Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Language Lesson #2

Let me clarify there, their and they're for the people who are constantly using the wrong version.

There is a place - "The book is over there."
Their is a possessive pronoun - "It is their book"
They're is a contraction of they are - "They're going to buy a book"

Piece de resistance

They're going over there to get their book.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Tense Lanuage Lession

Okay, so there are several words to which I have a chronic difficultly applying the correct tense or conjugation. One afternoon I, who apparently had nothing better to do, asked a friend, who happens to be an English major, to review the correct usage of the following words: lie, lay, lain, laid, who and whom (Thank you Ashley – and if you or the Trussian whore, you know who you are, can correct that last sentence or any other glaring mistakes I have made it would be much appreciated). I will post it here to enrich the lives of others and to make it easier for me to reference later.


Word: Who
Part of Speech: Subject
Example of proper usage: Who is the woman in the red dress?

Word: Whom
Part of Speech: Object
Example of proper usage: With whom am I speaking?

*When trying to determine which to use try substituting he/she or him/her. If he/she is correct then use who (She is in the red dress.), use whom with him/her (You are speaking to her.)

So that is the easy one. The others are a little more complicated

Word: Lie
Verb Tense: Simple present
Example of proper usage: I am going to lie down.

Word: Lay
Verb Tense: Simple past
Example of proper usage: I went to lay down.

Word: Lain
Verb Tense: Past participle
Example of proper usage: I have lain on the bed.

Word: Laying
Verb Tense: Present participle
Example of proper usage: I am laying on the bed.

Word: Lay
Verb Tense: Simple present
Example of proper usage: I will lay the book on the table.

Word: Laid
Verb Tense: Simple past
Example of proper usage: I laid the book on the table.

Word: Laid
Verb Tense: Past participle
Example of proper usage: I have laid books there before.

Word: Laying
Verb Tense: Present participle
Example of proper usage: I am laying the book on the table now.


Well, I hope that clears things up for everyone. I know that it is clear as mud for me. I am sure that I will continue to use all of these words incorrectly at least half the time but you have got to give me credit for trying