Three Rules In English Grammar That Are Always Correct.

Discussion in 'Higher Ed' started by Jimbee68, Jan 9, 2025.

  1. Jimbee68

    Jimbee68 Member

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    Sometimes many people use English in a way that is nonstandard, even though most people don't know it. And sometimes grammar experts just disagree. But I was taught in grade school and high school, there are three grammar uses that are always correct and that you can use when in doubt.

    Whether to put in quote marks or to underline. Some titles, like of movies, plays, etc. are in quote marks, and some are underlined. In books and magazines, italics is the same as underlining. People sometimes disagree about these rules. But our grade school grammar teacher said, so why not just use the simplest system? That is, she said, you underline the titles of books, and everything else is in quote marks.

    All right. Some people spell it all right, and some people spell it alright. Some grammar experts say alright is an acceptable spelling when it is an interjection. Some grammar experts say alright is always the wrong way to spell it. But if you spell it as all right, two words, you will always be correct. Whether it is an adjective or interjection.

    Whom. Whom is the form of who when it is the object or indirect object, or object of a prepositional phrase. And sometimes it's hard to tell if the who is receiving action to make it an object or indirect object. Because sometimes you have to turn sentence inside out to see, or study more carefully. But I learned something interesting in a college English composition class in 1988. "Whom" can be used as a kind of more fancy form of "who", as the subject. And it is correct, the book said, always. Now, I know it said that. But I haven't been able to find that rule since. And every time I tell people that, they claim that's not true. But on the other hand, who is becoming informally correct in all senses. And sometimes that's how English, and other languages, change. By the way people use it.

    But anyways, I would say when writing formally, always use whom. But more and more that rule is, when in doubt use who. And either no on would notice or care. It's up to you.
     

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