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That vs Who

This isn't one of the huge issues I have in life but it bears considering when speaking to a group or writing for publication. 

I frequently hear people say thing like, "She's the one that should manage the project."  It's used so frequently most people don't know what's wrong with the sentence.  Actually it should be, "She's the one who should manage the project."  "Who" (or "whom") is used when referring to people or animals.  "That" is used when referring to inanimate objects. 

As I say, it's not a huge thing but it's one of the things that raise your credibility quotient with the highly literate crowd.

While we're on the subject of who and whom, here's how I know when to use which one in a sentence.  If you can substitute he in the sentence, use who.  If you need to substitute him, use whom.  This requires some sentence rearrangement but with a little practice it's easy.  Here's an example: 

     Who/Whom should take the train and who/whom should drive?
     He should take the train and he should drive?
     So, it's Who should take the train and who should drive?

The sentence obviously doesn't make any sense with he in it but you know you should use who, now.  This one's a little less simple:

     Who/whom should Mary marry?
     She should marry him.
     So, it's Whom should Mary marry?

This isn't exactly the same sentence but it gets the same results.  By rearranging a sentence a little bit you can get the correct answer. 

Until next time...

Serial commas

This is posted under the category of Pet Peeves and I actually spent some time thinking about whether it is a genuine pet peeve or if it's just another of my silly hamster things.  As a side note, a "hamster thing" is what I call it when my mind runs in circles for no apparent reason, something like hamsters running on their wheels.  I've just shortened it to a hamster thing.  So, I ended up deciding it didn't really matter if it was a bona fide pet peeve or just a hamster thing and put it here along with other English grammar and usage pet peeves.

A serial comma is that comma you put in (or don't) when you have a list of items (apples, oranges, and bananas).   The serial comma is the one between "oranges" and "bananas."  Serial commas seem to be losing favor along with many other bits of punctuation rules but I, personally, still like them.  They clarify the occasional sticky sentence and if they're ever needed, they're always needed. 

I wish I still had the English usage book I used when I first read about the importance of serial commas.  I'd love to be able to find it again but, alas, it is long gone.  The sentence they used to demonstrate the importance of a serial comman went something like this (it was purported to have been instructions given to new college students):  "Please fill out your name, address, phone number, sex and room preference."  I still laugh when I think about that sentence.  Obviously, the sentence could be re-written to clear up the problem but it just makes sense to me to have the comma in there so we don't have to think about whether it makes sense or we have to rewrite it.

So, there's my little rant for today.  You'll always see serial commas in my work unless I'm doing work for someone who definitely doesn't want them (that is SO hard for me) and now you know why.

Until next time...

Alot

Recently (that would be in the last five years or so) I've noticed a lot of people using "alot" instead of "a lot" in their writing.  At first I saw it popping up in casual correspondence--e-mail, hand-written notes and instructions, and the like--then I started seeing it in business correspondence and formal web sites. 

Some of the people using it demonstrate their general lack of familiarity with proper English usage in all areas of their writing but some appeared to be otherwise well-versed in writing properly.  I will be the first to admit I don't always use proper English composition rules when writing.  There are times when my participles dangle and prepositions end up at the end of a sentence.  There are just some things, though, that make my blood pressure elevate to dangerous levels and using a word that doesn't exist is one of them.  My greatest fear is that it will actually become used so often it will find its way into dictionaries as "common usage."

That's what happened to the difference between "lend" and "loan."  Not long ago "lend" was the verb and "loan" was the noun ("Can you lend me some money?" vs "The money I was a loan, not a gift.")  Now, even the dictionary says "loan" is a verb and a noun.   Dictionary.com says "The verb loan is well established in American usage and cannot be considered incorrect."  There's more it has to say but this is sufficient to get the idea across. 

I'm not happy that "alot" may end up in the same category.  I know, truly I do, that the English language is a living thing that changes and evolves to meet the needs of the populace but there are some things I would like to see remain as they were--at least until I'm no longer here to witness the change.

Until next time...

Less vs Fewer

Last week I harped on lecturn vs podium.  Actually, that doesn't come up all that often but once I started thinking about words I hear used incorrectly on a regular basis it brought me to "less" and "fewer." 

While listening to an audio commentary the other night (yes, I really do listen to DVD audio commentaries) I heard the screenwriter say something like "there were less people..." and it made me cringe.  I hear and read it everywhere.  Is it just me or do other people find this annoying? 

I explained the difference to my daughter by telling her to think about whether she could count or measure what she was talking about.  When talking about people or objects, we count them (as in "10 items or fewer") but when we're talking about water, we measure it (as in "less than one cup of water).  So, since that was the visual I gave her, when someone says something like "less people" I get this visual image in my head of people crammed in a giant measuring cup. 

In the grand scheme of things this isn't exactly going to shake the world but it's one of the little things I hate to see (or hear) in general conversation.  It's another indication that we aren't taking enough time with what we say or write.  Is this a sign I'm getting old?  Ooh, that's a little scary.

Until next time...

Lecturn vs Podium

I never cease to be amazed at the number of people who don't know the difference between lecturn and podium.  I constantly hear people--smart people--saying someone is standing behind a podium. 

A podium is the platfom on which we stand when addressing a group of people.  A lecturn is the thing behind which we stand when addressing a group of people.  The easiest way I found to help people remember the difference is to say that a lecturn is where you put lecture notes and a podium is where the podiatrist stands.  It's silly but it generally works.

One of my all-time greatest personal victories is getting one of my favorite best-selling mystery writers to use lecturn rather than podium.  I sent her an e-mail telling her much I love her writing, how I look forward to reading more about her amazingly three-dimensional characters, how I love her plots, and, oh, by the way....  It was all very genuine--I love all those things about her writing but if your fans can't help you correct the little errors, who can?  (A copy editor, perhaps?)  At any rate, the next time I picked up a Lisa Scottoline book, there it was--lecturn.  I was overjoyed.  I would have continued reading her books and recommending her to anyone who asked what mystery writers I liked but it was a small victory and I savor it.

Until next time...