Welcome to GrammarCheck, a free monthly e-mail newsletter that helps to improve your grammar, punctuation, and writing skills! Learn, practice, and remember our helpful hints in just minutes each month. Please forward a copy of our newsletter to family and friends who want to improve their skills! - - - - - - - GrammarCheck's mission is to provide practical guidelines for using 21st century American English. While our approach is prescriptive in offering guidelines already "on the books," we also include a descriptive dimension in explaining common usage. Like all modern languages, English is in a state of flux. What passed for correct usage five years ago in some cases may be considered incorrect today. We consult a variety of sources to offer our readers the most common as well as the most generally correct principles. Please keep in mind that controversy exists with respect to some rules. GrammarCheck is committed to high professional standards. In this imperfect world, we recognize that errors occur, and we are eager to correct them. Please notify us by e-mail if you believe we've made an error. ------------------------------------------------------- September 2005 ONE WORD OR TWO? The English language is full of commonly confused word pairs (e.g., stationery and stationary, and principle and principal), but for writers, the confusion may become even greater when a single word and a two-word phrase sound the same, are spelled the same (not counting spaces), and appear to mean the same thing. This month we'll take a look at some commonly confused words and phrases and how writers can choose the correct one to use. - - - - - - - - - - 1. EVERY DAY vs. EVERYDAY "Every day" is the combination of an adjective (every) and a noun (day). "Everyday" is an adjective. It's easy to discern which one to use. If you can insert the word "single" between "every" and "day"--and the sentence still makes sense--then use "every day." Example: I go to work every [single] day. The sentence makes sense, so use "every day." Example: Going to bed on time is an every [single] day occurrence. This sentence doesn't make sense, so use "everyday." - - - - - - - - - - 2. CAN NOT vs. CANNOT These two words can be used interchangeably except when "not" is used as part of another construction (such as "not only") or when "not" is given special emphasis. In such cases, "can not" is used. - - - Example A: He ["cannot" or "can not"] write well without a blue pen. Your choice: Either one may be used in this sentence. Correct: He cannot write well without a blue pen. Correct: He can not write well without a blue pen. - - - Example B: He ["cannot" or "can not"] only write well, but he also can write effectively. Because "not" is part of the "not only" construction, CAN NOT is correct. Correct: He can not only write well, but he also can write effectively. - - - Example C: Sandra says he can, but I say he definitely ["cannot" or "can not"]. Because "not" is given special emphasis in this sentence, CAN NOT is correct. Correct: Sandra says he can, but I say he definitely can not. - - - Some grammar purists believe that "cannot" is unacceptable because the contraction CAN'T is formed from "can" and "not," just as DON'T, for example, is formed from "do" and "not." They make a good point. Otherwise, the following sentence could be considered correct: I donot understand why someone couldnot or shouldnot use "cannot" correctly in a sentence. However, "cannot" is considered correct. Even the OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY considers it to be "the ordinary modern way of writing 'can not.'" - - - - - - - - - - 3. A WHILE vs. AWHILE This one is tricky because WHILE (a noun) means "a portion of time" and AWHILE (an adverb) means "a short period of time." Here's how to determine which one to use. The word "awhile" cannot be preceded by a preposition (since the object of a preposition must be a noun or noun phrase), so use "a while" after a preposition. Otherwise, either form is acceptable. - - - Example: We drove for ["awhile" or "a while"] before the car came to a dead stop. Explanation: The object of the preposition "for" must be a noun or noun phrase (a while), not an adverb (awhile). Correct: We drove for a while. - - - Example: We drove ["awhile" or "a while"] before the car came to a dead stop. Explanation: Either form is acceptable when it is NOT preceded by a preposition. Correct: We drove awhile before the car came to a dead stop. Correct: We drove a while before the car came to a dead stop. - - - Note: Grammarians differ on the correctness of using "a while" (as opposed to "awhile") when it is NOT preceded by a preposition. For example, some would consider "We drove a while before the car came to a dead stop" to be incorrect. Since our mission is to provide practical guidelines for using 21st century American English, we agree with those who find either form acceptable. - - - - - - - - - - 4. ANY ONE vs. ANYONE "Any one" is the combination of an adjective ("any") with a noun, pronoun, or adjective ("one"), while "anyone" is a pronoun. Here's a simple rule to follow: Replace ANYONE or ANY ONE with the words ANY SINGLE (or LONE). If the sentence makes sense, use ANY ONE. Otherwise, use ANYONE. - - - Example: ["Any one" or "Anyone"] person could drive to Texas in that car. Test: Any single (or lone) person could drive to Texas in that car. Makes Sense: Use ANY ONE. Correct: Any one person could drive to Texas in that car. - - - Example: Bill couldn't make ["anyone" or "any one"] listen to his radio show. Test: Bill couldn't make any single (or lone) listen to his radio show. Doesn't Make Sense: use ANYONE. Correct: Bill couldn't make anyone listen to his radio show. - - - - - - - - - - 5. ANY WAY vs. ANYWAY "Any way" is the combination of an adjective ("any") with a noun ("way"), while "anyway" is an adverb. Here's how to determine which one to use: Replace ANY WAY or ANYWAY with NEVERTHELESS. If the sentence makes sense, use ANYWAY. Otherwise, use ANY WAY. - - - Example: Bill didn't know how to fix the car ["anyway" or "any way"]. Test: Bill didn't know how to fix the car, nevertheless. Makes Sense: Use ANYWAY. Correct: Bill didn't know how to fix the car anyway. - - - Example: ["Any way" or "Anyway"] you slice it, the pizza is fantastic. Test: Nevertheless you slice it, the pizza is fantastic. Doesn't Make Sense: Use ANY WAY. Correct: Any way you slice it, the pizza is fantastic. ------------------------------------------------------- HAVE ANY STYLE AND/OR EDITING SUGGESTIONS? WRITE TO US! Our readers often share great ideas about writing and grammar. If you have a writing tip related to editing for style, e-mail it to mailto: grammarcheck@xxxxxxxxxx Your idea may appear in a future edition of GrammarCheck. ------------------------------------------------------- QUESTION: Hi there! I am a legal secretary and just love your newsletters. They are so very helpful! Thanks for providing them. My question recently came about over a discussion regarding the use of "some time" and "sometime." Quite a few secretaries spell it as two words and others one word. Exactly what is the correct grammar ruling on this one? Thanks again for all of your effort. (Sandy) GRAMMARCHECK: "Some time" is the combination of an adjective ("some") with a noun ("time"), while "sometime" is an adverb that means at an indefinite time in the future. Here's how to determine which one to use: Replace SOME TIME or SOMETIME with LATER. If the sentence makes sense, use SOMETIME. Otherwise, use SOME TIME. - - - - - Example: Let's go to the mall ["sometime" or "some time"]. Test: Let's go to the mall later. Makes Sense: Use SOMETIME. Correct: Let's go to the mall sometime. - - - - - Example: You'll need to give your wrist ["some time" or "sometime"] to heal. Test: You'll need to give your wrist later to heal. Doesn't Make Sense: Use SOME TIME. Correct: You'll need to give your wrist some time to heal. Thanks for writing, Sandy! - - - - - - - - - - QUESTION: Is anyone else bothered by the apparent interchangeability of "bring" and "take"? Seems to me "bring" should involve the transporting of something toward you while "take" should involve the transporting of something away from you. For example, should it be "We're taking cookies to our new neighbors" or "We're bringing cookies to our new neighbors?" Should it be "He's going to stop by and bring me to church" or "He's going to stop by and take me to church"? (Sue) GRAMMARCHECK: Good question, Sue. In general, you BRING something HERE, and you TAKE something THERE, but even this distinction may not be enough to determine which word to use because the CONTEXT of a sentence is an important consideration. Here's one way to determine whether you should use "bring" or "take": Insert "here" or "there" into the sentence. If the sentence makes more sense (considering its context) when "here" is used, use BRING. If it makes more sense when "there" is used, use TAKE. - - - - - Example #1: Suppose you're standing in the driveway at your neighbors' house. You motion to the place at which you're standing (i.e., "here") and you ask, "We're [bringing or taking] cookies to our new neighbors?" Test: "We're [bringing or taking] cookies HERE to our new neighbors?" Explanation: HERE makes sense (because you're going to transport cookies "here" where you currently are) so BRINGING is correct. Correct: "We're bringing cookies to our new neighbors?" - - - - - Example #2: Suppose you're standing in your own driveway. You then point to the new neighbors' house next door (i.e., there), and ask, "We're [bringing or taking] cookies to our new neighbors?" Test: We're [bringing or taking] cookies THERE to our new neighbors?" Explanation: THERE makes sense (because you're going to transport cookies to somewhere other than where you currently are) so TAKING is correct. Correct: "We're taking cookies to our new neighbors?" - - - - - Example #3: Suppose you're now at church (i.e., here at church), but you're making plans to get from your house to the church next week. You might state, "He's going to stop by and [bring or take] me to church." Test: "He's going to stop by and [bring or take] me HERE to church." Explanation: HERE makes sense (because next week you want to be taken "here" where you currently are) so BRING is correct. Correct: "He's going to stop by and bring me to church." - - - - - Example #4: Suppose you're now at home, but you're making plans to get from your house to the church next week. You might state, "He's going to stop by and [bring or take] me to church." Test: "He's going to stop by and [bring or take] me THERE to church." Explanation: THERE makes sense (because next week you want to be taken somewhere other than where you currently are) so TAKE is correct. Correct: "He's going to stop by and take me to church." - - - - - Remember: Bring HERE; take THERE. Thanks for writing! ------------------------------------------------------- ProofreadNOW.com, Inc. is always looking for outstanding proofreaders and copyeditors who can work from home. If you've got superior editing skills, why not try their preliminary test? You can find it at www.ProofreadNOW.com/ru1ofus.html <http://www.ProofreadNOW.com/ru1ofus.html>. Take the test, send it in, and they'll contact you. Who knows? Perhaps you can put your skills to good use and earn money while doing it! http://www.ProofreadNOW.com/ru1ofus.html ------------------------------------------------------- COMMENT: Okay, this isn't a question. I'm not stumped. I just noticed that you used the word SINCE instead of BECAUSE in your May 2005 issue: "Since McDonald's does not top its hamburgers with relish, only those hamburgers that were topped with relish could not have been made at McDonald's." I notice this a lot in the documents that I proofread, so I thought maybe you might want to point it out to your readers. "Since" should only be used in reference to time or an event. "Because" should be used to explain why, or it refers to the cause of a certain condition, which is easy to remember if we remember "cause." (Picky Une) GRAMMARCHECK: Greetings, Picky Une. When used as a conjunction, especially at the beginning of a sentence, "since" can be used in place of "because." According to one of our academic sources, "since" has been used in this manner since the 14th century. Thanks for writing! - - - - - - - - - - QUESTION: Hi there. Which of the following words is the correct way to refer to being connected to a network: online, on-line, or on line? (Kerri) GRAMMARCHECK: The OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY lists examples that use ONLINE and ON-LINE as an adjective, and it lists examples that use ONLINE, ON-LINE, and ON LINE as an adverb. We believe that eventually one standard spelling will emerge. We continue to use the hyphenated ON-LINE, but we have no good reason for choosing it over the other two. ------------------------------------------------------- DO YOU FIND GRAMMARCHECK HELPFUL? If yes, encourage your coworkers to subscribe. If you're a teacher, mention us to your students. Since 2000, we've been delivering GrammarCheck to thousands of people worldwide, and our only compensation is the good feeling we get knowing that you find our e-zine useful. Despite a $0 budget for promotion, our circulation continues to increase every month thanks to the word-of-mouth (and e-mailed) recommendations of subscribers. So help us spread the word about GrammarCheck by forwarding this edition to coworkers, students, and others who want to improve their grammar and writing skills. Encourage them to add GrammarCheck to their monthly reading list. Thank you for making us one of the Internet's largest newsletters about grammar and writing. ------------------------------------------------------- QUESTION: Which of the following is correct: 1. Candidates from Central and East European countries . . . 2. Candidates from central and east European countries . . . GRAMMARCHECK: Because "central" and "east" refer to general locations within a geographical region, not to a specific geographical region, they are not capitalized. Your second example is correct. - - - - - - - - - - QUESTION: In your August 2005 edition, you state that "the" should be pronounced as THEE before a word starting with a vowel and THUH before a word starting with a consonant. I believe that you use THUH before consonant sounds, not necessarily consonants, and THEE before vowel sounds, not just vowels. Here are some examples: The hour: THEE hour The horse: THUH horse The USA team: THUH USA team The umbrella: THEE umbrella Love your emails! (Mary) GRAMMARCHECK: The same rule applies to A and AN (as we discussed in a previous edition of GrammarCheck). Use A before a consonant sound and AN before a vowel sound. In our "mind's eye," we and our proofreaders/editors must have seen the word "sound" after "consonant" and "vowel," but it certainly was missing. Thanks for pointing this out, Mary! ------------------------------------------------------- SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT US Thousands of people around the world read GrammarCheck every month. Tell your friends, neighbors, family members, instant messaging pals, and business associates about our free monthly newsletter. For more information about us, visit our Web site at http://www.GrammarCheck.com/ ------------------------------------------------------- GRAMMAR IN THE WILD This month we look at the grammatical correctness of a classified display ad. Here's what we found: 1. "This position will be responsible for managing U.S. customer service and global pricing administration teams for our Performance Coatings Group." 2. "The self-starter we seek will have a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or related field with a minimum of 5 years customer service experience and management experience is required." 3. "Strong financial and analytical skills with high level of expertise in Microsoft Excel are mandatory." See the end of the newsletter for our answers. ------------------------------------------------------- QUESTION: What's the difference between "regretfully" and "regrettably"? Example: So and so [regretfully or regrettably] accepted the resignation of the staff secretary. Many thanks for your help! GRAMMARCHECK: "Regretfully" is an adverb that refers to an emotional feeling. "Regrettably" is an adverb that means to an extent deserving of regret (or worthy of sorrow). Here are a couple of guidelines to follow. Guideline #1: Use "regretfully" when a sentence identifies the specific agent who feels regret. Example: Mr. Deeds [regretfully or regrettably] accepted the resignation of the staff secretary. Explanation: Mr. Deeds is identified as the person who felt regret about the resignation, so "regretfully" is correct. Correct: Mr. Deeds REGRETFULLY accepted the resignation of the staff secretary. - - - - - Guideline #2: Use "regrettably" when a sentence does not identify the specific agent who feels regret. Example: [Regretfully or Regrettably], the summer picnic was cancelled due to inclement weather. Explanation: Nobody is identified as feeling regret, so "Regrettably" would be correct. Correct: Regrettably, the summer picnic was cancelled due to inclement weather. - - - - - - - - - - QUESTION: How do I cite a newsletter in a document? In text, is the title of the newsletter underlined, placed in quotations, or italicized? GRAMMARCHECK: The title of a printed or electronic newsletter may be italicized and/or underlined, depending on the style guide you're using. We don't have enough information to answer your question about citing a newsletter, however. Are you referring to APA or MLA citations (or some other citation method)? Are you referring to printed or electronic newsletters? Are you citing an entire newsletter or an article in a newsletter? Is the newsletter paginated? Does each edition of the newsletter in question have issue and volume numbers? Is the author (of the newsletter or the article in question) known or unknown? How often is the newsletter published? Do you need the in-text parenthetical citation format AND the bibliography page format? As you can see, there are many variables to consider. A style guide should help answer your citation question. ------------------------------------------------------- WORD OF THE MONTH "Enmity" (EN-mih-tee) noun - - - - - Hatred; ill will; hostile or unfriendly disposition. Example: He held great enmity toward his tormentor. - - - - - Words, pronunciations, and definitions courtesy of Dictionary.com<http://Dictionary.com>, Copyright 2005, Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. All rights reserved. Visit http://www.Dictionary.com for all your on-line dictionary and thesaurus needs. ------------------------------------------------------- QUESTION: How do you know when to use "upon" or "on" in a sentence? Example: Now is a good time to reflect [upon or on] our history and recognize the nation's courageous, hardworking people. GRAMMARCHECK: We'll address this topic as our feature article in next month's edition. - - - - - - - - - - QUESTION: I have a question about the wording of a sentence that I am using in a personal letter. The sentence reads: "I used to play hockey in Williamsport, but now I play for the Broomall Wings." I am concerned about the use of "used." For some reason, it seems to send my mind through a loop. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. (Clark) GRAMMARCHECK: Your use of "used to" is correct, Clark. It refers to the past state of something, in this case, the fact that you played hockey in Williamsport. Thanks for writing. - - - - - - - - - - QUESTION: Can you tell me if both GREY and GRAY are correct when describing the color? I have always used GREY and would like to continue to use it in my writing. Thank you. (Joanne) GRAMMARCHECK: Both spellings are correct, Joanne, so you can continue using GREY . . . or GRAY. ------------------------------------------------------- GRAMMARCHECK ARCHIVES Read past issues of GrammarCheck on-line at http://www.GrammarCheck.com/archives/ ------------------------------------------------------- QUESTION: My friends and I were discussing the use of "very" in front of "well," such as "He uses his words very well." Is it grammatically incorrect to use "very" before "well"? GRAMMARCHECK: We see no problem with using the words "very well." In a strict grammatical sense, their use goes beyond what is required since a person is either well or not. The same holds true for "happy." You're either happy or you're not, so what does "very happy" mean? Ecstatic? If so, then use "ecstatic." In a practical sense, however, we all recognize a difference between someone who claims to be "well" (or "happy") and someone who claims to be "very well" (or "very happy"). It's a way to distinguish between degrees of something. - - - - - - - - - - QUESTION: How does one determine whether to use "when appropriate" instead of "where appropriate"? Example: [Where or When] appropriate, include the following items in your notes. GRAMMARCHECK: It depends. If you're referring to something that's appropriate at a particular time, use WHEN. If you're referring to something that's appropriate in a particular place, use WHERE. When Example: Some people take their antibiotics too frequently and thus place themselves at risk. Take your antibiotics only when appropriate. Where Example: Someone tried to talk on his cell phone while driving a car on a busy street. Only talk on your cell phone where appropriate. Your example sentence doesn't provide enough context for us to determine whether WHEN or WHERE should be used. - - - - - - - - - - QUESTION: Suppose I take these two sentences . . . Dad fixed a pie. Mom fixed a pie. . . . and combine them into the following: Dad and [Mom or mom] fixed a pie. Is "mom" supposed to be capitalized? (Deborah) GRAMMARCHECK: "Mom" would be capitalized because it's functioning as a proper noun. That is, you're referring to the name of a specific person, your mother. Here's an easy rule to follow: 1. Don't capitalize MOM or DAD when it's preceded by a possessive adjective (e.g., his, her, my, etc.) Examples: She went to visit her mom yesterday. We went to visit our dad last night. 2. Do capitalize MOM or DAD when it's used as a substitute for his or her name. Example: Some people call her Sadie, but I call her Mom. ------------------------------------------------------- Have a question about grammar or writing? E-mail it to mailto: grammarcheck@xxxxxxxxx or send it anonymously through our Web form at http://www.GrammarCheck.com/submit.htm ------------------------------------------------------- WEB SITE OF THE MONTH Each month we feature a Web site that provides on-line help with grammar and/or writing. Check out this month's site: "Paradigm Online Writing Assistant" http://www.powa.org/ ------------------------------------------------------- COMMENT: Thank you for daring to make recommendations regarding Bulleted Lists (see August 2005 edition of GrammarCheck). This is truly a "modern" punctuation challenge and a good example of how language can and must change. Bulleted lists have proliferated in the last 50 years because of the advances in typesetting and the ease of formatting with computers. I have to say I found some of your recommendations awkward. The purpose of punctuation is to guide the reader. The format of a bulleted list often can replace the need for punctuation. . . . I'd love to know which references you used to formulate your recommendations. Thanks for a great newsletter. Those of us who love the language appreciate it. Best regards. (Bill) GRAMMARCHECK: We used several print and on-line references to reach an informal consensus about punctuating bulleted lists. However, you're correct when you write that language can and must change, and it's possible that our recommendations in last month's edition may change as well. That's why we were careful to use the word "guidelines" instead of the inflexible word "rules." The examples you provided (which we didn't include because of space considerations) make sense, but they weren't shared by most other sources that we consulted (several university guidelines, grammar Web sites, and print and on-line grammar handbooks). But there's certainly no universal agreement about punctuating bulleted lists. In a few years, we may alter our guidelines to reflect changing norms. Thanks for writing, Bill. - - - - - - - - - - QUESTION: How do you replace a confidential proper name within a quote with a common noun? For example: "Mary Louise Jefferson did not carry out her duties in managing the office." How do you change "Mary Louise Jefferson" to "the employee" so the reader knows that the name has been replaced? I am guessing you bracket it: "[The employee] did not carry out her duties in managing the office." (Ann Marie) GRAMMARCHECK: We could find no source that mentions this particular use of brackets, but we have seen it before and don't find it objectionable. In one sense, you're starting the quote at "did not carry" and then inserting your own words [The employee] at the beginning, which is an acceptable use of brackets. ------------------------------------------------------- GRAMMAR IN THE WILD ANSWERS 1. "This position will be responsible for managing U.S. customer service and global pricing administration teams for our Performance Coatings Group." Comment: The position is not responsible for managing anything. The person hired for this position will manage. Revised: "The person hired for this position will be responsible for managing U.S. customer service and global pricing administration teams for our Performance Coatings Group." - - - - - 2. "The self-starter we seek will have a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or related field with a minimum of 5 years customer service experience and management experience is required." Comment #1: Some readers may need to re-read the sentence because "5 years customer service experience and management experience" is read as one thought. Comment #2: An informal reference to a college degree is not capitalized. However, if the ad had required an earned formal degree, such as a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration or a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, the degree is capitalized. Comment #3: "5 years customer service experience" should be "5 years of customer service experience." Comment #4: The employer is seeking a self-starter with customer service and management experience, not a bachelor's degree with said experiences. (A degree cannot have customer service and management experience.) We can think of several possible revisions. Here are three of them. Revision #1: "The self-starter we seek will have a bachelor's degree in business administration (or a related field) and a minimum of 5 years of customer service experience. Management experience also is required." Revision #2: "The self-starter we seek will have a bachelor's degree in business administration (or a related field) and a minimum of 5 years of customer service experience, along with management experience." It's possible that the position requires 5 years of customer service AND 5 years of management experience, so a third revision might look something like this: Revision #3: "The self-starter we seek will have a bachelor's degree in business administration (or a related field) and a minimum of 5 years of customer service experience and 5 years of management experience." - - - - - 3. "Strong financial and analytical skills with high level of expertise in Microsoft Excel are mandatory." Comment: The article "a" is needed before "high." Revision: "Strong financial and analytical skills with a high level of expertise in Microsoft Excel are mandatory." ------------------------------------------------------- That's it for this month. Thanks for subscribing to GrammarCheck. See you in October! ------------------------------------------------------- SUBSCRIBE TO GRAMMARCHECK Use our easy Web form at http://www.GrammarCheck.com/subscribe.htm Or send a blank e-mail message to mailto:grammarcheck-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?Subject=Subscribe - - - - - - - - - - UNSUBSCRIBE FROM GRAMMARCHECK Use our easy Web form at http://www.GrammarCheck.com/unsubscribe.htm Or send a blank e-mail message to mailto:grammarcheck-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?Subject=Unsubscribe ------------------------------------------------------- Trouble reading this e-mail message? Contact us at mailto:grammarcheck@xxxxxxxxx Receiving more than one copy? Another problem? Contact us at mailto:grammarcheck@xxxxxxxxx We welcome your comments and suggestions! Send them to mailto:grammarcheck@xxxxxxxxx Copyright 2000-2005 GrammarCheck All Rights Reserved