The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation (4 page)
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Authors: Jane Straus,Lester Kaufman,Tom Stern
BOOK: The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
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Who vs. Whom
Who, That, Which
Adjectives and Adverbs
Rule
. Use this
he/him
method to decide whether
who
or
whom
is correct:
. Use this
he/him
method to decide whether
who
or
whom
is correct:
he = who
him = whom
| Examples : | Who /Whom wrote the letter? |
| He wrote the letter. Therefore, who is correct. | |
| Who/ Whom should I vote for? | |
| Should I vote for him ? Therefore, whom is correct. | |
| We all know who /whom pulled that prank . | |
| This sentence contains two clauses: we all know and who/whom pulled that prank . We are interested in the second clause because it contains the who/whom. He pulled that prank. Therefore, who is correct. | |
| We wondered who/ whom the book was about . | |
| This sentence contains two clauses: we wondered and who/whom the book was about . Again, we are interested in the second clause because it contains the who/whom . The book was about him . Therefore, whom is correct. |
Note
: This rule is compromised by an odd infatuation people have with
whom
âand not for good reasons. At its worst, the use of
whom
becomes a form of one-upmanship some employ to appear sophisticated. The following is an example of the pseudo-sophisticated
whom
.
| Incorrect : | a woman whom I think is a genius |
| In this case whom is not the object of I think . Put I think at the end and witness the folly: a woman whom is a genius, I think . | |
| Correct : | a woman who I think is a genius |
Learn to spot and avoid this too-common pitfall.
To determine whether to use
whoever
or
whomever
, the
he/him
rule in the previous section applies:
he = whoever
him = whomever
Rule 1
. The presence of
whoever
or
whomever
indicates a dependent clause. Use
whoever
or
whomever
to agree with the verb in that dependent clause, regardless of the rest of the sentence.
. The presence of
whoever
or
whomever
indicates a dependent clause. Use
whoever
or
whomever
to agree with the verb in that dependent clause, regardless of the rest of the sentence.
| Examples : | Give it to whoever /whomever asks for it first . |
| He asks for it first. Therefore, whoever is correct. | |
| We will hire whoever/ whomever you recommend . | |
| You recommend him . Therefore, whomever is correct. | |
| We will hire whoever /whomever is most qualified . | |
| He is most qualified. Therefore, whoever is correct. |
Rule 2
. When the entire
whoever/whomever
clause is the subject of the verb that follows the clause, analyze the clause to determine whether to use
whoever
or
whomever
.
. When the entire
whoever/whomever
clause is the subject of the verb that follows the clause, analyze the clause to determine whether to use
whoever
or
whomever
.
| Examples : | Whoever is elected will serve a four-year term . |
| Whoever is the subject of is elected . The clause whoever is elected is the subject of will serve . | |
| Whomever you elect will serve a four-year term . | |
| Whomever is the object of elect. Whomever you elect is the subject of will serve . |
A word to the wise
: Whomever
is even more of a vogue word than
whom
. Many use it indiscriminately to sound cultured, figuring that no one will know any better.
: Whomever
is even more of a vogue word than
whom
. Many use it indiscriminately to sound cultured, figuring that no one will know any better.
Rule 1
. Who
and sometimes
that
refer to people.
That
and
which
refer to groups or things.
. Who
and sometimes
that
refer to people.
That
and
which
refer to groups or things.
| Examples : | Anya is the one who rescued the bird . |
| “ The Man That Got Away ” is a great song with a grammatical title . | |
| Lokua is on the team that won first place . | |
| She belongs to a great organization, which specializes in saving endangered species . |
Rule 2a
. That
introduces what is called an
essential clause
. Essential clauses add information that is vital to the point of the sentence.
. That
introduces what is called an
essential clause
. Essential clauses add information that is vital to the point of the sentence.
| Example : | I do not trust products that claim “ all natural ingredients ” because this phrase can mean almost anything . |
| We would not know the type of products being discussed without the that clause. |
Rule 2b
. Which
introduces a
nonessential clause
, which adds supplementary information.
. Which
introduces a
nonessential clause
, which adds supplementary information.
| Example : | The product claiming “ all natural ingredients, ” which appeared in the Sunday newspaper, is on sale . |
| The product is already identified. Therefore, which begins a nonessential clause containing additional, but not essential, information. |
Note
Essential clauses do not have commas introducing or surrounding them, whereas nonessential clauses are introduced or surrounded by commas.
Rule 3
. If
that
has already appeared in a sentence, writers sometimes use
which
to introduce the next clause, whether it is essential or nonessential. This is done to avoid awkward formations.
. If
that
has already appeared in a sentence, writers sometimes use
which
to introduce the next clause, whether it is essential or nonessential. This is done to avoid awkward formations.
| Example : | That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger . |
| This sentence is far preferable to the ungainly but technically correct That that doesn't kill you makes you stronger . |
Note
The distinction between
that
and
which
, though a useful guideline, is widely disregarded:
Which
is routinely used in place of
that
, even by great writers and journalists, perhaps because it sounds more elegant.
that
and
which
, though a useful guideline, is widely disregarded:
Which
is routinely used in place of
that
, even by great writers and journalists, perhaps because it sounds more elegant.
Definitions
- An
adjective
is a word or set of words that
modifies
(i.e., describes) a noun or pronoun. Adjectives may come before the word they modify.
| Examples : | That is a cute puppy . |
| She likes a high school senior . |
Adjectives may also follow the word they modify:
| Examples : | That puppy looks cute . |
| The technology is state-of-the-art . |
- An
adverb
is a word or set of words that modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
| Examples : | He speaks slowly (modifies the verb speaks ) |
| He is especially clever (modifies the adjective clever ) | |
| He speaks all too slowly (modifies the adverb slowly ) |
An adverb answers how, when, where, or to what extentâhow often or how much (e.g.,
daily, completely
).
| Examples : | He speaks slowly (answers the question how ) |
| He speaks very slowly (answers the question how slowly ) |
Rule 1
. Many adverbs end in -
ly
, but many do not. Generally, if a word can have -
ly
added to its adjective form, place it there to form an adverb.
. Many adverbs end in -
ly
, but many do not. Generally, if a word can have -
ly
added to its adjective form, place it there to form an adverb.
| Examples : | She thinks quick/ quickly . |
| How does she think? Quickly . | |
| She is a quick /quickly thinker . | |
| Quick is an adjective describing thinker , so no - ly is attached. | |
| She thinks fast /fastly . | |
| Fast answers the question how , so it is an adverb. But fast never has - ly attached to it. | |
| We performed bad/ badly . | |
| Badly describes how we performed, so - ly is added. |
Rule 2
. Adverbs that answer the question
how
sometimes cause grammatical problems. It can be a challenge to determine if -
ly
should be attached. Avoid the trap of -
ly
with linking verbs, such as
taste, smell, look, feel
, etc., that pertain to the senses. Adverbs are often misplaced in such sentences, which require adjectives instead.
. Adverbs that answer the question
how
sometimes cause grammatical problems. It can be a challenge to determine if -
ly
should be attached. Avoid the trap of -
ly
with linking verbs, such as
taste, smell, look, feel
, etc., that pertain to the senses. Adverbs are often misplaced in such sentences, which require adjectives instead.
| Examples : | Roses smell sweet /sweetly . |
| Do the roses actively smell with noses? No; in this case, smell is a linking verbâwhich requires an adjective to modify roses âso no - ly . | |
| The woman looked angry /angrily to us . | |
| Did the woman look with her eyes, or are we describing her appearance? We are describing her appearance (she appeared angry), so no - ly . | |
| The woman looked angry/ angrily at the paint splotches . | |
| Here the woman actively looked (used her eyes), so the - ly is added. | |
| She feels bad /badly about the news . | |
| She is not feeling with fingers, so no - ly . |
Rule 3
. The word
good
is an adjective, whose adverb equivalent is
well
.
. The word
good
is an adjective, whose adverb equivalent is
well
.
| Examples : | You did a good job . |
| Good describes the job. | |
| You did the job well . | |
| Well answers how . | |
| You smell good today . | |
| Good describes your fragrance, not how you smell with your nose, so using the adjective is correct. | |
| You smell well for someone with a cold . | |
| You are actively smelling with your nose here, so use the adverb. |
Rule 4
. The word
well
can be an adjective, too. When referring to health, we often use
well
rather than
good
.
. The word
well
can be an adjective, too. When referring to health, we often use
well
rather than
good
.
| Examples : | You do not look well today . |
| I don't feel well, either . |
Rule 5
.
Adjectives come in three forms, also called
degrees
. An adjective in its normal or usual form is called a
positive degree adjective
. There are also the
comparative
and
superlative
degrees, which are used for comparison, as in the following examples:
.
Adjectives come in three forms, also called
degrees
. An adjective in its normal or usual form is called a
positive degree adjective
. There are also the
comparative
and
superlative
degrees, which are used for comparison, as in the following examples:
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
| sweet | sweeter | sweetest |
| bad | worse | worst |
| efficient | more efficient | most efficient |
A common error in using adjectives and adverbs arises from using the wrong form of comparison. To compare two things, always use a
comparative
adjective:
comparative
adjective:
| Example : | She is the cleverer of the two women (never cleverest ) |
The word
cleverest
is what is called the
superlative
form of
clever
. Use it only when comparing three or more things:
cleverest
is what is called the
superlative
form of
clever
. Use it only when comparing three or more things:
| Example : | She is the cleverest of them all . |
| Incorrect : | Chocolate or vanilla: which do you like best? |
| Correct : | Chocolate or vanilla: which do you like better ? |
Rule 6
. There are also three degrees of adverbs
. In formal usage, do not drop the -
ly
from an adverb when using the comparative form.
. There are also three degrees of adverbs
. In formal usage, do not drop the -
ly
from an adverb when using the comparative form.
| Incorrect : | She spoke quicker than he did . |
| Correct : | She spoke more quickly than he did . |
| Incorrect : | Talk quieter . |
| Correct : | Talk more quietly . |
Rule 7
. When
this, that, these
, and
those
are followed by a noun, they are adjectives. When they appear without a noun following them, they are pronouns.
. When
this, that, these
, and
those
are followed by a noun, they are adjectives. When they appear without a noun following them, they are pronouns.
| Examples : | This house is for sale . |
| This is an adjective. | |
| This is for sale . | |
| This is a pronoun. |
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