Awkward words
#3
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 9,299
Here's a helpful tip I always told my English students: use "whom" where you could use "him". Use "who" where you'd use "he" .
Examples:
1. To whom should I write this $5,000 check? To him? Really, I should mail this check to him??? You must be out of your mind! I'd rather give it to whomever won't waste it on donuts!
2. Who ate the last donut? He ate the last donut?
Examples:
1. To whom should I write this $5,000 check? To him? Really, I should mail this check to him??? You must be out of your mind! I'd rather give it to whomever won't waste it on donuts!
2. Who ate the last donut? He ate the last donut?
#6
Zozee, you just violated your own rule. "I'd rather give it to whomever won't waste it on donuts!" should be whoever. He won't waste it on donuts, therefore give it to whoever won't waste it on donuts.
That one is tricky, and I admit I had to look it up. The use of whomever/whoever is based on the dependent clause. http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/whoever.asp
I think more and more people are using whom when they should use who. And if those donuts are being passed around, you know who wants some. (Who = me, but in this case *I* want some.)
That one is tricky, and I admit I had to look it up. The use of whomever/whoever is based on the dependent clause. http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/whoever.asp
I think more and more people are using whom when they should use who. And if those donuts are being passed around, you know who wants some. (Who = me, but in this case *I* want some.)
#7
Here's a helpful tip I always told my English students: use "whom" where you could use "him". Use "who" where you'd use "he" .
Examples:
1. To whom should I write this $5,000 check? To him? Really, I should mail this check to him??? You must be out of your mind! I'd rather give it to whomever won't waste it on donuts!
2. Who ate the last donut? He ate the last donut?
Examples:
1. To whom should I write this $5,000 check? To him? Really, I should mail this check to him??? You must be out of your mind! I'd rather give it to whomever won't waste it on donuts!
2. Who ate the last donut? He ate the last donut?
#8
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 9,299
You're right! I DID violate the rule. I knew it didn't look right, but was thinking "give it to him" and I substituted "whom", forgetting that whom was in a dependent clause. Darn those dependent clause.
Awkward moment here. Touche'! Thanks for catching it, though. Seriously.
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Awkward moment here. Touche'! Thanks for catching it, though. Seriously.
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Zozee, you just violated your own rule. "I'd rather give it to whomever won't waste it on donuts!" should be whoever. He won't waste it on donuts, therefore give it to whoever won't waste it on donuts.
That one is tricky, and I admit I had to look it up. The use of whomever/whoever is based on the dependent clause. http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/whoever.asp
I think more and more people are using whom when they should use who. And if those donuts are being passed around, you know who wants some. (Who = me, but in this case *I* want some.)
That one is tricky, and I admit I had to look it up. The use of whomever/whoever is based on the dependent clause. http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/whoever.asp
I think more and more people are using whom when they should use who. And if those donuts are being passed around, you know who wants some. (Who = me, but in this case *I* want some.)
#9
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 9,299
One word I never get right the first time is "sarcophagus". It always comes out "car-sophagus"--like the love child of an automobile and an esophagus. Good thing it's not a part of my daily vernacular now, but when I was teaching fifth and sixth graders a unit on ancient Egyptian civilization, I used it quite a bit.
There was one day I took two empty cardboard guitar cases (my hubby plays) that were the perfect size and shape for a 5th grader to fit into as a sarcophagus. The two teams had to choose one of their members to be the mummy. The others wrapped him in toilet paper. I was cheering for each team, "Hurry! Wrap him up and put him in the carsophagus! Go! Go!"
There was one day I took two empty cardboard guitar cases (my hubby plays) that were the perfect size and shape for a 5th grader to fit into as a sarcophagus. The two teams had to choose one of their members to be the mummy. The others wrapped him in toilet paper. I was cheering for each team, "Hurry! Wrap him up and put him in the carsophagus! Go! Go!"
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