I’m used to being questioned about when to use “who” or “that,” but a question about “which” and “that” sent me scurrying to my grammar handbook. The two words have a couple of rules associated with them. The question this time, though, centered upon when to use one or the other.
Write Right
Write Right: Who’s Eating Whose Porridge?
My latest peeve is in regard to “who’s” versus “whose.” People sometimes confuse the two. I’m not sure why; perhaps people simply aren’t proofreading their posts and tweets before sharing them. It’s a possibility. It also could be that people truly have forgotten the difference between the two words.
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Write Right: Misplaced Modifiers
Misplaced modifiers, better known as dangling modifiers, have caught many a writer unaware. I’ve found the things in my own writing. Although my mistake did not turn one of my brothers into a zombie (Just click on the link and look at the last rule listed. It’s funny, I promise.), it was noted by a dutiful professor and his or her red pen. I still am prone to misplacing modifiers; it happens when I’m in the middle of writing and not paying attention to what I’m doing. I’m trying to get the words on the page. It is my role as an editor that pays attention to such things and notes when I have inadvertently disconnected a modifier from its true subject.
Write Right: Less versus Fewer
I was at the store the other day. As often happens with this particular store, only two checkout lanes were open, and the lines became ever lengthier. The store manager didn’t open new lanes; instead, she said, “If you have less than five items, you can check out at Guest Services.”
Write Right: Fragments
What’s in a fragment? Not a lot. A fragment usually is missing an essential item, such as a verb or a subject. A fragment, specifically a subordinate clause, simply could be missing its complete sentence counterpart (Poor thing. Play matchmaker and connect it immediately.).
Write Right: Prepositions
As a general rule, prepositions shouldn’t end sentences. It’s allowed in informal writing and conversation, but entirely too many people have abused the rule. One of those people is Jennifer Hudson, who has a single entitled “Where You At?”