I Wish I May, I Wish I Might...

Have you ever heard of the subjunctive mood? If not, don't despair; most people couldn't tell you what it is. However, I bet that most of them would use it correctly even without knowing why.

The subjunctive is a mood of will, a mood of desires. We use it when we wish something. When we're in our wishful thinking mode, we change our verb to reflect our dreamy mood. Usually that means using were when we would normally use was. Basically, use were after the verb wish and after if, as if, and as though when you're talking about a condition that isn't really true.

Examples
I wish I were an actress (but I am not).
If I were you, I'd give him a call (but I am not).
He acts as if he were the president of the organization (but he's not).
I spoke as though I were the boss (but I'm not).

However (you just knew there had to be a but coming), if the statement can be true, then you use was and not were.

If Sue was at the bus station (and she was), I missed her.
It appeared as though the writing was slanted (and it was).

Try your hand at these:

1. She behaves as though she (was/were) in charge.
2. I wish I (was/were) as competent as James.
3. If the estimate (was/were) correct, why did they reject it?
4. If Sue (was/were) responsible, she would reorganize the department.
5. He tries to act as if he (was/were) experienced.

If you answered were, were, was, were, were then you have learned the subjunctive mood!

For more fun (yes, we are having fun) with the subjunctive mood, visit the Guide to Grammar and Get It Write.

"A Negative x A Negative = A Positive"

What has math got to do with grammar? Well, in this case, lots. The commandment of "Thou Shalt Not Use A Double Negative" is a well known rule of grammar, and, in the big scheme of things, it's a fairly easy one to remember and practice.

Simply don't use more than one negative expression to convey a negative idea in a sentence. Words such as only, scarcely, never, and but have negative meanings. Therefore, don't combine them with any other negative word, such as not, if you want to retain the negative meaning.

Woe is I tells us a little about the history of the double negative rule. O'Conner points out that "For centuries, it was fine to pile one negative on top of another in the same sentence. Chaucer and Shakespeare did this all the time to accentuate the negative. It wasn't until the eighteenth century that the double negative was declared a sin against the King's English, on the ground that one negative canceled the other" (188). She also says that the guy responsible for this rule was Robert Lowth, the same character who decided in his infinite wisdom that we shouldn't end sentences with prepositions!

When I taught language arts, one of my favorite examples of this was the commercial slogan "Nobody Doesn't Like Sarah Lee." I pointed out that if "nobody doesn't" like her products, then, of course, that means that EVERYONE DOES like them. When we finished language arts and worked on math, I reinforced the concept by pointing out that a negative x a negative did, indeed, = a positive. Isn't it nice when you can drive children crazy in every subject?

I don't think double negatives are always bad. Sometimes it's important to be able to avoid being blatantly negative. Woe is I gives two examples that everyone (especially every man) should memorize: "Your blind date is not unattractive" and "I wouldn't say I don't like your new haircut" (189). As you can see, tact occasionally trumps grammar in the real world.

For some fun exercises and examples of the rule, visit Skillwise and LEO. Teachers will find The Teacher is Wrong site full of fun and interesting ways to teach this concept.

Gerund Jumble

Once many, many moons ago, a professor of English corrected and returned to me a paper I had submitted for class. I understood all of the bright red swaths of marks he so elegantly etched in the margins--except one. I had written that "I appreciate you writing letters of recommendation for me." Of course, he added an innocent r to my you, so that it read, "I appreciate your writing letters of recommendation for me." I had no idea about the rule for that, and I didn't bother to look it up then. Instead, I stashed it away deep inside my memory, never to be thought of again--until last fall. The conundrum popped up again in an editing class I was taking. So, after more than twenty years, I finally got to the bottom of the problem (thanks to the help of another kind professor). It all begins with the gerund.

The Definition

Most of us know that a gerund is a verb form that ends in ing but is used as a noun. Take, for instance, the sentence "Swimming is fun." Most of the time, swim is a verb. However, in this sentence it is used as a noun (and also as the subject of the sentence). That's easy enough to remember.

Another Piece of the Puzzle

My sentence was incorrect not because of the gerund itself but because I failed to use the possessive form of the pronoun that came before it. Simply put, when a noun or a pronoun immediately precedes a gerund, it must be in the possessive case. Now, if I had taken the time to ask my professor about my error when it happened, I would not have spent twenty years writing hundreds of incorrect sentences! Hopefully this will prevent your making the same mistake.

Let's Look at Some Examples

1. The doctor's arriving late was a surprise to everyone. (Arriving is a gerund, so the possessive doctor's precedes it).

2. His losing the contest came as a big surprise. (Losing is a gerund; therefore, the possessive his is correct).

3. It happened without my knowing about it (not "without me knowing about it").

4. No one insisted on your coming with us (not "on you coming with us").

5. Bill's trying for the job was unexpected (not "Bill trying for the job").

Get It?

All the big hitters talk about this rule. You can look it up and practice it in the Gregg Reference Manual (paragraph 647 of the 8th ed.) and the Chicago Manual of Style (paragraph 7.28 of the 15th ed.). However, I think you'll find the most logical and sensible discussion of the topic in Woe is I (p. 45). The best coverage I have found overall comes from the online resource Get It Write. Here you'll find an effective overview and loads of examples and practice sentences. Good luck!

I love grammar; however,...

I've graded my share of student papers through the years, and if someone asked me what the most common grammatical errors were in those papers, I would have to rank this one in the top five. Adults (who didn't heed the advice of their teachers) still make this mistake in their writing. They insist that the word however always be surrounded with commas. I suppose this is, in part, the result of teachers who admonish their pupils to set off transitional (nonessential) expressions and independent comments with commas. I think it also relates to our insecurity with that smallest (and most maddening) of punctuation marks. When we don't know the rules for commas usage, we figure that it's better to be safe than sorry, and, therefore, we sprinkle our writing with unnecessary commas.

The Rule

It is true that when used as a transitional expression, however is set off by commas. If however appears at the beginning of a sentence, the comma follows it; if it comes at the end of the sentence, the comma precedes it. This usually doesn't present a problem. The trouble comes when it is placed in the middle of a sentence.

As long as however is truly a transitional expression, use two commas to set it off from the rest of the sentence. This tells the reader that it isn't necessary to the meaning of the sentence. For example: "If Bob changes his mind, however, he will have to notify us." We could take out however, and this sentence would still make sense.

HOWEVER...

If however is used as a conjunctive adverb that separates two independent clauses, it isn't enough to flank it with commas. You must first use a semicolon to separate the two clauses and then insert a comma after however. For example: "Grady practiced his free throws; however, he missed all of his attempts during the game."

Look at the difference in the two sample sentences without however:
"If Bob changes his mind, he will have to notify us."
"Grady practiced his free throws; he missed all of his lay ups."
See the difference? The second sentence contains two independent clauses; the first does not. However does not change the fact that a semicolon is needed between those clauses.

THEREFORE...

Of course, the same applies for other words (moreover, namely, therefore, consequently, etc.). Just remember that if the word is separating two independent clauses, it must have a semicolon before it and a comma after it. If it is not separating two independent clauses and is only being used as a nonessential transition, then, by all means, stick those commas all around.

Practice, Practice, Practice (put the proper punctuation in these sentences)

1. In the morning however nothing was done.
2. She doesn't swim often however I think she'll eventually get the hang of it.
3. They told us we could use the building however I think we should get it in writing.
4. Let me say however that I think very highly of her.
5. Bob will do the right thing however his sister will not.

Answers:

1. In the morning, however, nothing was done.
2. She doesn't swim often; however, I think she'll eventually get the hang of it.
3. They told us we could use the building; however, I think we should get it in writing.
4. Let me say, however, that I think very highly of her.
5. Bob will do the right thing; however, his sister will not.