Proper Use of "Me" and "I"

Two of the most common words used incorrectly, both in written material and in speech, are "me" and "I."

Technically, "I" is a nominative pronoun used as a subject of a sentence, while "me" is an objective pronoun, used as an object. The problem usually arises when connecting objects in a sentence. "I" is not an objective case word, but it is used simply because to most people it just sounds better.

Using "I" works for the nominative case when you and the other person are subjects of a sentence; however, if you and the other person are objects of the sentence, using "I" is not correct.

For example, "Mary and I are going to the conference" works. "You" and "Mary" are subjects of the sentence. Remove "Mary" and you have, "I (am) going to the conference."

Being objects in a sentence changes correct structure. Simply leave out the second object(s), or person(s). For example:

You may be tempted to write or say, "Would you like to join Mary and I at the conference?" By removing the second object (Mary) you have, "Would you like to join I at the conference?" Now try, "Would you like to join me at the conference?" It's easy to see that the proper sentence should be, "Would you like to join Mary and me at the conference?"

It really is just as simple as removing that second object. Let's try it again:

"Please explain proper word choice to Christine and I."
"Please explain proper word choice to Christine and me."
Remove the second object (Christine) and you have: "Please explain proper word choice to I," or, "Please explain proper word choice to me." See how easy it is to recognize the proper sentence?
"Please explain proper word choice to Christine and me."

Of course there are some instances where you can avoid your own internal dilemma by simply using the first-person plural and stating, "Would you care to join us at the conference?' or, "Please explain proper word choice to us."

Vocabulary

Increase your vocabulary with not-very-common and/or not-frequently-used words.

Today's Weird Word is: advertent, and its pronounciation is: \ad-'vr-tnt\.

Advertent is a adjective meaning: giving attention – heedful.


Marcia listened to everything we said with an advertent expression on her face, then proceeded to tell us, point by point, exactly why she disagreed with us.

Aloud vs. Out Loud

The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms states that "out loud" started as a colloquialism for "aloud" in 1821. At first "out loud" was frowned on, but it has worked its way into standard English, so "out loud" and "aloud" are synonyms.

If you're being especially careful, you may want to stick with "aloud" in formal writing; but "out loud" is standard and even preferred in some sayings such as "laugh out loud."

If "out loud" hadn't become a rival of "aloud," the text messaging abbreviation could have been one character shorter: "LA" instead of "LOL" but I imagine "LA" wouldn't have caught on. Los Angeles and Louisiana would not have been amused.



Source: Grammar Girl

Thoroughness Challenge

Thoroughly Thursday is a weekly post consisting of paragraphs that contain spelling and/or grammatical errors, and your job is to find them. Please do not list the errors you find within the post. The same post is repeated at the end of Fun Friday's Spelling Challenge, with the errors corrected and highlighted in red.

Note: Names and places will NOT be misspelled, nor will there by any changes to punctuation. In addition, if there is a word that may have more than one accepted form or there is more than one accepted spelling, those also will not be changed. That would not be fair...the purpose of the Challenge is thoroughness, not technicalities.


This week your Challenge paragraphs continue with the history of blogs and blogging as they evolve and begin to immerge as the blogs we're familiar with today. This week you're looking for 11 errors. Good Luck!




*******************************************************************************

Original weblogs had to be manually updated threw multiple sections of a common website. The creation of the majority of tools that allow authoring and maintainance of articals posted in a reverse chronilogical order, initiated a much easier publishing process, for a less technical, expansive population. The result was the forming of a direct class for what is known as online publishing, which has given us the blogs we see today. Obtaining blog software like WordPress, Blogger and LiveJournal are availible through a number of web hosting services. This provides blinding speed and instant reaction to any concern or topic on the "global podium."

Since 2002 blogs have gained notoriaty and credability for there part in braking, shaping and spinning news stories. It has become a way of throwing important infomation into the public limelight. It now, for all intents and purposes, drives mainstream media by forcing them to follow there lead. Blogging has become a priceless tool for quality communication and a way for intelligent people to provide intelligent and valuable insight, opinions and information.

In 1999 new software services like Blogger and LiveJournal were launched, making blogs much simpler to create.

Today, more than one blog is created every second and there are currently over 100,000 million blogs worldwide.

*******************************************************************************




Be sure to check back tomorrow to see how thorough you are!

One Word vs. Two Words

Several words in our language can be spelled as one word or as two, depending on its meaning. Below is a list of a few such words, with sample sentences on how they are used.

Almost - all most
The plane was almost (nearly) three hours late.
We are all most pleased (all very much pleased) with the new schedule.

Already - all ready
The order had already (previously) been shipped.
The order is all ready (all prepared) to be shipped.

Altogether - all together
He is altogether (entirely) too lazy to be a success.
The papers are all together (all in a group) on your desk.

Always - all ways
She has always (at all times) done good work.
We have tried in all ways (by all methods) to keep our employees satisfied.

Anytime - any time
Come see us anytime you are in town, (one word meaning "whenever").
Did you have dealings with him at any time in the past? (Two words after a preposition such as at.)

Anyway - any way
Anyway (in any case), we can't spare him now.
If we can help in any way (by any method), please let us know.

Awhile - a while
One word as an adverb; two words as a noun.

You may have to wait awhile. (Adverb.)
You may have to wait for a while. (Noun; object of for.)

Everyday - every day
You'll soon master the everyday (ordinary or daily) routine of the job.
He has called every day (each day) this week.

Into - in to
He walked into the outer office. (Into implies entry.)
He came in to see me. (In is part of the verb phrase came in; to is part of the infinitive to see.)

Indifferent - in different
She was indifferent (not caring one way or the other) to the offer.
He like our idea, but he wanted it expressed in different (in other) words.

Maybe - may be
Maybe is an adverb; may be is a verb.

If we don't receive a letter from them today, maybe (an adverb meaning perhaps) we should call.
He may be (a verb) out of town next week.

Onto - on to
He lost control of the car and drove onto the sidewalk. (Onto implies movement toward and then over.)
Let's go on to the next problem. (On is an adverb in the verb phrase go on; to is a preposition.)

Someday - some day
Please set up a meeting with them someday next week.
Please set up a meeting with them for some day next week. (Two words when used as the object of a preposition such as for.)

Sometime - some time
The order will be shipped sometime (at some unspecified time) next week.
It took me some time (a period of time) to complete the job.

Whoever - who ever
Whoever (anyone who) is elected secretary should write that letter at once.
Who ever made such a statement? (Ever is an adverb.)


At times you'll find two words spelled as one, and the resulting one word is not a word at all, (a good example is alot). Our language has many such situations, rules, and exceptions to rules. This is why many people feel intimidated and frustrated by grammar.



Source: The Gregg Reference Manual

Spelling Challenge

It's Fun Friday's Spelling Challenge! And, at the very end of this post are the words that were misspelled in yesterday's Thorough Thursday challenge.

Do you have your sticky note and pen ready? Great! Let's get started! Write down the correct spelling for this week's words. As usual the answers are listed below.

NO PEEKING!


1. athiest
2. bellweather
3. concensus
4. dumbell
5. exhilerate
6. hierachy
7. innoculate
8. liason
9. occurrance
10. pronounciation

BONUS WORD
perogative

Now lets see if you can add to that collection of virtual stars you have!
As you know, If you spell all 10 words correctly
you get a sparkling GOLD star! (Isn't it pretty?)



If you spell the bonus word correctly
you get the prized, very special, much coveted and very beautiful
Crystal Clear Proofing PURPLE star!


For spelling all the words, including the bonus word correctly
you get a GOLD AND a PURPLE star!
(And you ROCK!)



ANSWERS:

1. atheist
2. bellwether
3. consensus
4. dumbbell
5. exhilarate
6. hierarchy
7. inoculate
8. liaison
9. occurrence
10. pronunciation

BONUS WORD:
prerogative



So? How'd you do this week? How many of those stunning stars do you get to add to your collection? To those of you who earned stars...

Here is yesterday's Thorough Thursday post in its entirety, with the errors corrected and highlighted in red.

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Early History

The practice of making extra copies of manuscripts goes back to ancient times; in Rome there were booksellers—Horace mentions the Sosii, who were apparently brothers—and the copying of books by trained slaves reached considerable proportions. With the introduction of printing into Europe in the middle of the 15th century, book publishing sprang into lively existence. The author, the printer, and the publisher of a work were sometimes all the same person, as in the case of members of the Estienne family in France in the 16th cent. The differentiation of printer, publisher, and bookseller appeared early, however, as patrons of literature had books printed for distribution and booksellers had their printing done by others to meet the growing demand.

The Emergence of Publishing Houses

The first important publishing house (1583–1791) was that of the Elzevir family in Holland. The Elzevirs were businessmen rather than scholars, and the business of bookselling grew as literacy increased. Concurrently, printing, publishing, and bookselling spread learning across the West. Religious controversy bred polemics, and arguments printed in broadsides, pamphlets, and books were handed out zealously and bought eagerly by partisans. An interest in knowing the future also increased the amount of literature issued by bookseller-publishers, and almanacs and the like were issued for the wider public.


*******************************************************************************Between the Spelling Challenge and the Thorougness Challenge, you all deserve a little recognition! So let's spread some of that famous Crystal Clear Proofing HAPPY and award everyone for their efforts with the fun, new SMILEY STAR!






And wishing you all a very

Awhile and A While

A while is a noun phrase in which "a" is an article, and "while" functions as a noun meaning "a short period of time."

Awhile is an adverb meaning "for a while."
The word awhile has "for" built into its meaning.

Basically, the meaning is the same, it's the structure that differs.

A mnemonic to assist in determining which to use, is whether "for a while" could be used in the sentence, without changing its meaning, where you were intending to use awhile.

********************************************************************************************************************
Examples:


- "I'll speak with you awhile" is correct because you could also say, "I'll speak with you for a while."

- "I'll speak with you for awhile" is not correct because you're actually using the word "for" twice.
(awhile = for a while: "I'll speak with you for for a while.")

- "I'll prepare my blog in awhile" is not correct as you would not say "I'll prepare my blog in for a while."

- "Writing the blog may take awhile" is not correct because, "Writing the blog may take for a while" is not idiomatic English.
(awhile = for a while: "Writing the blog may take for for a while.")

- "I have relatives staying with me awhile" is correct, as you could also say "I have relatives staying with me for a while."

- "I have relatives staying with me for awhile" is not correct, as in actuality that would be saying, "I have relatives staying with me for for a while."

********************************************************************************************************************

The two-word noun phrase a while is more often the correct choice that is the one-word adverb awhile.

Most grammatical errors involve using awhile where a while would be the appropriate choice.

Again, remember the mnemonic of placing the word "for" before either choice. It's a nearly foolproof way of determining which is appropriate to use.




Sources: Gregg Reference Manual, Grammarmudge, AP Stylebook, CMS

Spelling Challenge

What happens to these weeks that I see out of the corner of my eye, literally flying by? Where do they go? Well, I managed to grab the last day as it was preparing to whiz by me, smoothed it out and placed a piece of it on this page. Because hard as it is to believe, it's once again time to test your skills with "Fun Friday's Spelling Challenge!"

And...here are today's words, with the answers below.

Also, same as that last week that flew on by, at the very end of this post are the words that were misspelled in yesterday's Thorough Thursday challenge.


Now remember...


NO PEEKING!

1. abundence, abundense, abundance

2. amateur, amatuer, ameteur

3. boundries, boundaries, bounderies

4. changeable, changable, changeble

5. commission, comission, commision

6. disasterous, disasterus, disastrous

7. embarass, embarrass, embarress

8. hemmorrage, hemorrage, hemorrhage

9. governor, govenor, govenor

10. millenium, milennium, millennium


BONUS WORD

mischevous, mischievous, mischieveous

As usual, for spelling all the words correctly
you get a GOLD star!



And, if you spelled the bonus word correctly
you get the prized, very special, and much coveted
Crystal Clear Proofing PURPLE star!


For spelling all the words, including the bonus word correctly
you get a GOLD and a PURPLE star!
(Hooray!)

ANSWERS:

1. abundance
2. amateur
3. boundaries
4. changeable
5. commission
6. disastrous
7. embarrass
8. hemorrhage
9. governor
10. millennium


BONUS WORD:

mischievous




CONGRATULATIONS
to those of you who earned stars!

Now, here's yesterday's Thorough Thursday post in its entirety, with the errors highlighted in red. (Oh my goodness, the dreaded red marks!) However in this post, and in the future, rather than just highlighting the incorrect word, I'll be highlighting it and replacing it with the correct word and/or spelling (as should have been done last week)!
_______________________________________________________

It's hard to believe that summer is behind us. The absence of warm weather affects many people who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and other joint ailments, yet can be a relief to those who suffer from allergies. There are fewer pollutants in the air, but the fluctuating barometric pressure results in aches and pains definitely being more prevalent. Suffering from osteoarthritis myself, I notice a tremendous change in the severity of joint stiffness.

It seems as though it's comparatively much easier to ease into summer than it is getting used to the colder weather. Our bodies acclimate to the change in climate much better; however, if you happen to suffer from them, nasal allergies do not. The pollination of so much flora, even the growing of the grass in the spring can wreck havoc on our bodies, causing post-nasal drip and itchy, watery eyes. Many find relief from allergies with over-the-counter medications, while some require prescription medication.

And then there's the whole process of changing the contents of your closet. The colder temperatures mean bringing out the heavier, warmer clothing. It's one of the things I miss about having lived in California where "closet rotation" isn't really necessary.

_______________________________________________________


So, how'd you do? All the errors were spelling, with the exception of effects being used rather that affects, and wrack rather then wreck. This proves a good reminder to everyone that while spell check is a wonderful tool, it isn't going to help you when you use an incorrect word!


As usual, I hope that you all have a very...

HAPPY WEEKEND!

Thoroughness Challenge

Thoroughly Thursday is a weekly post where I type a couple of paragraphs that contain spelling and/or grammatical errors, and your job is to find them. The same post is repeated at the end of Fun Friday's Spelling Challenge, with the errors corrected and highlighted in red.

This is on the honor system! No spending all day, printing it out, looking up words...you have to complete the challenge here.
Also, please keep the errors you find to yourself, rather than list them here...we don't want to "help" anyone inadvertently!


Here is this week's Thoroughly Thursday challenge,
which contains 24 errors. Good Luck!

*****************************************************************************************

It's hard to beleive that summer is behind us. The absense of warm weather effects many people who suffer from rhuematoid arthritis and other joint ailments, yet can be a releif to those who suffer from allergies. There are fewer pollutents in the air, but the fluctuating barometeric pressure results in aches and pains definately being more prevelant. Suffering from osteoartheritis myself, I notice a tremendus change in the severety of joint stiffness.

It seems as though it's comparitively much easier to ease into summer than it is getting used to the colder weather. Our bodies acclamate to the change in climate much better; however, if you happen to suffer from them, nasel allergies do not. The pollenation of so much flora, even the growing of the grass in the spring can wrack havock on our bodies, causing post-nasel drip and itchy, watery eyes. Many find releif from allergies with over-the-counter medications, while some require perscription medication.

And then there's the whole prosess of changing the contents of your closet. The colder tempratures mean bringing out the heavier, warmer clothing. It's one of the things I miss about having lived in California where "closet rotation" isn't really neccesary.

*****************************************************************************************

Now remember, keep the errors you find, and
Be sure to check back tomorrow to see how you did!

Wednesday's Word

Welcome to this week's edition of Wednesday's Word, where you'll learn an obsure, not-very-common and/or not-frequently used word.


Today's Wednesday's Word is: OBDORMITION.


Obdormition is a noun and it's description is: numbness or 'going to sleep' of a limb, etc.


We've all been the victims of obdormition! So next time your leg goes numb after all those hours at the computer, try using today's new word and let someone know that obdormition is SUCH an inconvenience! (It can even be dangerous! I've actually landed on the floor as a result of not knowing I had obdormition in one of my legs, or feet...)

Okay, have fun with that, and see you back next Wednesday for another new, weird word! LOL!!




Note: The source for many of the words I'll be featuring can be found at Luciferous Logolepsy. They are so obscure, I was actually unable to find some of them at a couple of common online dictionary references, such as The Free Dictionary.com.

Spelling Challenge

Happy End of the Week! It's time once again for "Fun Friday's Spelling Challenge!"

And...here are today's words, with the answers below.

Also at the very end of this post are the words that were misspelled in yesterday's Thorough Thursday challenge.


Now remember...


NO PEEKING!

1. acummulate, accumulate, acumulate

2. cartilage, cartiledge, cartiladge

3. diarama, dioroma, diorama

4. flaberghast, flabberghast, flabbergast

5. hankerchief, handerchief, handerchef

6. irascible, irrasible, irrascible

7. leutenent, lieutenant, lieutenent

8. misogany, misogyny, misogyni

9. rememberance, remembrence, remembrance

10. plentitude, plenitude, plenatude

BONUS WORD

sacrilegious, sacreligious, sacreligeous

As usual, for spelling all the words correctly
you get a GOLD star!



And, if you spelled the bonus word correctly
you get the prized, very special, and much coveted
Crystal Clear Proofing PURPLE star!


For spelling all the words, including the bonus word correctly
you get a GOLD and a PURPLE star!
(Hooray!)


ANSWERS:

1. accumulate
2. cartilage
3. diorama
4. flabbergast
5. handkerchief
6. irascible
7. lieutenant
8. misogyny
9. remembrance
10. plenitude


BONUS WORD:

sacrilegious


CONGRATULATIONS
to those of you who earned stars!



Now, here's yesterday's Thorough Thursday post in its entirety, with the errors highlighted in red. (Oh my goodness, the dreaded red marks!)
_______________________________________________________

Thorough Thursday is going to consist of a few short sentences that will include mispellings and possibly minor grammer issues to test your attentivness to detail, and to see how thorough you are.

In the first of this feature there are 14 words spelled incorrectley. It can be challanging to acomplish this task with readers posessing such exellent grammer skills. Each week, the mispelled words will be posted at the end of Fun Friday's Spelling Challange.

It will be fun to see whom recieves the best results and catches the most errors! Good luck, and check back tommorrow to see how you did!

_______________________________________________________

So, how'd you do? Several of you left comments of having found 13 errors. The 14th was the use of whom, when who is correct. That was the only grammar error. I belief Elspeth may have gotten that one!

You all did very well! Between yesterday's and today's exercises, you all have worked so hard, so go and enjoy the rest of your day, and...

Have a HAPPY weekend!

Who and Whom

As many of you know, I refer to my more "in-depth" posts as "techie." Thus the name...

Who is used as the subject of a sentence.
Whom is used as an object in a sentence.
_________________________

Who was at the conference?
Whom did you see at the conference?

In the first sentence above, who is the subject.
In the second sentence, you is the subject and whom is the direct object (of who was at the conference).
_________________________

Who is the book dedicated to? Who is the subject.
To whom is the book dedicated? Whom is the object (of the book).
_________________________

A practically fail-proof exercise to help determine which is correct to use is to replace the word in question with he/she or him/her.

He/she is the equivalent of who (subjective) and him/her is the equivalent of whom (objective). For example:

Who/Whom should I ask to review the book?

I should ask he/she...
I should ask him/her...

I should ask him/her to review the book is right. Therefore, Whom should I ask to review the book? is the correct choice.
________________________

Whom is also used as the object of prepositions - words such as to, for, about, over, of, after, from or before. If one of these prepositions is present, it will precede the word whom.

Examples

The letter should begin with, "To Whom It May Concern."
For Whom the Bell Tolls.
About whom should I write to book?
The heated discussion was over whom?
You indicated the book was a biography of whom?
After whom do I give my presentation?
From whom do you expect to receive a good review?
Before whom do I stand in line?

________________________

SYNOPSIS

Who is used as the subject of a sentence.
Whom is used as an object in a sentence.

Substituting he/him or she/her is an excellent exercise in determining which word to use.

Whom is used when followed by prepositions such as to, for, about, over, of, after, from or before.

How the sentence is structured can change which word you use.

Whom in many situations is more formal than who. You can say:

"Who are you talking to?" or
"To whom are you talking?" (Notice the word to before whom.)

Spelling Challenge

Not only is it already October (what happened to SUMMER?), it's also already time to once again test your spelling skills! Along with the change of season, as you no doubt noticed in the header, I've changed the name of the weekly "Misspelled Words" feature to "FUN FRIDAY'S SPELLING CHALLENGE!"


And...here are today's words. The answers are below, and of course you know...



NO PEEKING!



1. annoint, annoynt, anoint

2. camouflage, cammoflage, camoflauge

3. deterrance, deterrence, deterence

4. explaination, explanaition, explanation

5. hypocresy, hypocrisy, hypocracy

6. nauseous, nauseus, naucious

7. putrify, putrefy, putrefie

8. subpoena, subpena, supoena

9. tariff, tarriff, tarrif

10. eukalale, ukulele, ukalele


BONUS WORD

onometopia, onomatopoeia, onomatopoea



Remember, if spell the first ten words correctly,
you get a GOLD STAR!



If you spell the bonus word correctly, you get the prized, very special and much coveted
Crystal Clear Proofing PURPLE STAR!




AND...if you spell the ten words AND the bonus word correctly,
then you get a GOLD STAR and a PURPLE STAR!

Now THAT'S not only exciting, but one heck of an incentive, right?
(Just agree with me, it's Friday...)




ANSWERS:

1 anoint
2. camouflage
3 deterrence
4. explanation
5. hypocrisy
6. nauseous
7. putrefy
8. subpoena
9. tariff
10.ukulele

BONUS WORD:
onomatopoeia

(For the definition of today's bonus word just click FreeDictionary.com)



NEW FEATURES COMING TO CRYSTAL CLEAR PROOFING: In addition to differences between words, which word to use when...(otherwise known as the "techie posts"), and Fun Friday's Spelling Challenge, I'm tossing around some ideas for other posts; for example, one may have to do with words that are uncommon and you don't hear or use often - such as today's bonus word.

Another idea is to write a one or two paragraph story, complete with a few errors, and your challenge would be to find them!

I'll be working out the details and considering different options over the next few days. If any of you have any ideas or things you'd like to see here, please - by all means mention them! In the meantime...



Enjoy your weekend - and remember to SMILE!
It not only lights up your face, but shines upon those you share it with!
It's an easy way to spread some HAPPY - and it just makes you feel GOOD!

Lay and Lie

Many variables create the lay and lie conundrum. Not only are they irregular verbs, but other issues arise when dealing with these two words and their various forms:

The past tense of one form is the present tense of another, i.e., the past tense of lie is lay.
Lay is also a present tense verb.
One of them, lie, can also refer to an untruth.


Lay means to put down, or to place.
It is a transitive verb and requires an object.

Lie means to recline, or occupy a location.
It is an intransitive verb and does not have an object.

Tip from CCP: A good way to remember which has an object and which doesn't is LIE. When using it to reference an untruth it has a negative connotation, so think of the fact that it does NOT have an object.


Therefore, you LAY a book on a table, and you LIE down.
(You don't lie the book on the table - you have an object. And, in the present tense, you don't lay down - you don't have an object).


Confused yet?


Here are some examples on how to conjugate these two verbs:

LAY
Remember lay is transitive and must have a direct object.
The past tense of lay is laid.

- Present tense: I lay the books on the table.
- Past tense: I laid the books on the table.
- Past participle: I had laid the books on the table.

LIE
Remember lie is intransitive and cannot have a direct object.
The past tense of lie is lay.

- Present tense: I lie down to rest.
- Past tense: Yesterday, I lay down to rest.
- Past participle: One day last week I had lain down to rest.


*****************************************************************
Substituting lay with place:

Since lay means to put down or to place, a good test in deciding whether to use lay or lie in a sentence is to *substitute the word place, placed or placing (as appropriate) for the word in question. If the substitute fits, the corresponding form of lay is correct. If it doesn't, use the appropriate form of lie.

- I will (lie or lay?) down now. (You would not say "I will place down now." Therefore, "I will lie down now" is correct.)

- I (laid or lay?) the pad on the desk. ("I placed the pad on the desk" works. Therefore, "I laid the pad" is correct.)

- I (laid or lay?) awake many nights. ("I placed awake" doesn't work. "I lay awake" is correct.)

- These files have (laid or lain?) untouched for some time. ("These files have placed untouched" doesn't work. Correct: "These files have lain untouched.")

- He has been (laying or lying?) down on the job. ("He has been placing down on the job" doesn't work. Correct: "He has been lying down.")*

*Source: The Gregg Reference Manual, Sixth Edition*
***************************************************************


Even grammar "experts" have a difficult time with lay and lie, and use a cheat sheet such as the one below:

****************************************************************

PRESENT........PAST..........PAST
TENSE...........TENSE........PARTICIPLE

Lay*................Laid............Laid______to place or put down
Lie..................Lay..............Lain______to recline

*Remember - requires an object.

****************************************************************
(Special Note: "Layed" is not a word - it is "LAID.")


Today you lay the book on the table,
yesterday you laid the book on the table,
and in the past you have laid the book on the table.

You need to lie down today,
yesterday you lay down
and in the past you have lain down.



If you had printed this out, you could now lay the pages on the table and go lie down and relax after reading all this information about lay and lie.

If all else fails, at least the chart above will help you remember. Really! I wouldn't lie!

Wait and Await

Both wait and await are verbs.

Await always takes an object: you await your destiny, etc.
Wait does not: you wait for or on something or someone.

WAIT

Wait is intransitive, (a verb or verb construction that does not require or cannot take a direct object), and a preposition must be used with it. That preposition is usually for: "I've been waiting for 2 hours."

The verb wait can come in different structures. You can just use wait on its own: "I've been waiting for the release of that book."

Wait is often used with another verb: "I waited in line for the author to make an appearance."

Very often a reference to time is mentioned when using a form of wait: "I waited for at least an hour."

Finally, speakers often mention what or who they have been waiting for: "I have been waiting for two hours for the bookstore to open."

AWAIT

Await is transitive, (a verb requiring a direct object): "I await the author's appearance."

Await, being more formal, is more commonly used in written form, as opposed to speech, when we tend to use wait for.

Remember, await isn't followed by for - wait is.

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When reading the following sentences, it's easy to "hear" that they are not grammatically correct:

I wait the release of the book.
I await for the release of the book.

Using a preposition with the correct verb, it's equally as easy to "hear" proper syntax:

I wait for the release of the book.
I await the release of the book.

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In most cases, the primary difference between wait and await is the level of formality.
Await is simply a more formal way of saying to wait for.

I await the release of the book.
I am waiting for the release of the book.

Joint and Separate Possession

Joint and separate possessions can be confusing. There is, however, an easy way to differentiate between the two, ensuring that the dreaded apostrophe is put in the right place!

Here are sentences giving examples of both:

Joint Possession

"Sally and Amy's blogs."
(The blogs of Sally and Amy. Sally and Amy wrote more than one blog together).

Separate Possession

"Sally's and Amy's blogs."
(The blogs of Sally and the blogs of Amy. Sally and Amy each wrote more than one blog).

General consensus is that in joint possession, only the last possessor has inflection. So, in the first example, since Sally and Amy both wrote the blogs, the word that shows possession is the last - in this case, Amy.

If nouns possess something jointly (the blogs were written by both Sally and Amy), add the apostrophe and "s" showing possession to the last noun, (they are Sally and Amy's blogs).

If nouns possess something separately (the blogs Sally wrote, and the blogs Amy wrote), add the apostrophe and "s" to both nouns, (Sally's and Amy's blogs).

The "secret" is just to ask yourself, "Whose blogs are they?" If the answer is that they are the blogs of both of them (they each wrote the blogs), you have joint possession. If the blogs are Sally's and the other blogs are Amy's - separate possession.

They're, Their and There

In the first post to this blog, I made reference to the confusion and often misuse of they're, their and there. Well, it's time we take a look at these three variations!

The first I'll address, and probably the easiest to remember, is they're. They're is a contraction of the words they and are. A contraction is the combination of two words, e.g., wasn't - (was and not), couldn't - (could and not)...you get the idea. So in the context of what you're writing, if the two words used separately make sense, then you're (you are) using the correct form.

Their is a possessive adjective. "Their choice of words is correct." Perhaps the i in their could help you; (i - mine) being possessive. (A special note of interest about their - this form is often misspelled, possibly because of the general rule, "i before e except following c;" it's one of those words that doesn't comply with the "rule") - which is WEIRD.

There on the other hand, is usually used when referring to a place, (They live over there), or as a pronoun to introduce a sentence (There are three versions of the word). Here you have a word where a letter - "r" is placed between two identical letters, - "e". If you're unsure, say to yourself, "I'm placing the r between the e's," thus you are referring to a place. Another trick that might help you remember is that here is in the word there, and here is a place. As for abstract uses of the word, is it a pronoun you're beginning a sentence with? Your safest bet is the process of elimination. If they're and their do not fit, chances are you want to use there.

In the following sentence can you see the use of the three forms being used correctly?

"They're hoping that their books will sell there."

They are hoping that their (remember i - possessive) books will sell there (you placed the r between two e's; and here is part of the word) - a place.

And remember - while spell check is a wonderful tool, it's not going to catch an incorrect word choice! All three forms of this word will pass spell check (if they're spelled correctly!) But it may not be the correct form of the word for the context of what you're writing! Enabling grammar check will help, but mastering the differences of these words on your own is empowering! C'mon!! You can do it! THERE is nothing to it!

Now, did you catch that? They're and their would not be correct - try it: They're (they are) is nothing to it; Their (possessive - I, mine) is nothing to it. Neither is right, so by process of elimination, and the fact that it's a pronoun used to introduce a sentence, the proper choice is THERE.