A Battle of Words

This post is pretty much for myself because it seems like I have to look up whether to use "lay" versus "lie" every single time {or spend 15 minutes trying to re-word the sentence to completely avoid using it...not exactly the most efficient use of my time}.  Plus, a little grammar review never hurt anyone, right? 

Lay Versus Lie

• Lay: to place or put

• Present tense: Please lay your bag on the table.
• Past tense: I laid the baby down in his crib.
• Present Participle (with am/is/are): I am laying the papers on your desk.
• Past Participle (with has/have/had): I have laid my clothes on the bed.

• Lie: to rest or recline

• Present tense: I'm going to lie down for a nap.
• Past tense: I lay down for bed at 8:30 last night. 
• This one is the trickster because the past tense of lie is the same as the present tense of lay. Plus, many people {including me} incorrectly use laid as the past tense for lie in conversation...so it may sound right even though it is grammatically incorrect.  
• Present Participle (with am/is/are): The kids are lying on the floor while watching a movie.
• Past Participle (with has/have/had): I had lain in bed for an hour and was still wide awake.
• Tip: Substitute "place" for "lay" or "lie" in a sentence. If it makes sense, use "lay." If it doesn't work, use "lie." 
• Test your lay/lie knowledge with this quiz.

via

Set Versus Sit

• Set: to put or place {similar to "lay"}

• Present tense: Please set your bag on the table.
• Past tense: I set the baby down in his crib.
• Present Participle (with am/is/are): I am setting the papers on your desk.
• Past Participle (with has/have/had): I have set my clothes on the bed.

• Sit: to be seated or come to a resting position

• Present tense: You may sit wherever you'd like.
• Past tense: I sat in the front row.
• Present Participle (with am/is/are): They are sitting near the door.
• Past Participle (with has/have/had): I had sat in the same place for hours.

Which grammar rules are hard for you to remember?

Disclosure:  I sincerely apologize for any grammatical errors in this (or any other) blog post.  I try to carefully proofread before I publish, but I find that I am sometimes blind to glaringly large mistakes simply because I've looked at it too many times.  Please let me know if you find mistakes in my posts.  I'll be very grateful to you...after I've corrected it!  :)

It's Not That Hard...

My fabulous brother sent me this pic the other day:

He acts like it drives him crazy when I correct his spelling/grammar, but I am 99.9% sure choose to believe he actually appreciates it. {Right, Landon?}

Turns out, the little bro knows me pretty well...because I am going to make 150% sure that I am right before I even think about correcting someone's mistake. Do you know anyone else who works in finance and keeps a frequently-used writer's handbook in their desk drawer? 

Anyway, below is a list of homophones {don't stress out...it's just words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings} that make me the most C.R.A.Z.Y. I probably won't block you on social media if you misuse one of the the words below in your status update {at least not the first time}, but I guarantee incorrect spelling on your resume/cover letter/any related documents will send your application straight to File 13 {i.e. the trash!}.  

Truth be told, I'm not one to publicly correct grammar/spelling mistakes {unless you're my family or close to it}, but I'm happy to point out the correct use of commonly misspelled words for those who are interested...  

It's/Its

• It's is a contraction for "it is" or "it has."
• It's five o'clock somewhere.
• Its is a possessive pronoun that is gender neutral, often used in connection with animals or non-living objects.
• Every dog has its day. 
• The company released its quarterly earnings report.
• NOTE: Its' is not a word. It never has been and never will be. Don't use it. Ever. Seriously. 

You're/Your

• You're is a contraction for "you are."
• You're going to be late!
• Your is the possessive form of you, referring to ownership of something.
• I love your outfit!

They're/Their/There

• They're is a contraction for "they are."
• They're going to the beach for vacation.
• Their is the possessive form of they, indicating belonging to others.
• They need a ride because their car is in the shop.
• There represents a place. It can also be used to show that something exists.
• Park your car over there by the tree.
• There are two sides to every story. 

To/Too/Two

• To has several uses, but its primary purpose is as a connection word. {i.e. use this form when it doesn't make sense to use "too" or "two."}
• We're going to the mall.
• Too means "excessive" or "also."
• That purse is too small for all my stuff.
• She sings really well, and she can dance too!
• According to The Chicago Manual of Style, it's the writer's choice whether to use a comma before too when it means "also" or "in addition to." {I'm sure you can guess that this also makes me C.R.A.Z.Y. I need a hard rule...what's this "writer's choice" hoopla?}
• Two is the number 2. {Duh! I know...but I couldn't leave it out!}
• She has two dogs.

Then/Than

• Then refers to time or a sequence of events.
• I bought a new dress, and then I had to find matching shoes.
• Than is a method of comparison.
• It is colder today than yesterday.

Ok, I'm done...off my soapbox {for now}. I have no idea why I spend time writing "Grammatically Correct" posts when I know this is how the world really feels...

Soooo...in an effort to save this entire post {and keep friends}, I'll just remind you that Nashville is back on tonight {after skipping last week}. BEST.SHOW.EVER. If you're not watching, you're seriously missing out. 

Disclosure:  I sincerely apologize for any grammatical errors in this (or any other) blog post.  I try to carefully proofread before I publish, but I find that I am sometimes blind to glaringly large mistakes simply because I've looked at it too many times.  Please let me know if you find mistakes in my posts.  I'll be very grateful to you...after I've corrected it!  :)

Grammatically Correct

Improper grammar tends to make me crazy.  I'm not talking about accidental typos.  I'm referring to the repeated use of the incorrect form of a word and/or the lack (or overuse) of punctuation.  Thus, it seems fitting that I throw in a few blog posts here and there advocating proper grammar.       

Today's post is my attempt to clarify a few grammatical issues that always make me think twice.

When to use "I" versus "me"

• Use "I" when referring to the subject of a sentence.
• Ryan and I went to the store.
• Use "me" when referring to the object of a sentence.
• Lily went to the park with Ryan and me.
• Tip:  think about whether the sentence would still make sense if it didn't include the second person.  
• From the first example above, it wouldn't make sense to say, "Me went to the store."
• You can confirm that "me" is correct in the second example because you wouldn't say, "Lily went to the park with I." 

When to use "who" versus "whom"

• Use "who" when referring to the subject of a sentence (the person, place or thing doing something).
• I don't know who made this huge mess.
• Use "whom" when referring to the object of a sentence.
• Whom do you love?
• Tip:  answer the question using he or him.  
• If the answer is he, use who.
• Did he make the mess or did him make the mess?  He made the mess, so use who.
• If the answer is him, use whom.
• Do you love he or do you love him?  You love him, so use whom.

Punctuation inside or outside of quotation marks

• Periods and commas always go inside quotation marks.  ALWAYS.
• The placement of question marks within or outside of quotation marks is according to logic.
• He asked, "Where would you like to go for dinner?" 
• The quotation is the question, so the question mark goes within the quotation marks.
• Did she really say, "McDonalds"?
• The whole sentence is the question, so the question mark is placed outside the quotation marks.

This quiz, posted by a friend on Facebook, spurred this blog post.  

I scored a perfect 100%!  {ok, ok...maybe I googled "i.e. versus e.g." before I answered that question, but no cheating other than that!}  Take the quiz for yourself and leave a comment to let me know your score.

Disclosure:  I sincerely apologize for any grammatical errors in this (or any other) blog post.  I try to carefully proofread before I publish, but I find that I am sometimes blind to glaringly large mistakes simply because I've looked at it too many times.  Please let me know if you find mistakes in my posts.  I'll be very grateful to you...after I've corrected it!  :)