The Spelling Nazi thread.

[DAVOUT]

Originally posted by MrFun
Just read the two sentences out loud to yourself -- which one is more smoothly flowing? I would think that usually when you read to yourself a sentence out loud, and it makes sense when you verbalize it, it is likely correct. That is one of the reasons why some writers believe in reading their own work out loud -- as part of their editting process.

Flaubert was supposed to do that in a room dedicated to this exercise, named Le Gueuloir.

[Last Conformist]

Originally posted by civman2000
After prepositions. Some prescriptivists will recommend it in other positions, but I've never met anyone who actually used it in anywhere else.

It should be used when it's an object (direct, indirect, or of a preposition). Eg: Whom shall we blame? Bush.

[Dauphin]

It can be either, there is no formal way of saying it afaik. There are some notable case by case exceptions when discussing groups. For example "The police are coming" not "the police is coming" and "the data is wrong" not "the data are wrong".

[Hueij]

Do you know who The Beatles is?

[MrFun]

Originally posted by DAVOUT


Flaubert was supposed to do that in a room dedicated to this exercise, named Le Gueuloir.

Great guy.


So who was he?

[Provost Harrison]

That is probably because the names themselves are plural (Police, Beatles) which means it has to be an 'are' in either context...

[Kuciwalker]

St Leo is correct. The correct way to say it is "You don't know what Cake is?"

[Last Conformist]

Originally posted by Dauphin
It can be either, there is no formal way of saying it afaik. There are some notable case by case exceptions when discussing groups. For example "The police are coming" not "the police is coming" and "the data is wrong" not "the data are wrong".

"Data" is a de facto collective in English.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by civman2000
After prepositions. Some prescriptivists will recommend it in other positions, but I've never met anyone who actually used it in anywhere else.

Or anytime when the objective form is called for:

Whom did you invite?

[Tuberski]

Originally posted by Last Conformist
"Data" is a de facto collective in English.

Actually, it's a plural of datum.

ACK!

[Adrian Hon]

Re: Re: The Spelling Nazi thread.

Originally posted by Last Conformist

Prescriptivists would have it that 1) is correct in British English and 2) is correct in American English.

Yup. I read an article about this, in the context of companies and corporations; the Americans use 'is' and the British use 'are'.

[Last Conformist]

Originally posted by Tuberski


Actually, it's a plural of datum.

My point was, it's usually used as a collective rather than a plural in contemporary English.

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat


'von dem Bach-Zelewski' would be more of a challenge.

Nah - this is what I call a spelling challenge :

Johann Gambleputtydevonausfernschpledenschlittcrasscrenbo nfriediggerdingledangledonglebursteinvonknackerthr asherapplebangerhorowitzticolensicgranderknottyspe lltinklegrandlichgrumblemeyerspelterwasserkurstlic hhimbleeisenbahnwagengutenabendbitteeinnurnburgerb ratwurstlegerspurtenmitzweimacheluberhundsfutgumbe raberschonendankerkalbsfleischmittleraucher Von Hauptkopf of Ulm

[St Leo]

Originally posted by Japher
When does one use "whom"?

Whom did the members of Cake murder and then bury outside of Chicago?


Who killed whom.
Did who kill whom?.
She killed me.
I killer her.
She and I killed me and her.

But:
(Verb to be has a subjective/nominative case on both sides.)
Who is who.
Was who who?
I am she.
She is I.
She and I are I and she.

Also:
You ate the pig whom I love. (The pig is the object of the dependent clause.)
You ate the pig who won the war. (The pig is the subject of the dependent clause.)

[Japher]

that didn't help

I just won't use it.