Comments for Cheryl Norman, Grammar Cop :-) http://cherylnorman.com/blog Postings regarding those burning questions about grammar. Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:57:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 Comment on Commas, too? by Cheryl Norman http://cherylnorman.com/blog/2007/09/09/commas-too/#comment-4387 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:23:09 +0000 http://cherylnorman.com/blog/2007/09/09/commas-too/#comment-4387 <B>Betty, To answer your question, you need to identify WHO is doing the congratulating. <I>Honorees</I> is the object of your verb. Whether your verb is <I>congratulate</I> or <I>congratulates</I> depends on the subject of your sentence, regardless of whether your object is singular or plural. Examples: We congratulate honorees. Let me congratulate honorees. I congratulate honorees. He congratulates honorees. The head of the department congratulates honorees. Hope this helps. Thanks for blogging with the Grammar Cop. Cheryl</B> Betty,

To answer your question, you need to identify WHO is doing the congratulating. Honorees is the object of your verb. Whether your verb is congratulate or congratulates depends on the subject of your sentence, regardless of whether your object is singular or plural.

Examples:

We congratulate honorees.

Let me congratulate honorees.

I congratulate honorees.

He congratulates honorees.

The head of the department congratulates honorees.

Hope this helps. Thanks for blogging with the Grammar Cop.

Cheryl

]]> Comment on Commas, too? by Betty Barker http://cherylnorman.com/blog/2007/09/09/commas-too/#comment-4385 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:46:50 +0000 http://cherylnorman.com/blog/2007/09/09/commas-too/#comment-4385 Is it congratulates honorees or congratulate honorees? Thank you Is it congratulates honorees or congratulate honorees?
Thank you

]]> Comment on National Grammar Day–March forth on March 4th! by Cheryl Norman http://cherylnorman.com/blog/2008/03/04/national-grammar-day-march-forth-on-march-4th/#comment-4356 Mon, 24 Mar 2008 22:25:11 +0000 http://cherylnorman.com/blog/2008/03/04/national-grammar-day-march-forth-on-march-4th/#comment-4356 Proper English historically identified the upper crust, so I see your professor's point. I catch myself saying, "my bad." Of course, that's incorrect modern slang for "I did something wrong." I often speak worse than I write. Thanks for weighing in, and visit again, Danielle. Proper English historically identified the upper crust, so I see your professor’s point. I catch myself saying, “my bad.” Of course, that’s incorrect modern slang for “I did something wrong.” I often speak worse than I write.

Thanks for weighing in, and visit again, Danielle.

]]> Comment on National Grammar Day–March forth on March 4th! by Danielle M http://cherylnorman.com/blog/2008/03/04/national-grammar-day-march-forth-on-march-4th/#comment-4354 Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:09:44 +0000 http://cherylnorman.com/blog/2008/03/04/national-grammar-day-march-forth-on-march-4th/#comment-4354 Not only is the “better” sentence the most academic English form, but it also seems to have a whole different meaning than the “bad” sentence. In my grammar class, my professor is constantly harping on the way grammar has a way of distinguishing classes and different types of people. The “bad” sentence seems more of a valley girl statement, one where “seriously” is used to add emphasis. I would expect someone to say, “like” before such a sentence. But the “better” sentence speaks of the tone of the conversation the speaker wishes to have. I wonder if such mistakes as infinitives should be corrected in the classroom when a teacher hears them. Is this more of a dialect mistake? The same professor I mentioned a bit ago also explains that educators should never simply say, “What you said is bad” but instead explain to the student that there is a more academic way to state what they said. Danielle McGuire Not only is the “better” sentence the most academic English form, but it also seems to have a whole different meaning than the “bad” sentence. In my grammar class, my professor is constantly harping on the way grammar has a way of distinguishing classes and different types of people. The “bad” sentence seems more of a valley girl statement, one where “seriously” is used to add emphasis. I would expect someone to say, “like” before such a sentence. But the “better” sentence speaks of the tone of the conversation the speaker wishes to have.

I wonder if such mistakes as infinitives should be corrected in the classroom when a teacher hears them. Is this more of a dialect mistake? The same professor I mentioned a bit ago also explains that educators should never simply say, “What you said is bad” but instead explain to the student that there is a more academic way to state what they said.

Danielle McGuire

]]> Comment on Those Pesky Homophones by RonF http://cherylnorman.com/blog/2008/02/16/those-pesky-homophones/#comment-3707 Wed, 05 Mar 2008 22:30:38 +0000 http://cherylnorman.com/blog/2008/02/16/those-pesky-homophones/#comment-3707 Principal/principle discreet/discrete Principal/principle
discreet/discrete

]]> Comment on Those Pesky Homophones by vijayasimha http://cherylnorman.com/blog/2008/02/16/those-pesky-homophones/#comment-3456 Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:26:51 +0000 http://cherylnorman.com/blog/2008/02/16/those-pesky-homophones/#comment-3456 bear/bare bogie/bogey main/mane hair/hare pare/pair fare/fair maid/made mettle/metal aid/aide sight/cite mite/might caught/cot find/fiend brake/break hold/holed laws/loss claws/clause pause/pass/paws sent/scent/cent ice/eyes not/naught sects/sex bear/bare
bogie/bogey
main/mane
hair/hare
pare/pair
fare/fair
maid/made
mettle/metal
aid/aide
sight/cite
mite/might
caught/cot
find/fiend
brake/break
hold/holed
laws/loss
claws/clause
pause/pass/paws
sent/scent/cent
ice/eyes
not/naught
sects/sex

]]> Comment on Those Pesky Homophones by Cheryl Norman http://cherylnorman.com/blog/2008/02/16/those-pesky-homophones/#comment-3448 Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:54:05 +0000 http://cherylnorman.com/blog/2008/02/16/those-pesky-homophones/#comment-3448 Bravo, Punctuation Man! Bravo, Punctuation Man!

]]> Comment on Those Pesky Homophones by reader http://cherylnorman.com/blog/2008/02/16/those-pesky-homophones/#comment-3446 Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:29:37 +0000 http://cherylnorman.com/blog/2008/02/16/those-pesky-homophones/#comment-3446 Punctuation Man announces endorsement of Serial Comma! http://www.nationalpunctuationday.com/serialcomma.html Punctuation Man announces endorsement of Serial Comma!

http://www.nationalpunctuationday.com/serialcomma.html

]]> Comment on Those Pesky Homophones by Leah Braemel http://cherylnorman.com/blog/2008/02/16/those-pesky-homophones/#comment-3409 Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:21:55 +0000 http://cherylnorman.com/blog/2008/02/16/those-pesky-homophones/#comment-3409 How about 'could've' vs 'could of'? I have found 'could of' and 'should of' used in a few books and have to wonder how they got missed. Those drive me NUTS! How about ‘could’ve’ vs ‘could of’? I have found ‘could of’ and ’should of’ used in a few books and have to wonder how they got missed. Those drive me NUTS!

]]> Comment on Those Pesky Homophones by Gail Tanner http://cherylnorman.com/blog/2008/02/16/those-pesky-homophones/#comment-3178 Thu, 21 Feb 2008 15:15:27 +0000 http://cherylnorman.com/blog/2008/02/16/those-pesky-homophones/#comment-3178 My favorite is pair/pear/pare. My favorite is pair/pear/pare.

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