February 28, 2022

How to navigate difficult subject-verb agreement problems

TOPICS: COPY EDITING, GRAMMAR, SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT

“Every one of us have a role to play” or “Every one of us has a role to play”? “A bunch of students were waiting outside” or “a bunch of students was waiting outside”? “It is I who am here” or “It is I who is here”? “None of them knows what they’re doing” or “None of them know what they’re doing”?

When you’re minding your grammar, it’s important that your subjects, verbs and pronouns agree with each other. Singular subjects get verbs conjugated in the singular: the cat is. While plural subjects get plural verbs: the cats are. Similarly, singular nouns are represented by singular pronouns: The cat knows it can catch its tail. Plural nouns are represented by plural pronouns: The cats know they can catch their tails.

But agreement isn’t always easy.

Here are some difficult agreement problems and how to navigate them.

“Every one of us has a role to play.” In a sentence like this, “every one of us” clearly represents a plural: It means “we.” But meaning isn’t everything. Sometimes form matters more. Certain terms “share an interesting and often perplexing characteristic: they are usually grammatically singular and often notionally plural,” writes Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage.

Everyone, anyone, anybody, someone and similar indefinite pronouns are the best examples. We say “everyone is” because “everyone” is grammatically singular even though it’s notionally plural. “Every one of us” is a little different because it has both the singular “one” and the plural “us.” But the effect is the same. It’s often better with a singular verb: Every one of us has, not have.

“A bunch of students were waiting outside.” This is similar to the last example — a singular noun (“bunch”) plus a prepositional phrase ending with a plural (“students”). But in this example, the plural object of the preposition has more pull, so the plural verb is better: A bunch of students were waiting outside. That’s because “collecting noun phrases” like “a bunch of,” “a group of” and “a team of” strongly emphasize the plural. As Merriam’s puts it: “When you have a collecting noun phrase before a plural noun, the sense will normally be plural and so should the verb.” Sometimes, a singular verb works better: That bunch of roses is beautiful. A flock of seagulls is overhead. In these situations, go with whichever sounds better to you.

Read more in my recent column.

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February 21, 2022

Seven deadly adverbs you should cut from your writing

TOPICS: ADVERBS, COPY EDITING, OMIT NEEDLESS WORDS, WRITING

Adverbs aren’t just those -ly words that describe actions. They’re a broader class of words that includes “therefore,” “outside” and “tomorrow.” Any word that answers the question “where,” “when” or “in what manner” is probably an adverb. The “manner adverbs” we learned about in school are just a subset. When you want to know whether a word is an adverb, check a dictionary, skimming all its entries for each part of speech — noun, adjective, adverb — that applies.

Adverbs can modify whole sentences. There’s a myth that it’s wrong to say, “Hopefully, I’ll win the lottery” because it suggests that you will in fact win the lottery and you’ll do so in a hopeful manner. The idea is that adverbs can only describe actions, so “hopefully” must be describing how you will win. But adverbs can also modify whole sentences.

“Flat adverbs” let you drop the -ly. “Walk slow” and “drive safe” aren’t grammatical errors because “slow” and “safe” are flat adverbs. In formal speech and writing, these flat adverbs may not be your best choice. But they’re not wrong.

Adverbs that don’t add information should probably be cut. Compare “Matt quickly rushed out of the room” with “Stan quickly closed his laptop.” The first gains nothing from the adverb “quickly.” Rushing is, by definition, quick. But you can close a laptop at any speed, so “quickly” opens up an intriguing possibility: Stan has something to hide. Put every adverb to this test: If it adds information, it can stay. If it adds only emphasis, consider chopping it.

Here's my recent column on the seven deadly adverbs that fail that test.

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February 14, 2022

'What she enjoys is dictionaries' or 'What she enjoys are dictionaries'?

TOPICS: COPY EDITING, GRAMMAR, SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT

In a recent Twitter poll,  Ellen Jovin, grammar expert and author of the forthcoming book “Rebel Without a Clause, asked followers to choose between “What she enjoys is dictionaries” and “What she enjoys are dictionaries.” Exactly 42.9% of respondents chose “is” and 42.9% chose “are.” Just 11.9% chose “could be either.”

If you’re ever taking a multiple choice quiz about grammar and find yourself stumped, “could be either” is usually a good guess. English is flexible. There’s often more than one way to say something grammatically. Plus, even constructions that defy the rules of grammar, like “aren’t I” in place of “amn’t I,” can be idiomatic, which makes them acceptable.

So if you guessed “could be either” for Jovin’s question, you would be right. But what if you don’t want to guess? What if you want to understand how that sentence works?

I usually start with a dictionary. Among its many definitions of “what,” Merriam-Webster’s includes “the thing or things that.” This means “what” can be singular or plural, so it can take a single or plural verb depending on the predicate noun: “What is kombucha” is right, and so is “What are fava beans”?

But in Jovin’s sentence, it’s not quite that simple because “what” isn’t the subject of the sentence. A whole clause is: “what she enjoys.”

So is our subject, “what she enjoys,” singular or plural? Neither, exactly. But whether you should treat it as singular or plural mostly depends on whether “what” refers to something singular or plural. In Jovin’s sentence, the “what” means “dictionaries” — that’s the noun in the predicate to which “what” refers.

“When the ‘what’ in the what-clause is the object of the clause and when the predicate noun following the main verb is plural, it tends to pull the verb with it,” explains Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage.

So because “dictionaries” is the predicate noun in Jovin’s sentence and because it’s plural, the sentence is best with the plural verb “are”: What she enjoys are dictionaries.

There are other variations on these sentences, which I write about in my recent column.

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February 7, 2022

Spelling matters ... except when it doesn't

TOPICS: GRAMMAR, SPELLING

Spelling is important. Right? Anyone will tell you that.

Except the thing is, sometimes it isn’t. And, when it’s not, sometimes it’s my job to act like it is anyway, which makes me feel like a bit of a schmuck.

Case in point: Not long ago, one of the section editors I work for mentioned “accoutrements” in an article headline. Spell check didn’t have any problem with it. So it was printed and laid out on the page before it landed under my nose.

I whipped out my red pen and swapped out the R with the first E, changing A-C-C-O-U-T-R-E … to  A-C-C-O-U-T-E-R … accouterments. 

The original spelling wasn’t wrong. It just didn’t happen to be the preferred spelling in the dictionary we use, Webster’s New World College Dictionary.

I’ve been an even bigger schmuck about “ambience.” For years, every time I saw that in an article I changed it to “ambiance” because that’s what a quick check of Webster’s New World’s online edition led me to believe was the preferred form. When another editor finally questioned me about it, I explained that the A spelling was the preferred form, at which point she opened the hard copy of Webster’s New World and showed me that, now “ambiance” is the alternate spelling. The preferred form is “ambience.”  

Then there’s the world-famous “doughnuts” vs. “donuts” issue. Both are right. But at the newspaper I always change “donuts” to the longer form because that’s the official, preferred spelling.

So sometimes spelling doesn’t matter … unless, of course, you’re paid to be petty ...

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January 31, 2022

What's the past tense of 'underlie'?

TOPICS: COPY EDITING, UNDERLIE PAST TENSE

Today, democratic principles underlie our system of  government. In the past, different principles did the same for older systems of government.

How would you put that in the past tense?

In the past, principles underlied older systems of government?

Underlay?

Underlain?

Underlaid?

When the question popped into my head recently, I had to confess I had no idea. I know that the past tense of lie is lay. But underlie is its own word. And the standard way past tenses are formed is by adding ed or, sometimes after changing a y to an i. So if the verb underlie is regular, its past tense would be underlied. As in, Different principles underlied older systems of government.

But that just doesn’t sound right. And when we tinker with different forms, most would agree that underlay sounds best of all. “In the past, different principles underlay those systems of government.”

Mark this as exhibit ZZZZ in the case to prove that the ear usually guesses right.

Here’s what Webster’s New World College Dictionary says:

underlie. transitive verb underlay, underlain, underlying

to lie under or beneath: trusses underlie the roof

1. to
   be the basis for; form the foundation of
2. Finance
   to have priority over (another) in order of claim, as a bond

Dictionaries have a system for telling you the past forms of verbs. After the main entry, they list the past tense and past participle in bold, in that order.

So open the dictionary to the word blow and you’ll see right next to it blew then blown. That’s how you know how it’s: Today the winds blow. Yesterday they blew. In the past they have blown.

But if you look up walk in most dictionaries, you’ll see no such forms after the main entry. That's because most dictionaries include past forms only for irregular verbs. Regular verbs get their past forms the same way: by adding ed for both the simple past tense and the past participle. And they explain this stuff right up front in the section on how to use the dictionary. So when a verb has no past tense or past participle after its main dictionary entry, you know it's a regular verb that uses "ed" for both. Today they walk. Yesterday they walked. In the past they have walked.

So, based on the dictionary entry for underlie, we know it’s: Today these principles underlie government. Not long ago, other principles underlay government. In the past, many different principles have underlain government.

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January 24, 2022

'Into' or 'in to'?

TOPICS: GRAMMAR, INTO VS IN TO, PHRASAL VERBS

I was recently asked to settle an argument about whether you should write “I’m not into sports” or “I’m not in to sports.” Instinct may tell you it’s the first one, and you’re right. But understanding why is another matter — especially when you ponder similar sentences like “He’ll drop in to see you tomorrow,” in which “in to” should be two words.

So how might you find these answers on your own if you don’t have a personal grammar valet on call? The first one is easy. It’s in the dictionary — but you’ll find it only if you understand the importance of reading all the different definitions for a word. The second one requires a basic understanding of a concept called phrasal verbs.

To find out whether it’s “I’m not into sports,” look up “into” in a dictionary. In Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, for example, you’ll see it’s a preposition that’s “used as a function word to indicate entry, introduction, insertion, superposition, or inclusion.”

That’s not helpful, which is why you might be tempted to stop reading there. That would be a mistake because if you look at all the definitions, you’ll eventually get to 4c, which defines “into” as “involved with or interested in.” Merriam’s two examples: “into sports; not into her music.”

That fast, you have your answer: “into” is one word in “I’m not into sports.”

To understand why “in to” is two words in “He’ll drop in to see you tomorrow,” you need to know about phrasal verbs. Here's my recent column explaining this handy grammar concept.

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January 17, 2022

Should you pronounce the T in 'often'?

TOPICS: PRONONCIATION

Sometimes people ask me about pronunciation. And it always makes me sad. More often than not, the person asking the question has been haunted by it for years and never knew where to turn for an answer. They’re thrilled that, at last, they have found a language expert who can set the record straight once and for all.

The problem is: I’m no expert. Pronunciation isn’t my thing. When it comes to how certain words should sound, I have no more insight than anyone else. All I have is a dictionary. And that’s where it gets sad: Almost everyone has a dictionary, or at least access to one online, yet they don’t know that it holds the answer.

Take, for example, an e-mail I got from a reader named Ellen.

“I'm from downstate New York, where we pronounce the word ‘often’ without the T sound as ‘ofen.’ Since moving upstate three years ago, I have noticed that many people pronounce the T sound. Is there a right or wrong way to say this word? Is it a regional pronunciation? I do get teased often about my downstate accent and wondered if I am indeed mispronouncing this useful word?”

I told her that I don’t know anything about regional variations in how this word is pronounced. I was raised in Florida by New Yorkers and was taught that the T is silent. As I recall, most people around me used a silent T and those who didn’t stood out. But as for whether she is mispronouncing this word — well, that’s as easy for her to answer as it is for me.

In its entry for the word “often,” Webster's New World College Dictionary lists two correct pronunciations -- one with a T sound and one without. That tells you that both pronunciations as correct. However, because this dictionary lists the silent T pronunciation first, that means its preferred pronunciation is the one with the silent T.

So Ellen has been right all along. But so have her new neighbors.

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January 10, 2022

How to write these holidays

TOPICS: Apostrophe in Veterans Day, GRAMMAR, mother's day, XMAS

The new year is here. What better time to learn how to write New Year’s, as well as Presidents Day, Mother’s Day and a full 12 months’ worth of hard-to-write holidays? Here’s your guide to navigating the apostrophes, plurals and capitalization of holidays in 2022.

New Year’s/New Year/new year. When you’re talking about the holiday, New Year, always start with capital letters. “Happy New Year!” If you’re adding the s, put an apostrophe in front of it: “a New Year’s resolution.” When you’re talking in a generic sense about the coming year, lowercase it. “Wishing you health and happiness in the new year.”

New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day. The Eve and the Day are part of the holidays’ proper names, so capitalize them.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The third Monday in January, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is written without “Rev.” or “Dr.” in both Associated Press and Chicago editing styles. No commas needed around “Jr.”

Valentine’s Day. Singular possessive. If you’re talking about your sweetheart or a card you’re sending, you can lowercase the v: Be my valentine. I’m sending a valentine. You can also call the holiday Saint Valentine’s Day.

Presidents Day. There are several correct ways to write this holiday, which falls on the third Monday in February. AP style says no apostrophe: Presidents Day. Chicago style writes it as plural possessive, with the apostrophe after the s: Presidents’ Day. But the federal government and some states now call it Washington’s Birthday. Take your pick.

St. Patrick’s Day. This March 17 holiday is singular possessive, so the apostrophe goes before the s.

April Fools’ Day. Treat this one as plural possessive, with the apostrophe after the s: Fools’. If someone falls for an April Fools’ Day trick, you can call them an April fool with a lowercase f.

Mother’s Day. Logic is useless for figuring out whether holiday names are singular possessive or plural possessive. Case in point: Mother’s Day. Yes, it’s a day to recognize all mothers. But it’s treated as a singular possessive, with the apostrophe before the s. Think of this as the day belonging to the person you can call Mother.

Fourth of July, July Fourth, the Fourth. Publishers spell out the word Fourth and capitalize it, even when it’s a nickname for the holiday: the Fourth. But that’s just because it’s a holiday. Regular dates usually use numerals: July 5, 2022, or July 5th, 2022.

Learn about Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and Xmas in my recent column.

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January 3, 2022

'Pawn off' for 'palm off'?

The expression "to pawn off" comes up a lot, including in published writing like a Los Angeles Times article some years back about about mooncakes — small, dense cakes filled with things like red bean paste or cheesecake. Apparently, mooncakes are like China's equivalent of our fruitcakes because they are a lot more popular with givers than with recipients.

“The 30 cakes that Zou had received from her employer and various clients weeks ago sat unopened and neglected under her desk as the 31-year-old marketing manager tried to pawn them off on anyone who would take them," the Times reported.

I got stuck at “pawn off." Did the Times mean “palm off”?

To “pawn” means “to give or deposit (personal property) as security for the payment of money borrowed.” So according to this definition, Zou was only pawing off the cakes if she was using them as collateral for loans.

The writer might have done better to choose “palm off.” According to the American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms, “palm off” means “to pass off by deception, substitute with intent to deceive. So if you’re trying to sucker your co-workers into believing that your mooncakes are anything more than trashcan ballast, you’re palming them off.

It would be natural to assume that “pawn off” is therefore a mistake. But that would be going too far. Here’s the same source on “pawn off”: “to dispose of by deception, as in 'They tried to pawn off a rebuilt computer as new.'  This expression may have originated as a corruption of palm off.”

That doesn’t mean it’s still a corruption, though: “pawn off. This is a peculiar expression,” writes Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage, noting that almost no slang dictionaries or usage guides bother to mention it. It is, however, “easy enough to interpret: it must mean ‘palm off’ or ‘pass off’ or ‘fob off.’ … The Oxford English Dictionary thinks it erroneous for ‘palm,’ but it may in fact be a dialectical variant.”

In other words, you could argue that “pawn off” is an acceptable alternative to “palm off.” But why would you want to? It seems to me that “palm off” is the better choice.

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December 27, 2021

Writing resolutions for 2022

TOPICS: COMMAS BETWEEN ADJECTIVES

Want to improve your communication skills in the new year? Here are some easy resolutions you can make.

I will remember the meaning of “if.” You’d be amazed how often I fix misused “ifs” in my editing work: “If the worst happens and you get into a car accident, continue reading for some expert tips and advice.” When your introductory phrase starts with “if,” the stuff that follows needs to be contingent on that “if.” No one who just got into a car accident is going to pull over to the shoulder, take out their phone and read those tips. Look for ways to reword. “What if you get in an accident? Read these tips so you’ll know what to do.”

I will look up a past tense or past participle in the dictionary. Dreamed or dreamt? Laid or lay? Hanged or hung? Most people never realize that the answers are at their fingertips. They are. To figure out tricky past tense forms or past participles, just look up the verb in the dictionary: dream, lay or hang. Then take note of the past tense and past participle forms that follow. For example, in the dictionary entry for “lie” you’ll see “lay, lain.” Dictionaries put the simple past tense first, then the past participle. So you know it’s “yesterday I lay down” and “in the past I have lain down.” If you see the word “or” or “also,” it means you can choose. For example, “hanged” and “hung” are acceptable as both simple past tense and past participles. “Dreamed” and “dreamt” are both OK in all past uses, too.

I will quit abusing single quotation marks. When you want something weaker than quotation marks but stronger than nothing at all, it’s tempting to use single quotation marks: The word ‘resolution’ gives me panic attacks. But single quote marks are only for quoted matter within other quotations. To shine the spotlight on a word you want to emphasize, use regular quotation marks: The word “resolution” gives me panic attacks.

I will put a comma before a direct address. Where does the comma go in “Hey Bob” — after “hey” or after “Bob”? The answer may surprise you: Even if this is your greeting for an email, the comma should go after “hey.” That’s because punctuation rules say a “direct address” — meaning when you call someone by their name or another moniker — is set off with commas. So what goes after “Bob”? How about a period, since “Hey” represents a complete thought and can be punctuated like a complete sentence. “Hey, Bob. How are you?” But “hey,” “hi,” “hello” and the like are different from “dear.” When you start correspondence with “Dear Bob,” the “dear” is functioning as an adjective. And because we don’t put a comma between an adjective and a noun — “nice car” — the greeting “Dear Bob” does not take an internal comma.

I will practice reshuffling adjectives. You know how sometimes when there are multiple adjectives before a noun it’s not clear whether they should be separated by commas: a bright, green, Hawaiian shirt vs. a bright green Hawaiian shirt? There’s an easy test you can perform. Move the adjectives around. If they work just as well in any order, use commas. If not, don’t. A Hawaiian green bright shirt is nonsensical. So no commas in a bright green Hawaiian shirt.

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