GRAMMAR GEM OF THE DAY: “Whom” Do You Love

Who vs. whom is the subject of the day. There are several easy tricks to help you choose the best option: Who DOES something (it’s a subject like she or he) and whom has something done TO it (it’s an object like her or him). Try substituting another pronoun such as she/her or he/him A preposition (such as “by,” “for,” or “to” often comes just before whom. For example, “For Whom the Bell Tolls” Ask yourself who is doing what to whom More grammar fun coming tomorrow. Stay tuned! Amy www.amyhagberg.com

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GRAMMAR GEM: Preposition Placement

Most of us were told in school never to end a sentence in a preposition. If that’s true, why do so many people do it? When I hear somebody end a sentence with “at” it is like I’ve just heard fingernails screech down a chalkboard. “Where are we having dinner at?” ACK! In this case, “at” is a completely wasted word; it would be much more correct to say, “Where are we having dinner?” Lose the “at” … please :)

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Grammar Gem of the Day: Which vs. That

Most of my editing clients get this one wrong, so don’t feel too bad if this is news to you, too. How do you know when to use the pronoun “which” and when to use “that?” Its fairly simple. If you can drop the dependent clause in a sentence without losing the point, you should choose “which” and enclose it in commas. Amy’s dog, which is thirteen years old, is having trouble catching squirrels. (If you take out “which is thirteen years old,” the sentence still works.) However, if the clause is a critical piece of the sentence, use “that.” The dog that is having trouble catching squirrels is Amy’s […]

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