Grammar Guidelines

"A whole nother" is a commonly used phrase. It is a habit that people don't even realize they are doing. The following is an example of the phrase being used in a sentence: She is living in a whole nother world. "Nother" is not a word. To correct this error, you could use "another," "a whole other," "a completely different," "an entirely different," etc. Correct sentences: She is living in an entirely different world. She is living in another world.

"It's" or "Its?" Do they have different meanings? Yes, they do and they are misused quite a lot. "It's" is a contraction (i.e., a short version of one or two words using an apostrophe) that means "it is." "Its" is a possessive pronoun. Examples: It's going to take a lot of hard work and determination. The best thing about this car is its fuel efficiency.

Improper use of "I" and "me" seems to be a staple of reality TV. So I'm writing this post to help people understand how to use these pronouns. My hope is that I won't hear this very common mistake quite so frequently. Simply stated, "I" is used when it is the subject of the sentence or renames the subject; "me" is used when it is the object. In the example below, Sawyer and I/me are acting as the subjects of the sentence. Sawyer and ( I or me ) have been married for three years. (Tip: Cut out "Sawyer and" and see which pronoun sounds right) Correct Answer: I In this example, "she" is the subject because "she" is doing the asking. Lisa and I/me are acting as the objects. She asked Lisa and ( I or me ) to be bridesmaids at her wedding. Correct Answer: me

All sentences are made up of a subject and a verb. Of course, there may be many other components (e.g., pronouns, prepositions), but a sentence cannot exist without at least one subject and one verb. So what are subjects and verbs? A verb is the action word of the sentence (walks, paid, runs, ate, etc.). The subject is the person or thing that is doing the action. If a group of words doesn't have these two components (subject + verb), it is called a phrase (e.g., the baskets at Target). See the example below of a very simple complete sentence. Jim ran. (Jim is the subject; ran is the verb)

"Who" and "Whom" are confusing. Most people don't really understand when to use "Whom," and we are going to address that issue so that you can use it confidently when speaking and writing. "Who" is a subject pronoun that either asks the question of "Which person?" or clarifies which person. Who did that? She is the one who was dating Ed.  "Whom" is "the objective case of "Who" and is properly used where the word functions as an object" ( p. 931 The Pocket Oxford American Dictionary of Current English . New York, NY: Oxford University Press; 2002 ). In the sentences below, you can see that "whom" is the direct object of each sentence. "Whom" is receiving the action of the verb. To whom did you send the gift card? My sister is the one of whom you are speaking.

"There," "Their," and "They're"   is a set of words that are so commonly misused that this post is dedicated to providing the definitions as well as some examples of each. There: a place. ~in, at, or to that place or position ( p. 843 The Pocket Oxford American Dictionary of English . New York, NY: Oxford University Press; 2002 ). She has lived there for more than fifty years. We decided not to go there over the weekend. Their: a pronoun used to indicate possession. ~ of or belonging to them or themselves ( p. 842 The Pocket Oxford American Dictionary of English . New York, NY: Oxford University Press; 2002 ). That is their basket. I don't want to impose on their Thanksgiving. They're: a shorthand version of "they are." ~a contraction of "they are." (a contraction is a shortening of a word-- p. 168 The Pocket Oxford American Dictionary of English . New York, NY: Oxford University Press; 2002 ). They...

Quite often, "i.e.," and "e.g.," are thought to be interchangeable. However, they do mean different things. So what is the difference and why aren't they synonymous? "i.e.," is the abbreviation for the Latin "id est," which translates as "that is." "e.g.," is the abbreviation of the Latin "exempli gratia," which means "for example." "i.e.," should be used when you want to clarify something by using different words. "e.g.," should be used when you simply want to give one or many examples of what you are expressing. See the sentences below to get a better understanding of the comparison. The mall is packed with clothing stores, e.g., Nordstrom, Macy's, Cache, and Ann Taylor. Today I'm going shopping at the best store in the city, i.e., Crate & Barrel.

An inference is a conclusion that one makes after being presented with a set of data. This type of exercise requires reading comprehension and memory. Practicing with inferences can improve your ability to understand and retain what you read as well as your ability to think critically. An inference, in its simplest form: All books are made of paper . All paper is made from trees. Therefore, all books are made from trees. Inferences which include false premises can also lead to false conclusions. For example: All geniuses are from Ireland. Bobby Fischer is a genius. Therefore, Bobby Fischer is from Ireland. (false conclusion based on false premises) Try out this inference exercise for yourself: Every afternoon we either roller-blade, hike, or work out at the gym. We only choose one activity per day. The activity that we choose is completely dependent upon weather and daylight. We roller-blade or hike if the temperature is 45 degrees or above. If it is raining...

It is astounding the number of people who use the phrase "I could care less." Little do they know, they are saying the exact opposite of what they mean. If they really stop to think about it, they want to get across the point that they could NOT care less. In fact, they care so little that it isn't possible to be more indifferent. Incorrect: could care less Correct: couldn't care less