The Ledge Usage Guide

[skcin]

They're is a contraction for the two words They and Are. "They're (they are) driving me crazy."

There is a place "Put it over there."

Their is possessive "That's their car."

How's this? "What do they think they're doing over there, going to their house?"

[Johnny Stew]

SteveMacD already discussed my first big pet peeve ("of" when it should be "have"), and HomerMcVie was kind enough to inadvertantly bring up the second....

Originally Posted by HomerMcvie

And when I do, it just looks funny sitting there, and it's calling me a dumbass for not having it's proper usage down.

The first instance of "it's" in that sentence is correct, because it's a contraction for "it is." However, the second "it's" is incorrect, because he's using it in a possessive form and an "it" cannot possess something. So it should have been: "it's calling me a dumbass for not having its proper usage down."

[Jyqm]

Originally Posted by skcin

There is a place "Put it over there."

It's also used in conjunction with "is" or "are" as an idiom to denote that something does or does not exist.

"Are there any goddamn eggs left?"
"There is no reason to be snippy."
"Or is there?"

[trackaghost]

Originally Posted by chiliD

1) "there", "their", "they're"

God, that one bugs the hell out of me! The other one is using "to" instead of "too", which I've seen too many (see, the correct use there) times on this board.

Also, adding apostrophes to simple plural nouns, i.e. writing "keys" as "key's".


The abbreviation/text thing that teenagers love to use doesn't bother me much. Language is developing all the time, taking in cultural changes and slang etc. What's considered acceptable today would have horrified English professors of the past. People are always adapting and changing languages, it's natural.

[Johnny Stew]

Originally Posted by trackaghost

Also, adding apostrophes to simple plural nouns, i.e. writing "keys" as "key's"

Oh, Lordy... EVERYONE seems to do that these days, young and old alike, and it drives me crazy!

You didn't buy DVD's or CD's, you bought DVDs and CDs. You wouldn't say that you bought "book's," so why would you add an apostrophe to CDs and DVDs?

[trackaghost]

Originally Posted by Johnny Stew

The first instance of "it's" in that sentence is correct, because it's a contraction for "it is." However, the second "it's" is incorrect, because he's using it in a possessive form and an "it" cannot possess something. So it should have been: "it's calling me a dumbass for not having its proper usage down."

The "it's" and "its" thing annoys me too. I think more people make that mistake than any other. Even me sometimes, when I write without thinking.

[trackaghost]

Originally Posted by Jyqm

It's also used in conjunction with "is" or "are" as an idiom to denote that something does or does not exist.

"Are there any goddamn eggs left?"
"There is no reason to be snippy."
"Or is there?"

Is that a conversation you had today Jim?

[Johnny Stew]

Originally Posted by trackaghost

Is that a conversation you had today Jim?

Frighteningly enough, it was with himself!

[skcin]

Loose: "Those pants are too loose on you."
Lose: "I don't want to lose any more money."

Breath: "It took my breath away."
Breathe: "It was hard to breathe."

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by Johnny Stew

The first instance of "it's" in that sentence is correct, because it's a contraction for "it is." However, the second "it's" is incorrect, because he's using it in a possessive form and an "it" cannot possess something. So it should have been: "it's calling me a dumbass for not having its proper usage down."

I actually caught that after I posted.

Good lord we're an anal retentive bunch!!!!

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by David

Whom. "For" is a preposition, & preposition objects need to be in the accusative (aka objective) case.

Mentally recast the syntax to make the construction clearer: "Your department authorized service for Ms. Maloney." ". . . for WHOM?" ". . . for Ms. Maloney, you damn bitch."

You could also just leave out the relative pronoun: Ms. Maloney is the person your department authorized service for." Some employers might encourage the slightly more informal tone in writing to customers, but others might not. That's a matter of house policy, not correctness.

Stevie looks like Sheryl Crow in my sig? (shrug) I dunno. I'm so used to her look on the 1978 tour that she just looks like the Stevie on the '78 tour to me.

While just out in my truck, repairing some speaker connections, I REALIZED that it should have been phrased "for whom you authorized service", BUT ALAS, I'd been on a litany of -"YOUR department"s and "Ms. Maloney"s-finger pointing. I was trying to DRIVE the point home, that I had NOTHING to do with using, nor paying for, her utilities. I didn't want to break my finger pointing run!

My biggest problem is that I've been out of school for 15 years, and I deal with idiot musicians. My brain is turning to mush from non-usage. There's a TON of common sense required for what I do. Very little book lernin'.

[xdreamsunwindx]

Originally Posted by chiliD

Ok, so who (correct usage) wants to take on the *snip* "then/than" debacles?

Then, used properly in a sentence:

"Good heavens, if Bob doesn't stop talking about his fabulous new watch, then I will have to take it upon myself to shove it up his ass!"

Than, used properly in a sentence:

"Debbie may have bigger boobs than Tammy, but it's obvious that bitch be hittin' up the silicone every now and then."

Side note, I wish we had cooler grammar books.

[Rickypt]

Originally Posted by HomerMcvie

Yeah, I've always got the "with whom" part.
Here's the sentence I was having trouble with last week, in a letter to my city utilities dept.

"Ms. Maloney is the person who(m?) your department authorized service for."

Actually, it is technically incorrect to end a sentence with preposition, so the gramatically correct sentence is "Ms. Maloney is the person for whom your department authorized service."

Of course, you can avoid all of this by saying "Your department authorized service for Ms. Maloney."

One grammatical point I always found interesting, and is almost always ignored, is that a colon is never to be used after "is" or "are".

So, it is incorrect to write:

My favorite singers are:

Stevie Nicks
Maria McKee
Dolly Parton

[macfanken]

Originally Posted by HomerMcvie

Good lord we're an anal retentive bunch!!!!

no ****.

[Rickypt]

One mistake I often make is putting a plural verb after "neither".

Example:

Neither my mom nor I were happy with the decision. (incorrect)

Neither my mom no I was happy with the decision. (correct)

I love grammar.