[Rhodes22-list] Grammar Books

Bill Effros bill at effros.com
Sat Oct 28 13:21:47 EDT 2006


I only sort-of knew it. 

I, too, used to teach grammar, but I've forgotten a lot of why what I 
know to be correct, is in fact correct.

What grammar books would you suggest for adults who care about grammar 
but don't exactly remember the basis for their choice of words?

Bill Effros

L. Sailor wrote:
> Bill,
>   "Between" is a preposition, and takes an object. Any object is (logically) in the objective case. "I" is a nominative case (subject) pronoun; "me" is a objective case pronoun.
>    
>   Just as one cannot use 'me' as a subject, one cannot use 'I' as an object. So, 'Between you & me' is correct; 'between you & I' is out.
>    
>   (But I'll bet you already knew that...) 
>    
>   ;^)
>    
>   elle
>
> Bill Effros <bill at effros.com> wrote:
>   Elle,
>
> Why is it between you and me?
>
> Bill Effros
>
> L. Sailor wrote:
>   
>> Joe, 
>>
>> I think it is the "Pygmalion" syndrome...an affectation by someone who aspires to be 'highbrow' but doesn't know what he needs to know to carry it off...case in point: 
>> How many times have you heard "Between you & I"....it should be "Between you & ME"...but we were told not to use 'ME' because most kids grow up saying "Me & my friend" or some other such construction....And most folks wouldn't know the diff between the two...so I guess it's a case of "It ain't right, but you know what I mean.."
>>
>>     
>>> People ride IN an aplane, but we say "I took a ride ON a plane" 
>>>       
>> That's an interesting example.....we do ride IN a car.....but ON a bus, ON a train." Perhaps the "IN" connotes an ownership condition, while the "ON" connotes an impersonal relationship.....
>>
>> Also, we 'drive' on a parkway, and 'park' in a driveway, 'ship' 'cargo' by boat....
>>
>> (aargh)
>>
>> (slow day at the marina..)
>>
>> elle
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Joseph Hadzima wrote:
>> Hi elle
>>
>> I'll add my frustrations to your last post ... the phrase
>> that gets me now is "bla bla in length", or "the thingy is
>> blue in color". Many many moons ago I attended a technical
>> writing course, and was taught you don't insert the "in"
>> word. I was taught something was 8 inches long, 12 feet
>> wide, and 22 stories high (tall), and the building was
>> blue. Why do we need to add the word "in"? 
>>
>> People ride IN an aplane, but we say "I took a ride ON a
>> plane" (in this example at least the French say it
>> correctly). Are we as a nation attemting to compensate for
>> our past discrination of the word "in" in favor of "on"? 
>> Did the rules change, and I not get the memo?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> HADZ (a.k.a. joe)
>>
>> If I'm so "crazy," then why did they choose me to be their
>> spokesperson to the people of Earth?
>>
>> (this email sent using 100% recycled electrons)
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>>     
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