Say and Write it Better
Say What? Here'
s How You can Say and Write it Better
Today, we will look at some errors in speech and writing that are often heard and seen. Let's look at few of them.
There are a few people dancing in the hall
Instead we hear:
1."There is a few people dancing in the hall." Corrected, it would be:
"There are a few people dancing in the hall."
2. There is many reasons why we do it this way. Corrected, it would be:
There are many reasons why we do it this way.
No one says "A few people is there dancing in the hall"? Yet this is the same sentence with the same words arranged in a different order.
Likewise, no one says, "Many reasons is there . . ."
The plural subject needs a plural verb— are, rather than the singular verb, is. Now, just add There, and we have the correct There are rather than the incorrect there is preceding a plural subject.
Even as I write this, I can spy this error in a magazine article I was just reading and which now lies open on my desk. In the article, an interviewee responds to a question thus:
"There is two advantages . . ."
No! That should be "There are two advantages. . . " I'm sure you would agree.
Today, we will look at some errors in speech and writing that are often heard and seen. Let's look at few of them.
There are a few people dancing in the hall
Instead we hear:
1."There is a few people dancing in the hall." Corrected, it would be:
"There are a few people dancing in the hall."
2. There is many reasons why we do it this way. Corrected, it would be:
There are many reasons why we do it this way.
No one says "A few people is there dancing in the hall"? Yet this is the same sentence with the same words arranged in a different order.
Likewise, no one says, "Many reasons is there . . ."
The plural subject needs a plural verb— are, rather than the singular verb, is. Now, just add There, and we have the correct There are rather than the incorrect there is preceding a plural subject.
Even as I write this, I can spy this error in a magazine article I was just reading and which now lies open on my desk. In the article, an interviewee responds to a question thus:
"There is two advantages . . ."
No! That should be "There are two advantages. . . " I'm sure you would agree.
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Between you and me
So often the choice is:
This is between you and I, when really, we should say and write:
This is between you and me.
The subject pronoun, I, never follows a preposition. (The preposition is between).
We can say, "She sang a song for me", but never "She sang a song
Believe me, the object pronoun, me, will happily take the place of I to make your sentence better.
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By the way, which do you think is the correct sentence below?
1. Paul sent a card for Patrick and I.
2. Paul sent a card for Patrick and me.
One small hint:
There's no preposition this time, but remove Patrick from this sentence and you will wonder why some people continue to use sentence number ___ instead of sentence number ____.
Fill in the blanks above, please.
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Twelve Midnight and Twelve Noon
Have you ever noticed the confusion we create when we say or write: 12:00 a.m. or 12:00 p.m.? Just think about it and you will agree with me that these terms make absolutely no sense.
Use instead: 12:00 midnight and 12:00 noon in order to communicate effectively. After all, that's what this is all about— effective communication.
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Now this: Let us choose to say, "And, most important. . . "
rather than the ever-popular "And,
The same is true for more important instead of
Despite their constant use, these terms are incorrect. I have dealt with them in an earlier posting:
Most Importantly and Most Important"
A few days ago, as I listened to a CNN news item, I heard Wolf Blitzer saying the correct thing in answer to a question posed by the newscaster. It was so wonderful to hear it that I smiled. Actually, I jumped up and started dancing.
Posted by Janet Carmichael at 1/1/2012 6:55 PM 
Categories: Speech, Say What
Tags: 12 midnight 12 noon most important between you and me There is and There are There is there are
Categories: Speech, Say What
Tags: 12 midnight 12 noon most important between you and me There is and There are There is there are
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