example, a hedge fund manager might take interest in a headline regarding the performance of a popular stock, even if he\u2019s never invested in it. He\u2019s \u201cdisinterested,\u201d i.e., he doesn\u2019t seek to gain financially from the transaction he\u2019s witnessed. Judges and referees are supposed to be \u201cdisinterested.\u201d If the sentence you\u2019re using implies someone who couldn\u2019t care less, chances are you\u2019ll want to use \u201cuninterested.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anxious<\/h2>\n

Unless you\u2019re frightened of them, you shouldn\u2019t say you\u2019re \u201canxious to see your friends.\u201d You\u2019re actually \u201ceager,\u201d or \u201cexcited.\u201d To be \u201canxious\u201d implies a looming fear, dread or anxiety. It doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re looking forward to something.<\/p>\n

Different Than and Different From<\/h2>\n

This is a tough one. Words like \u201crather\u201d and \u201cfaster\u201d are comparative adjectives, and are used to show comparison with the preposition \u201cthan,\u201d (e.g., greater than, less than, faster than, rather than). The adjective \u201cdifferent\u201d is used to draw distinction. So, when \u201cdifferent\u201d is followed by a \u00a0preposition, it should be \u201cfrom,\u201d similar to \u201cseparate from,\u201d \u201cdistinct from,\u201d or \u201caway from.\u201d e.g., My living situation in New York was different from home.<\/i> There are rare cases where \u201cdifferent than\u201d is appropriate, if \u201cthan\u201d operates as a conjunction. e.g., Development is different in New York than in Los Angeles. <\/i>When in doubt, use \u201cdifferent from.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bring and Take<\/h2>\n

In order to employ proper usage of \u201cbring\u201d or \u201ctake,\u201d the writer must know whether the object is being moved toward or away from the subject. If it is toward, use \u201cbring.\u201d If it is away, use \u201ctake.\u201d Your spouse may tell you to \u201ctake your clothes to the cleaners.\u201d The owner of the dry cleaners would say \u201cbring your clothes to the cleaners.\u201d<\/p>\n

Impactful<\/h2>\n

It isn\u2019t a word. \u201cImpact\u201d can be used as a noun (e.g., The impact of the crash was severe<\/i>) or a transitive verb (e.g., The crash impacted my ability to walk or hold a job<\/i>). \u201cImpactful\u201d is a made-up buzzword, colligated by the modern marketing industry in their endless attempts to decode the innumerable nuances of human behavior into a string of mindless metrics. Seriously, stop saying this.<\/p>\n

Affect and Effect<\/h2>\n

Here\u2019s a trick to help you remember: \u201cAffect\u201d is almost always a verb (e.g., Facebook affects people\u2019s attention spans<\/i>), and \u201ceffect\u201d is almost always a noun (e.g., Facebook\u2019s\u00a0effects can also be positive)<\/i>. \u201cAffect\u201d means to influence or produce an impression \u2014 to cause hence, an effect. \u201cEffect\u201d is the thing produced by the affecting agent; it describes the result or outcome. There are some exceptions. \u201cEffect\u201d may be used as a transitive verb, which means to bring about or make happen. e.g., My new computer effected a much-needed transition from magazines to Web porn.<\/i> There are similarly rare examples where \u201caffect\u201d can be a noun. e.g., His lack of affect made him seem like a shallow person.<\/i><\/p>\n

Irony and Coincidence<\/h2>\n

Too many people claim something is the former when they actually mean the latter. For example, it\u2019s not \u201cironic\u201d that \u201cBarbara moved from California to New York, where she ended up meeting and falling in love with a fellow Californian.\u201d The fact that they\u2019re both from California is a \u201ccoincidence.\u201d \u201cIrony\u201d is the incongruity in a series of events between the expected results and the actual results. \u201cCoincidence\u201d is a series of events that appear planned when they\u2019re actually accidental. So, it would be \u201cironic\u201d if \u201cBarbara moved from California to New York to escape California men, but the first man she ended up meeting and falling in love with was a fellow Californian.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nauseous<\/h2>\n

Undoubtedly the most common mistake I encounter. Contrary to almost ubiquitous misuse, to be \u201cnauseous\u201d doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019ve been sickened: it actually means you possess the ability to produce nausea in others. e.g., That week-old hot dog is nauseous.<\/i> When you find yourself disgusted or made ill by a nauseating agent, you are actually \u201cnauseated.\u201d e.g., I was nauseated after falling into that dumpster behind the Planned Parenthood.<\/i> Stop embarrassing yourself.<\/p>\n

\n

If you\u2019re looking for a practical, quick guide to proper grammar, I suggest the tried-and-true classic The Elements of Style<\/i>, by William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White. A few of these examples are listed in the book, and there are plenty more. Good luck!
\nOriginal link:\u00a0 http:\/\/litreactor.com\/columns\/20-common-grammar-mistakes-that-almost-everyone-gets-wrong<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Everyone Makes Column by Jon Gingerich January 31, 2012 I\u2019ve edited a monthly magazine for more than six years, and it\u2019s a job that\u2019s come with more frustration than reward. If there\u2019s one thing I am grateful for \u2014 and it sure isn\u2019t the pay \u2014 it\u2019s that my […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[535,537],"tags":[605,606],"class_list":["post-117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-esl-cultural-communications","category-speak-english-better","tag-grammar","tag-writing"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.communicationcoach.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.communicationcoach.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.communicationcoach.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.communicationcoach.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.communicationcoach.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.communicationcoach.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":626,"href":"https:\/\/www.communicationcoach.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117\/revisions\/626"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.communicationcoach.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.communicationcoach.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.communicationcoach.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}