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Triangle Grammar Guide
Longtime N&O journalist Pam Nelson writes about language use and misuse and answers questions about grammar and style. Readers can weigh in on what annoys them, too. Think of this as your online grammar class. Send e-mail to Pam at pam.nelson@newsobserver.com.
Pronoun madness
Submitted by Pam_Nelson on 08/10/2008 - 14:44
Yes, there are much more important issues than this, but a few readers do notice when we mix up who and whom. Here is an example from Friday's 2A, a spot where we promote stories coming up in print or features online. Of course, the sentence should read, "Go online now and see whom you selected as the Triangle's Best Bartender." The test is to rearrange the sentence and to try another pronoun: You selected him as the Best Bartender. The object of the verb "selected" needs to be a pronoun in the objective case. I use "him" in these examples because "him" sounds like "whom."
As I said, much more important issues exist. That's why it's annoying sometimes to see an error like this one. It distracted at least one reader enough that he wrote to us about it.Â
Some people think we should give up on whom, but should we also give up on him or them? Perhaps, by the end of the century, we will.
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Pam Nelson
Pam Nelson began her career as a writer in 1976 and has worked in various editing jobs at The News & Observer since 1987. She has won awards for her headline writing and has taught college classes in copy editing and seminars in grammar and usage.
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Comments
to whoever cares
Mon, 08/11/2008 - 19:50 — JustWonderingSeveral times in the last few months I have read articles that contain quotes like "Send that memo to whomever is handling that task." Shouldn't it be "whoever"? The entire clause is the object of the preposition, and the pronoun is the subject of the clause.
Whoever
Tue, 08/12/2008 - 05:35 — Pam_Nelson (author)You're right. That should be "whoever is handling that task."
Pam Nelson
Triangle Grammar Guide
Don't give up the ship!
Mon, 08/11/2008 - 07:28 — Robin (not verified)Please, PLEASE don't give in or let the idea of giving in to grammar flunkies have life on any of these fronts. It is part of the language and is necessary to maintain the clarity of it. Those who choose to use lesser forms show ignorance or lack of education while those who do use it can show others how it is done. It rankles my nerves to read or (gasp) hear a news report with improper usage of the language. And it happens every day! So, carry on the battle. It is worthwhile and can be a legacy of which one is proud. (Didn't dangle my preposition, one of my pet peeves.)
more pronoun abuse
Mon, 08/11/2008 - 04:48 — Anonymous (not verified)In a story last week about a photo published by the National Enquirer, Mark Johnson wrote: "[Edwards]made no response to the National Enquirer's Internet posting on Wednesday of what it said was a photo of Edwards and his child. The photo was blurry, making it difficult for people familiar with Edwards to confirm it was he."
The sentence should have said "it was difficult for people familiar with Edwards to confirm that it was HIM."
Linking verbs
Mon, 08/11/2008 - 06:23 — Pam_Nelson (author)After a form of the verb "be," we do use the nominative case, so "it was he" is correct. (Turn it around and say "he was it.")
The writer could have written: ... making it difficult for people familiar with Edwards to confirm that he was in the photo.
Or ... making it difficult for people familiar with Edwards to confirm that the photo showed him. ("Him" is the object of the verb "showed.")
Or ... making it difficult for people familiar with Edwards to confirm that the photo was of him (the pronoun is the object of the preposition "of.")
"That" is understood in that sentence, by the way. "... to confirm that it was he." The clause "[that] it was he" is the object of "to confirm."
The pronoun is correct as it appeared. Many readers would have forgiven us, though, if we had published "him" in that construction.
Pam Nelson
Triangle Grammar Guide
WORDS AND HOW WE MISUSE THEM
Sun, 08/10/2008 - 21:05 — mike (not verified)Tell me about it."Whom"asa fine word may be gone but I have also given up on AMONG.I keep seeing and hearing '"between the three of them".Must have missed the retirement party for that formerly acceptable word