GRAMMAR GUY By Jordan Fischer Question: “How about the proper use of ‘hanged’ versus ‘hung?’ It seems to be the most misused word ever.” (Richard L. Beltzhoover, Carmel) Answer: How about it, then? I think we should be able to hang this one up rather succinctly. “Hanged” and “hung” are both past and past participle forms of the verb [...]
Question: “What are your thoughts about use of the (nonexistent) word ‘preventional’ on page 1 of Current in Carmel last week? It’s not in Webster’s app, at least not for iPhone.” (Becky Rainsberger, Carmel) Answer: Well Becky, to be honest I hadn’t had any thoughts about “preventional” prior to your question. Obviously, the word we’d expect there is “preventative,” [...]
I hear adjective and adverb errors all the time. I’m sure I even make my fair share on occasion. There are so many different ways to use them that it’s almost impossible not to. Commonly, we use adjectives and adverbs in one of three forms: basic, comparative and superlative. As you may have guessed, the comparative form is used to [...]
Question: That was good stuff on the “that,” “who,” “whom” topic. How about a follow-up on the distinction between “that” and “which?” (Patti Hauck) Answer: Thanks for writing in, Patti. Happy to oblige. Much like the rule for choosing between “that” and “who/whom,” the “that/which” rule can be a simple one to master, once you get the hang of [...]
Question: “I have two grammatical questions. Which is correct: “almost always” or “most always?” It seems to be the new thing to say “most always.” I have always said “almost always” in a sentence. The second question is: “Graduate high school/college” or “graduate from high school/college.” I learned “graduate from high school/college.” (Donna Jelgerhuis, Westfield) Answer: Thanks for writing in, [...]
This week we’ll be talking about pronoun confusion; specifically between “that,” “who” and “whom.” Here’s a sample sentence to start us off: “The pirate that sunk my ship sailed off with my booty.” See the problem? While “that,” “who” and “whom” are all pronouns, they are used in very different situations. “That” should be used as a replacement for nouns [...]
Last week I wrote about the effects texting has had on common grammar errors. As it happens, this week’s column is inspired by a text as well. From time to time, a friend of mine who designs ads will double check grammar and spelling issues with me. I received this text from her this week: “Benefitting is never correct, right? [...]
Technologically speaking, texting is a marvel of the modern world. We’re all so familiar with it now, but try to view it from a fresh perspective for a moment. Texting allows us to instantly send our thoughts, and even images and short videos, across vast expanses of space in the blink of an eye to a recipient – almost no [...]
A Facebook friend recently posted a rant about grammar pet peeves. I immediately checked it out because, well, I’m not going to pass up free column ideas, am I? Near the top of her list was the misuse of “then” and “than.” She also claimed that Hoosiers are especially prone to this, as we don’t seem to be able to [...]
I heard a new accusation about Hoosiers recently: Apparently, we love our dangling participles. Furthermore, it’s been alleged that our grammatical dalliances are infecting the rest of the country. The nerve of the accusation, right? While I’m confident my participles are firmly fixed and double-bolted to the correct nouns, I thought the subject of dangling participles was worth an article. [...]
