Cheryl Norman, Grammar Cop :-)

The case of the misplaced modifier

Cheryl Norman — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 09:31:50 +0000

A common syntax problem for writers involves misplaced modifiers. MMs can also occur as dangling participles. Either can cause your reader to burst out in laughter even if you aren’t writing a comedy.

Watch for sentences like: Eager to be starting their married life together, the wedding was held at the courthouse. The wedding was eager?

Here’s one from author Elizabeth Sinclair, who’s young daughter rushed into the house declaring, “I just saw a deer riding my bicycle!” Her older sister asked, “A deer was riding your bicycle?”

As a child, I puzzled over Davy Crockett and how he “killed him a bear when he was only three.” Was the bear three? If so, how did Davy know his age? If Davy was three, how did he manage to kill the bear?

I’m sure the newscaster wasn’t trying for a chuckle when she said: The police officer arrested the man who had tried to carjack the couple brandishing a weapon. Brave carjacker!

To avoid misplaced and misleading modifiers, identify the subject and verb of your sentence. Then be sure your modifier refers back to the subject. If it doesn’t, you need to re-word.

Happy summer solstice!

Cheryl

Spam Troubles

Cheryl Norman — Sun, 25 May 2008 14:40:58 +0000

I apologize for having to delete the guest blogger post from last year, but for some reason that post received daily spam hits, forcing me to remove the post.

Objective case, predicate nominatives, and predicate adjectives

Cheryl Norman — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:02:21 +0000

From the mailbag:

I’ve had more questions about when to use “me” vs. “I.” What you really are asking is how to differentiate between the objective and subjective case of a pronoun. If the pronoun follows a verb or a prepostion, it takes the objective “me” form.

Give me the book. The book belongs to me.

If the pronoun is performing the action, it is the subject of the clause and requires the “I” form.

Am I the volunteer? It is I.

Back in the day, when we diagrammed sentences, we had a visual of the noun-verb-object (or modifier) that made it easy to choose the correct pronoun form.



I | is \ it



I miss diagramming and still diagram sentences in my head.



Cheryl

National Grammar Day–March forth on March 4th!

Cheryl Norman — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:11:43 +0000

It’s here, the first national grammar day. Good grammar is an endangered species, but it’s not dead. In fact, groups like SPOGG promote the use of good grammar, identifying and drawing attention to misuse in the public eye.

In honor of National Grammar Day, I’m serving a high fiber lunch (good for colons!) and drinking a Grammartini! Join me and join SPOGG over at http://nationalgrammarday.com.

Finally, here is my grammar pet peeve for the day: the split infinitive.
(BAD: I wanted to seriously talk about my feelings with him. BETTER: I wanted to talk seriously about my feelings with him.)

It’s better to save your adverb for last, or place it before your “to” + verb phrase.

Cheryl

Those Pesky Homophones

Cheryl Norman — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 16:04:39 +0000

Spellcheck won’t catch ‘em, your ear won’t catch ‘em, but your editor sure will. I’m referring to homophones, words that sound alike or similar but have different meanings. The subject arose yesterday when a friend of mine referred to our chapter’s profits from the bizarre. Fatigue clouded her brain. Of course, she knew better and meant bazaar, but it’s an easy mistake to make.Thank God we don’t edit each other’s e-mails because I’m guilty of homophones myself, such as reign when I mean rein or peek when I mean pique. I may call myself Grammar Guru but without proofreading, I’m Grammar Goofy.

Here are the most common ones. Can you differentiate these words that sound alike?

too, to, two
seam, seem
hem, him
hear, here
your, you’re
forth, fourth
for, four, fore
led, lead
need, knead
their, they’re, there
its, it’s
bridle, bridal
peek, peak, pique
tents, tense
cents, sense, since
sheik, chic
stationery, stationary
capital, capitol
rain, rein, reign
affect, effect
accept, except
sheer, shear
die, dye
lie, lye
peal, peel
aloud, allowed
banned, band
passed, past
doe, dough
deer, dear
rapt, wrappedAre there others not on this list that have confused you in your writing? Come on, share with Cher!

Grammar Cop Alert: National Grammar Day

Cheryl Norman — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 01:37:07 +0000

Grammar enthusiasts, mark your calendars for March 4, 2008. That’s National Grammar Day. For details, check out:

Let’s start off 2008 with a bang!

Cheryl Norman — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 18:53:24 +0000

glitter-graphics.com

Author Cheryl Norman

From the Mailbag

Cheryl Norman — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 01:44:58 +0000

We’re winding down at the end of the year, so I’ve compiled a mixed bag of grammar questions from recent e-mails. I’ve changed the names for privacy reasons. Remember, you may post your questions here or e-mail them to grammar@cherylnorman.com.

1. Tom writes: I don’t want to embarrass myself with my boss. Is “Counties” capitalized in the following sentence? The letter was mailed to the residents of Santa Clara , Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties .

Answer: Yes. To be sure, I looked it up in The Chicago Manual of Style 14th Edition), and if even one of the counties’ proper name is used, you capitalize County.

2. Mrs. Summers writes: I often scratch my head over the use of possessive apostrophes with last names ending in s. My last name is Summers. Which usage is more correct: Mrs. Summers’ classroom, or Mrs. Summers’s classroom? I continue to see Mrs. Summer’s classroom in print,and I need to know how to correctly state my case. Would the same rule apply to Ms. Gress, with a double ss? Thank you, and please correct any other errors you see.

Answer:
Here’s the rule: If it’s plural possessive, add an apostrophe; if it’s singular possessive–even ending in an ’s’–add an apostrophe and an s.

For example, your name ends in s. It’s Mrs. Summers’s class. You may invite guests to dine at the Winterses’ home (that’s awkward and I doubt you’d use it, but you get my point. It’s the plural possessive). My friend Dolores is an author, so I read all of Dolores’s books. If she reads mine, she reads all of Cheryl’s books. No difference. Her name just happens to end with s. If Howard Hughes wrote an autobiography, it would be Howard Hughes’s ’s story.

I won’t promise you’ll always see it this way, but this is the correct usage according to my research.

3. Don writes:

Is it correct to use “life’s” meaning “life is” ?

As in: “Life’s best outdoors!”

Thanks.

Answer:

It’s not incorrect. But remember grammar is intended to clarify meaning, and your sentence is a bit unclear. At first reading, it appears to be missing a word. (Life’s best is outdoors? Life’s best lived outdoors?) If your meaning is “Life is best outdoors,” say so. The meaning is clear, and the contraction saves you only one letter.

4. Pearl writes: Which is right: ”Just desserts” or “just deserts”?

If you use “Just desserts” you better be writing a cookbook. Deserts, pronounced the same as desserts in this instance, means that which has been earned or deserved.

I wish you safe and happy holidays. Happy new year!

Cheryl

Commas, too?

Cheryl Norman — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 20:48:19 +0000

CITIZEN’S ARREST: Grammar cop deputy Dena writes:

“… My specific question concerns the use of the word “too.” I was taught, hundreds of years ago, that one inserts a comma before “too.” I rarely see others do that now and realized that this rule, too, must have changed.Would you please lay out a simple way for me to know when to use a comma and when it isn’t necessary, according to today’s rules?”

Dena, you’re correct in expecting to see a comma before the adverb “too.” Setting off single word dependent clauses has fallen out of favor, but it’s still correct usage. For example:

You can’t have your cake and eat it too. This sentence needs a comma after “it” because you’re adding a word that modifies “eat.” Without the comma, the reader is looking for another word for “too” to modify. (You can’t have your cake and eat it too quickly? You can’t have your cake and eat it too often? See what I mean?)

The correct structure is: You can’t have your cake and eat it, too. Likewise, you should have a comma following an introductory clause (even a one-word clause): Additionally, I eat the cake that I’ve obtained. Finally, I’m able to eat all the cake I have.

Hope that helps. Remember, just because you see something in usage doesn’t make it acceptable or correct (Look at the proliferation of “alright” and “reoccur,” neither of which is a word).

Cheryl

Where have all the editors gone?

Cheryl Norman — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 22:14:26 +0000

Doesn’t anyone understand the objective vs nominative case pronouns anymore?

I read two–three books a week and find grammar boo boos in almost every one. That’s understandable, since sometimes it’s one of my own books I’m reading *LOL* Still, I get perturbed at the hoops that we writers jump through to submit letter-perfect material only to have it show up in print wrong. I know, it’s still a reflection on the author, but still. Where are all the editors who are supposed to be…well, editing?

Last night I was reading a book by one of my favorite authors, a witty and intelligent woman (No names in this blog, please!), and came across the following phrase:
By the time the EMTs scooted Susie and I out of the way… Screech! Nails on blackboard time.

“I” is the object of the verb “scooted,” is it not? And “I” in the objective case is “me.” So where was the editor when this went to print?

Another story in the newspaper stated that such-and-such gave to she and her husband–hello? Isn’t “gave” the verb? The objective form of she is her, not she. Sheesh!

I’m old enough to remember sentence **gulp!** diagramming. Maybe if we still diagrammed our sentences, we’d have a clearer picture in our mind of sentence structure. We’d know that the verb and a preposition are followed by an object, not a subject.

Please, when in doubt, look it up. Or write to the Grammar Cop!

Cheryl