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Showing posts with label (Pesky) Pronouns. Show all posts
Showing posts with label (Pesky) Pronouns. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

That Pronoun Thing — Again!

Yes, it’s all true. That pronoun thing is getting worse. Not only do I find speakers and writers putting themselves first in multiple groups (me and her, me and him, me and them), but… oh the pain! Here’s what ruffles my poor aching eyes and ears:
John and I’s house is for sale.
Her’s and mine’s anniversary is tomorrow.
It’s celebration will be simple.
Don’t tell me that their’s and our’s spelling is wrong.
Well, guess what? It is! Those sentences include apostrophes that have invaded the Pronoun Patch.  What’s almost as bad, the pronouns have been mis-used, abused, rattled, scrambled, and out of whack. Here's what those sentences should look and sound like:
John’s and my house is for sale. (Our house is for sale would do.)
Her and my anniversary is tomorrow. (Awkward, but better. Our anniversary is tomorrow / much better.)
Its celebration will be simple. (See? No apostrophe at all!)
Don’t tell me that their and our spelling is wrong. (Again, awkward, but better. Don’t tell me that all our spelling is wrong / much better.)
Pay attention now:

There are no apostrophes in possessive pronouns: yours, ours, theirs, mine, his, hers, its

Please write that in big 72-point font and paste it across your refrigerator, pen, pencil, computer keyboard, nose, and mirror. No apostrophes pu-leez!

Sunday, December 22, 2013

There is Nothing Between You and I!

How many times do I have to repeat: There is nothing between “you and I”! It’s all between “you and me”! I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. You could be using the subject form (I) to sound more erudite. However, that is just plain wrong.

Want to know why?

Between is a preposition. Prepositions require the “object” form. You can be both subject and object, so nothing to worry about there. I, on the other hand, is subject; me is object.

Don’t make me tell you again!

Monday, November 4, 2013

Beware the Mighty Pronouns

How important are pronouns? How would you feel if you received either of the following messages?
Some people are invited to participate, but not women.
The winner is predetermined to be a man.

Let’s rephrase those to show how pronouns project those messages — often without meaning to.
This contest is open to every entrant who shows his identification.
The winner will receive his front row tickets in the mail.

If you’re a woman, you know what I’m talking about — that beastly masculine pronoun that once was expected to serve all of “mankind”. Well, no more. What is the solution? Ah, let me count the ways. There are many, but here are two to get you started.
Phrase the message to avoid the pronoun. (The winner will receive front row tickets in the mail.)
Use plurals. (This contest is open to all entrants who show their identification.)

Now go and sin no more with sexist pronouns. Include all of humankind when you speak or write — unless you want to exclude others. And that’s not nice!

Friday, November 23, 2012

What keeps coming “between us”?

That wretched mis-use of the objective pronouns that follow “between”: namely me, us, you, her/him/it, them. Pay attention now: you do NOT see the pronouns I, we, she/he, they. There’s a reason for that.  
I, we, she/he, they are subjective pronouns, the DOers.
me, us, you, her/him/it, them are the objective pronouns, the DOees

Because “between” is a preposition, it must be followed by the object (DOee) pronouns.
YES:   me, us, you, her/him/it, them 
NO:     I, we, she/he, they
 Use any combinations of the YES pronouns after “between”.

Two more notes — 1) When there are more than two pronouns (objectives), use “among”.
2) Be courteous. Put the other pronoun first and, modestly, use the “me/us” last. 


CORRECT (hurray-whee):
Let’s keep this between you and me.
The competition is between her and me.
The promise between him or her is to accomplish the work.

INCORRECT (boo-hiss):
Let’s keep this between me and you. (you and me)
The competition is between him, her, and you. (Use “among”)
The promise between you and she is to work together. (you and her)

Got it? The Grammar Anarchist wrote The Anarchist's Guide to Grammar to avoid just such confrontations as this. Order your copy now and don’t let me catch you at this between thing again.


Friday, March 2, 2012

Go in the door / Go into the door?

In and Into are little words (pronouns, actually), but they can change your life. If you go “in the door”, you are making a proper entrance. If you go “into the door”, you could get a laugh or a blood transfusion.

Likewise, you will go “into the room” before you are standing “in the room”. Watch out for those little buggers! They’ll trip you up if you don’t watch them.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

BYAM — an excellent guideline

Trouble remembering whether it’s “between you and I” or “between you and me”? Use the BYAM mnemonic tool and you’ll never be wrong again. I could tell you why, but then it wouldn’t be fun!