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Q & A from the Grammar Hot Line -
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions  

Times may have changed, but the fact is that most rules related to our language have not. Even though the rules exist, people feel a good deal of uncertainty about what is correct – whether it’s I or me, who or whom, affect or effect, comma or semicolon. 

They want  explanations in plain English about what is right and what is wrong. Here are answers to great questions received in 2005 at the Grammar Hot Line. Send us yours today!     

 
On my website is a Grammar Hot Line, an opportunity for you to get answers to questions about punctuation, grammar, word choice and other puzzling  matters of English usage. In this issue, I have published answers to some of the best questions of 2005.
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      1.  I recently saw a reference to “an historical occasion.” I was always taught to use “a” before a hard h  (a house, a helper) and “an” before an h that isn’t pronounced (an hour, an herb). Has the rule changed?                                                      Carolyn, academic  in Worcester, MA

You are correct in your thinking that “a” should be used before “history” or any other derivations of the word.  The popularity of “an” comes from British usage whereby a word beginning with a weakly pronounced h is preceded by an. Thus you might hear “an historian, “an habitual offender,” or  “an heroic ode.” In America today, the use of “a” is widespread and definitely preferred.  

      2. I’m responsible for a monthly newsletter from my church. Do I need a comma between month and year when I put the date of the issue – May, 2006 or May 2006?                     
                                                       Anna, volunteer in Enfield, CT

 May 2006 is correct. Do not use a comma unless a day is included: May 15, 2006

            3. Please comment on the frequently used expression “general consensus
       of opinion.”
                                                   Andrew, claims representative in Fairfield, CT

 All you need is the word consensus, meaning “opinion of a group”: “The        consensus was to go forward with the plan.” The words  “general” and “of        opinion” are indeed redundant.                 

       4. Is there an easy way to tell whether I or me is right  in sentences like, “He gave the assignment to Mary and ___.”  Is the answer any different if you say, “He gave Mary and __ the assignment”?
                                                       Brenda, bank manager in Springfield, MA

Think of it this way: He gave the assignment to Mary, and he gave the  assignment to me. You need an object (a receiver) after the preposition “to.” Me is    the object. (I is the subject.) In your second example, the same rule holds true. He gave Mary the assignment. He gave me             the assignment. The only difference is that   here we have an indirect object after the verb “gave.” On the other hand, if you need a subject, a performer of the action, I is correct. (“I did the work.”)       

5.  A colleague drives me crazy by indicating that “this criteria” is what we should use to judge something. I believe criteria is a plural word. If I’m right, what is the singular form?
                                       Frank, accountant  in Portland, ME

Your colleague has fallen prey to a misunderstanding about singular and plural forms of  foreign derivatives. This word comes from Greek.  Criteria is the plural form (“these criteria”) and should not be substituted for the singular criterion (“this criterion”).

6. Public holidays with possessives before the word Day are punctuated in various ways. For example, I’ve seen Veteran’s Day Veterans’  Day, and Veterans Day. The same goes for Mothers Day, Fathers Day, even Grandparents Day. Is it OK to write them without punctuation?
                                   Claudio, retailer near Burlington, VT

 Good question. There are many discrepancies  in current usage (reflected also in the greeting cards and advertised  sales related to those holidays!)  According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, the correct forms are as follows: Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Veterans Day, Presidents’ Day, Grandparents’ Day. Both Valentine’s Day and Valentines Day are correct.

7. Be the final word on adding –ly to numbers. I’ve been seeing “firstly,” “secondly” and “thirdly.”
                                                        Mary Anne, paralegal in Hartford, CT

 Do not add –ly to any of these words. When used to bring up points, they are already introductory words about place or time so they don’t need the tag –ly to imply that function. Two other offenders: last and  thus. Don’t tack on  –ly.
 

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 Susan Kline of Business Communications consults with and trains people in business to help them send professional messages that are clear, concise and correct. Her clients number among the most effective communicators in their fields. How can your organization benefit from Ms. Kline’s support? Contact Us.