Grammar and Sentence Structures

[ex-Sup]

They need to bring back the commercials from Saturday morning cartoons...conjunction junction, what your function? ;D

Okay, so I couldn't help myself. Googled "Schoolhouse Rock." For those of you looking for a blast from the past, here you go:
http://www.school-house-rock.com/conjunction.htm
For those of you who have no idea what this is, google Saturday morning cartoons since they don't really exist anymore.  ;D

 

[Shamrock]

Beware of glass houses and all that.  We all make mistakes, as I've illustrated in the above quote ("who" is used as a subject in sentences, "whom" is a direct or indirect object.  In this case, you've erroneously used "whom").

We've mostly abandoned the use of 'whom' anyhow -- I suspect one part because it's no longer taught in class and the other because WH movements are stupidly confusing without adding in the one and only W5H where accusative and nominative cases are different.  Personally, I'd like to see correct and proper usage of "I" and "me" taught.

Edit:
I don't disagree with all the omissions teachers make from certain grammatical conventions; in my opinion, some of the prescriptive rules of English grammar were/are completely contradictory to perfectly acceptable constructs.  Split infinitives (to boldly go vs. to go boldly), hanging prepositions (which pot was the spaghetti cooked in vs. in which pot was the spaghetti cooked), and a few other examples come readily to mind that are grammatical sound but technical errors.

 

[Edward Campbell]

I believe dangling prepositions are a mortal sin, up with which we must not put! (Thanks, Mr. Churchill!)

 

[PMedMoe]

Never use a preposition to end a sentence with.  ;D

 

[Yrys]

I hope members here will understand that communications in the field, in operations must go by: A, B, C:

Accuracy;
Brevity; and
Clarity.

B can always be sacrificed, just a bit, to aid A and C which are indispensable.

A, B, C is also usefull in civilian life.

However,  I still have not  achieve Brevity . I'm not yet comfortable with how to achieve Brevity, because I don't see how to do it and still retain Accuracy. I can't help but felt that by going for Brevity,
I'm losing some Accuracy, to the point that it could be considered liars.

Which make meeting with me longer then needed, and my "resuming" of it painfull to bored listeners... It is however usefull for friends, when they want account
of programs or movies they missed, because they know that they will know EVERYTHING!

 

[X-mo-1979]

Personally, I'd like to see correct and proper usage of "I" and "me" taught.

Like "Me tank got stuck in the mish,I know's I wasnt soaked!Me Boots was right fulled up wit water!"

 

[armyvern]

A, B, C is also usefull in civilian life.

However,  I still have not  achieve Brevity . I'm not yet comfortable with how to achieve Brevity, because I don't see how to do it and still retain Accuracy. I can't help but felt that by going for Brevity,
I'm losing some Accuracy, to the point that it could be considered liars.

Which make meeting with me longer then needed, and my "resuming" of it painfull to bored listeners... It is however usefull for friends, when they want account
of programs or movies they missed, because they know that they will know EVERYTHING!

J,

You're not doing too badly for a franco. Look at me for crying out loud!! Old, english -- and still can't get my A, B, Cs down ...

 

[vonGarvin]

Personally, I'd like to see correct and proper usage of "I" and "me" taught.

As would I.  I often hear people say things such as "Joe was talking to Jane and I."  I cringe.  It makes me cringe.  (It should be "Joe was talking to Jane and me."  Easy way to remember, if it were only you to you that Joe was talking, would you say "Joe was talking to I" or "Joe was talking to me"?)

Pet peeve of mine, I suppose...

 

[Celticgirl]

As would I.  I often hear people say things such as "Joe was talking to Jane and I."  I cringe.  It makes me cringe.  (It should be "Joe was talking to Jane and me."  Easy way to remember, if it were only you to you that Joe was talking, would you say "Joe was talking to I" or "Joe was talking to me"?)

Pet peeve of mine, I suppose...

Mine, too. I have a long list of grammar pet peeves, though. One of the big ones is people saying a person was "hung" (and not meaning well-endowed). People are hanged. Pictures are hung. I've even seen this egregious error in the newspapers! Shame, shame on them! 

Another of my pet peeves: It is correct to say "between you and me", not "between you and I". Hearing the latter is like nails on a chalkboard to me.  :-X

 

[armyvern]

Here's mine:

"I led the troops in that direction yesterday."

That's right -- it's led, not lead.

You will lead them the other way ... tomorrow!!

 

[vonGarvin]

Mine, too. I have a long list of grammar pet peeves, though. One of the big ones is people saying a person was "hung" (and not meaning well-endowed). People are hanged. Pictures are hung. I've even seen this egregious error in the newspapers! Shame, shame on them! 

Question: if a person were to be hung on a wall (say, by the collar of their shirt on a coat hook as you often see in comedies), would they be "hung" or "hanged".

But that is a good example.  I was giving a tour of The RCR Museum many years ago, and when I got to the part about the Riel Rebellion, I mentioned that Riel was hanged, etc.  A young punk (of say grade 8 age or so) attempted to correct me, and said "He was hung, not hanged."  I corrected him by saying that people are hanged, things are hung.  He was going to protest, but his teacher piped up and told him that I was correct.

 

[vonGarvin]

Here's mine:

"I led the troops in that direction yesterday."

That's right -- it's led, not lead.

You will lead them the other way ... tomorrow!!

I am SO GUILTY of doing that, and I know better.  But I just write it off as my ever present problem with leadership  >

 

[armyvern]

Question: if a person were to be hung on a wall (say, by the collar of their shirt on a coat hook as you often see in comedies), would they be "hung" or "hanged".

But that is a good example.  I was giving a tour of The RCR Museum many years ago, and when I got to the part about the Riel Rebellion, I mentioned that Riel was hanged, etc.  A young punk (of say grade 8 age or so) attempted to correct me, and said "He was hung, not hanged."  I corrected him by saying that people are hanged, things are hung.  He was going to protest, but his teacher piped up and told him that I was correct.

Obviously it's: We hung them as we hanged them!! >

 

[Celticgirl]

Question: if a person were to be hung on a wall (say, by the collar of their shirt on a coat hook as you often see in comedies), would they be "hung" or "hanged".

I've had many students ask me the very same question.  ;D

If a person is hanged, it means they are hanged from the neck until dead. If someone is placed on a coat hook by his/her collar, he/she is hung (as a picture). But then, I suspect you already knew that this was correct, MR. 

 

[Celticgirl]

Here's mine:

"I led the troops in that direction yesterday."

That's right -- it's led, not lead.

You will lead them the other way ... tomorrow!!

Good one! Strange that no one confuses read/red, but lead/led causes a great deal of perplexity.

 

[PMedMoe]

Good one! Strange that no one confuses read/red, but lead/led causes a great deal of perplexity.

But red is not the past tense of read, whereas led is the past tense of lead.
Usually, I say a sentence out loud, if I am having difficulty with the tense of a word.
I have to admit, the hanged and hung thing always gets me!  :-[

 

[Celticgirl]

But red is not the past tense of read, whereas led is the past tense of lead.

True, but other homonyms seem to trip people up, despite their very different meanings and usages. For example: there, they're, their and here, hear  (I see people writing "here, here!" instead of "hear, hear!" and I have to admit, it makes me cringe a little.  )

 

[ex-Sup]

True, but other homonyms seem to trip people up, despite their very different meanings and usages. For example: there, they're, their and here, hear  (I see people writing "here, here!" instead of "hear, hear!" and I have to admit, it makes me cringe a little.  )

On top of that, we're starting to see issues with basic stuff like to, too and two.