| Term | Definition |
|---|
| who | who, whom? "It was Jim who bought the coffee today" |
| who | who, whom? "I'll tell you the person who beat him up - Jim, that's ___" |
| whom | who, whom? Used as the object of a verb: "I learned nothing about the man ___ I saw." |
| whom | who, whom? Used as the object of a preposition: "the woman to ____ I owe my life." |
| no | Should you use the word "overly"? |
| lay | lay,lie,laid,lain? Present tense, demands an object "___ your pencils down." |
| laid | lay,lie,laid,lain? Past tense, demands an object: "I ___ the book there yesterday"" |
| laid | lay,laid,lie,lain? Past tense, demands an object: "These rumors have been ___ to rest" |
| lie | lay,lie,laid,lain? Present tense, doesn't require object: "__ down and rest" |
| lain | lay, lie, laid, lain? Past tense, doesn't require object: "she ___ down and rested" |
| lain | lay, lie, laid, lain? Past tense, doesn't require object: "he hasn't yet ___ down" |
| masterful | masterful, masterly? Describes a person who is dominating and imperious. |
| masterly | masterful, masterly? Describes a person who has mastered a craft, trade, or profession : "a ___ analysis" |
| it is I | it is I, it is me? Both are correct. Which is stuffy and grammatical? |
| it is me | it is I, it is me? Both are correct. Which is relaxed? |
| attributable to | The phrase "due to" when used properly should be interchangeable with ___ to |
| no | Is this the proper way to use "due to"? "Due to the parent's negligence, the entire family suffered." |
| can | can, may? "She ___ do calculations in her head." |
| can | can, may? "the dog ___ leap over a six-foot fence." |
| may | can, may? This one suggests possibility or permission. |
| yes | Correct use of "based"? As verb: "They based their position on military precedent." |
| yes | Correct use of "based"? As adjective: "A sophisticated thriller based on a John Le Carre novel." |
| no | Correct use of "based"? As adverb: "Rates are adjusted annually, based on the ninety-one-day Treasury bill." |
| no | Correct use of "based?" As preposition or dangling participle: "Based on this information, we decided to stay." |
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