When Not to Correct Someone’s Grammar

My policy is to be wise and not correct someone unless they ask. (I get asked a lot on quora.com, by the way.) This comic is a good example of when to use this policy of non-correction. Even though he’s right about the grammar.

Frankly, I recommend not cheating in the first place, either.

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We grammar geeks like to criticize this expression. We say it’s the opposite of what the speaker actually means.

And yes, I too prefer the direct approach: say what you mean.

But sarcasm is a recognized figure of speech; sarcasm is saying the exact opposite of what you mean. So if you want to be sarcastic and simultaneously irritate people who like good English, go for it. I could care less, but I don’t.

I don’t have to say a lot today; the parents say it for me.

The lesson: Think about what you write!

Yes, the comic breaks a rule, but you know that rule: “I” is for the subject of a sentence, not “me.” This post is about another rule: Don’t put yourself first! But be sure to read the comment after the comic.

We have no grammatical rule that says not to put yourself first! All it is, is being polite to mention others first. Particularly in scientific writing the author mentions the main researcher, him- or herself, first, and adds associates (mere grad students maybe?) who participated, second.

So if you deserve most of the credit, go ahead and mention yourself first. But use “I,” (or “we”) not “me” (or “us”)!

I ran into a sentence that correctly puts “we” first:

These recent updates, suggesting that climate change and its impacts are emerging faster than scientists previously thought, are consistent with observations that we and other colleagues have made identifying a pattern in assessments of climate research of underestimation of certain key climate indicators, and therefore underestimation of the threat of climate disruption.

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/scientists-have-been-underestimating-the-pace-of-climate-change/

This post first appeared on The Writing Rag.

Want to write professionally? About your area of expertise perhaps? Something related to work? Maybe your résumé even?

Then get your mechanics right!!! Mechanics are grammar, punctuation, spelling, syntax, vocabulary.

Regardless of your area of expertise, savvy, knowledge, or insight, if you have bad mechanics, you come across as a doofus! Yes, bad punctuation in a paper about magneto-hydrodynamics, or an article about migraine headaches, or a document outlining your job history and skills; these all give the lie to your ability to know what you’re talking (writing) about.

Here are some examples from a webpage that described some articles whose headlines sounded interesting. I won’t embarrass the writer by identifying the site. I’ll identify the errors even though you probably can see them yourselves.

• Thirty eight million people or more suffer from migraine headaches in America, according to Mirgraine.com. [Hyphenate: Thirty–eight; and they misspelled migraine.com]
• This 3000 years-old secret to preserving food without refrigeration was invented by the ancient Egyptians. [3000 year-old secret. Adjectives don’t show number]
• EMPs are bursts of electromagnetic energy which can disrupt or seriously damage electronic equipment. [Should be “…energy that can disrupt…”
• People with dementia show a different makeup in the bacteria dwelling in their guts, a preliminary study finds — raising questions about whether the “bugs” play some role in the brain disease. [Use a dash, not two hyphens. We’re out of the age of typewriters. It should be “…finds—raising…”]

Some of these are sixth-grade mistakes, and all of them are things a professional should know. If you doubt your ability with mechanics, get someone to proofread your work. Don’t look like a doofus!

This post first appeared on The Writing Rag.