Grammar Guidelines

I find it interesting how often people incorrectly use "then" and "than." I've seen and heard erroneous sentences like: "I'd rather do this then that." "Then" and "than" have completely different meanings. "Then" is used when talking about time or sequence. "Than" is used when comparing things. Correct Sentences: Jack Russell Terriers are more hyperactive than most types of dogs. My dog Chloe ran around the yard, and then she dug a hole in the flowerbed.

"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'