I haven't officially welcomed this tenth month of the year. It's Day 5, so I'd better get it done. October is a month of lovely sights, smells, and tastes. Pumpkins and leaves of various hues. Pumpkin desserts, coffee creamer, and candle aromas. Frosty nights and cooler days as the month moves on.
Now that I've said hello to October, it's time to move on to what is on my mind today. Pronouns. No, not the banning of he or she for using only 'they.' That's not what I'm addressing, although it is a hot topic today.
Instead, I note more and more that he/she and him/her are used incorrectly.
He/she are used as the subject of a sentence.
Him/her are used as the object of the sentence.
The subject is who or what is doing the action. The object is the one to whom the action is done.
The other glaring grammar error is when someone says "Me and him are going to the ball game." Both me and him are objective. The correct way is "He and I are going to the ball game." Today's young people have adapted the 'me and him' form as an everyday usage. It's spilled over to those who are older, as well. One day, I heard an announcer on tv say something like "Me and Joe both have the same opinion." The correct use is "Joe and I..." I'm sure the young man didn't lose his job over his minor error. Yes, in reality, this is a minor error, but if you're working in the media world, you'd better learn the correct way. Repeating the error over and over could be a reason for losing your job.
No doubt there are people who would disagree with what I've said here. That's alright. We are all entitled to our opinion.
Right or wrong, we are often judged by the way we speak, or write. If a young woman looking for a first job out of college uses incorrect grammar over and over in an interview, she's lessening her chances of getting hired. Perhaps it depends on what kind of job you're seeking.
Some colleges offer an elective course in business manners. That's a great idea. Maybe they should also consider a course in proper language.
There was a period when English teachers in high schools graded only on the content of a paper students had written. They did not count anything off for grammar and spelling errors. You cannot learn if you are not told what needs to be improved. If nothng else, I would have preferred that the teacher give two grades, one for content, and one for grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
If a writer submits a story, essay, or poem that confuses subject and object in many of the sentences, do you think the editor will accept it? Unless it's a terrific piece otherwise and the editor is willing to rewrite parts, probably not.
Let's be honest here. Grammar is not a fascinating subject, but it is something to be learned just as little children learn their multiplication tables. Or the alphabet. Many master the proper way at school but slip into their old comfort ways when elsewhere.
My purpose today is not to criticize those who use pronouns improperly but to make them aware of the correct usage. Writers should set the example. If I sound like a teacher, it's because once upon a time, I was one.
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