A Misused Plural
You can refer to a whole group at once, or refer to it a part at a time. Those two usages require different words. Second panel:
“Everyone” refers to the whole group. I’m pretty sure she meant “anyone,” which refers to all the individuals in the department. I suppose in the third panel the speaker can get away with using “everyone.”
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An Uncommon Contraction
—A double one! They are correct when you need one, too. First panel. In case you missed it, the uncontracted version is “should not have.”
Hyphens are Important
For one thing, hyphens make English more precise! When you have to tie two words together, such as with this compound adjective, use a hyphen! Without the hyphen, the man is eating the octopus.
Singular or Plural?
Some collective nouns can be singular or plural depending on the context. Here’s an example: But only about 10 percent of the deaths and casualties in a hurricane are caused by wind itself. The vast majority of damage and casualties are caused by flooding and storm surge flooding, river flooding, excessive precipitation, as well as […]
What Does This Word Mean, Anyway?
That title is misleading. Prepositons often have several meanings, and the title implies only one meaning. Shame on you, title! Here’s a good example of multiple meanings for “with.” Here the choice is with =”using” or with =”in the company of.” Got any other meanings of “with” handy? Put ’em in the comments.
