Where Did That Preposition Get To?
I think it was Winston Churchill who said, in response to a misguided editor’s rearranging his words so that a sentence would not end with a preposition, “This is the sort of English up with which I will not put.” [Sometimes quoted as “arrant nonsense…,” which I think is eminently better.] The point is that […]
We Interrupt This Series to Explain the Difference Between Two Words….
I know what I said was going to be next, but I just ran across three instances of confusion in the use of between and among. So I’m going to interrupt myself and quickly explain this simple problem. Between is used only when you are dealing with two objects, people, or places. Among is used […]
That vs. Who
The Grammar Guru’s pet peeve: “people that.” This rule is simple: A person is always a who, never a that. Despite its simplicity, this is one of the most often violated rules of grammar. I have seen this error in many well-respected publications. Part of the problem is that authorities are divided, and have been […]
Can You Cite the Site Where You Lost Your Sight?
The “site” trio seems to be causing some confusion nowadays, probably as a result of the “shorthand” used by instant messagers. This is another simple problem to unravel. A site (noun) is a place — virtual or actual — like a construction site or a website. To cite (verb) something is to quote from it or […]
It’s Funny How We Misuse Its Forms
“Its” and “It’s” — What a dilemma! When do you need to use the one with the apostrophe, and when must you leave that little flying comma out? This one is easy. The rule is that “it’s” with the apostrophe is used only when the word is used as a contraction of “it is.” Strange […]