The Word “Whom” Needs a Defender

You, Too, Can Experience This

The “30 Rock” character Liz Lemon said that, and while the incident where she says it is used to highlight her unwavering commitment to alienating minutia, she has a point. Too many of us write like crap, and not because we don’t understand the basic rules of writing. We just use the wrong words, which is an egregious sin.

This is a simple post for those of you who struggle with various facets of the English language. There is nothing wrong with you. English is a confusing, messed up language. This is a safe place. Everyone here loves you.

Let’s break down various uses and misuses of words and phrases.

• “Anyway” – One word and synonymous with “regardless” or “nonetheless”
• “Any way” – As opposed to “one way” or “which way”
• “Maybe” – Just like “perhaps”
• “May be” – As in “I may be at your house… maybe.” “May” modifies the verb “be”
• “Your” & “You’re”
• These two could have their own sitcom
• “Your” is a possessive – “Your house”
• “You’re” is a contraction of “You are.” That’s it. Do not ever write to me, “Your a jerk.” Yes, only because I roll my eyes at your illiteracy.
• Do not confuse this with “Ur,” which is the birthplace of the prophet Abraham, as well as a jolly, tone-deaf Peruvian with whom I am acquainted.
• “Their,” “There,” & “They’re”
• The classics
• “Their” is yet another possessive, but a plural third person form – “Their house is huge.” You can even pluralize it – “That huge house is theirs.”
• “There” denotes location, as in “Proper word usage lays right there.”
• “They’re” – back to Contractionville. “They are”
• “To,” “Too,” & “Two”
• “To”  - Preposition. Used to denote movement or direction. “Let’s all go to the movies”
• “Too” – It just means “also”! Why is this so hard to use?
• “Two” – A number between one and three. No one is that dumb.
• “Through,” Threw,” & “Thru”
• “Through” – Indicates travel, either figurative or literal. “I drove through Missouri and realized it sucks;” “My sister has been through a lot this year.”
• “Threw” – Past tense of the verb “throw,” as in what one does with a ball or projectile.
• “Thru” – This one is debated. I still don’t consider it a real word. It was basically invented by fast food restaurants for their “Drive Thru” windows. One “u” is better than “ough” in the eyes of Ronald McDonald
• “Every day” & “Everyday”
• OK, this one drives me crazy.
• “Every day” is the most common, as in, “I commute to work every day.”
• “Everyday” is an adjective – “That is an everyday occurrence.”
• “Awhile” vs “A while”
• “Awhile” is an adverb meaning “for a time” – “Stay awhile”
• “A while” is a prepositional phrase with “while” being a noun
• “Who” & “Whom”
• This is a bit more advanced, but since I started the post referencing it, it’s only fair to discuss.
• “Who” has to be the subject of a sentence, meaning the person or noun that performs a verb – “Who stole my Cookie Crisp?” “Who said that?”
• “Whom” is typically what we call an indirect object, or something upon which the subject acts. Make sense? Look at the previous sentence example – “Who said that to whom?” “Who” is the subject. “That” is the direct object.” “Whom” is the indirect object, or the one who sorta receives the action. “To whom are you speaking?” A verb should never be conjugated with “whom.” “Whom drove you here” is a horrible sentence.

Yes, English is a pain because it is one of those rare languages where two words that are written differently and have totally unrelated meanings can sound exactly the same. If you are interested in improving more random bits of your grammar and spelling I highly recommend 1001 Pitfalls in English Grammar, a reasonably succinct text that outlines exactly what its title suggests.

Be the better person. Don’t use crappy jargon just because it’s “easier” when you are typing. Unless you are typing on a handheld device with tiny, virtual keys, is it really that difficult to use the correct word? It is one thing to struggle with overall spelling. All of us go through that. But don’t use “there” when “they’re” is correct. That just hurts my heart.

The real irony in all of this is that my formatting hasn’t been consistent throughout the post. At least I spelled the word correctly before inconsistently italicizing it!