The Grammar Cop

The Objective Case

December 1st, 2011

Don’t overthink pronouns. You have pronouns that work as subjects and pronouns that work as objects. The subjective case is easy to understand. Consider these two sentences:

Me and Ronda are going to Italy.
Ronda and I are going to Italy.

Obviously, the second sentence is the grammatically acceptable one. The objective case, however, often trips up writers. For instance, which of the following sentences is correct?

She slid into the booth across from Stan and I.
She slid into the booth across from Stan and me.

If you picked the second sentence, you are correct. Often we overthink grammar and make it more difficult than necessary. The pronoun is the object of the preposition from and is the objective case, me.

When in doubt which case to use, break down your sentence and figure out the pronoun’s role. Is it the object of a verb or preposition or is it the subject? Answer that question and you’ll know which pronoun to use.

Happy writing, and congratulations to all of you NaNoWriMo winners!

Posted in Grammar | No Comments »

When Grammar Matters

November 3rd, 2011

As writers, we face deadlines (both contractual and self-imposed). Editing for grammar should wait for the final draft.

This month, thousands of writers are participating in NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month. It’s a challenge to write 50000 words in 30 days. Without any (gulp!) editing.

Productive writers know that grammar matters. The submitted manuscript needs to be perfect in format and grammar. The time to worry about grammar, however, is not while you write. Focus on telling the story. Get it down. Then go through the first draft to check for plot holes and consistency. Go through a second time to proof for style issues (i.e. active writing instead of passive writing). Finally, edit your draft for grammar errors and typos.

Notice I said “finally.” Editing grammar should be one of your last concerns in finishing your novel/article/story and preparing it for submission to an editor, an agent, or a contest. It’s an important step. Grammar errors make the writer look amateurish and unprofessional. But don’t anguish over every sentence while you’re producing a first draft.

Now if only I can practice what I preach, I’ll reach my own NaNoWriMo goals.

Posted in Style, Writing | No Comments »

Averse or Adverse?

October 27th, 2011

Many confused words in the English language haunt writers, including averse and adverse. When do you use averse and when do you use adverse?

Averse used correctly:

I was averse to changing courses in midterm.

Adverse used correctly:

El Niño had an adverse effect on the weather.

Here’s a trick sentence to help you remember: You are averse to adverse conditions.

This trick sentence reminds you that averse means wanting to avoid (memorable since both begin with av) and adverse means unfavorable or difficult.

Grammar Cop will cover more confused words in the coming weeks.

Posted in Grammar, Writing | No Comments »

Possessive pronouns

October 20th, 2011

It isn’t that hard, people. Possessive pronouns do NOT need an apostrophe. Yet today I read a letter from the president of a company to her customers about her product and “it’s qualities.”

It’s is a contraction of it and is or it and was. Its is the possessive of it. Why is this so difficult? Why is this infraction so widespread? I wish I knew.

You wouldn’t use hi’s for his or her’s for hers. So why would one use it’s for the possessive of it? It must be a conspiracy to raise the grammar cop’s blood pressure.