The
Grammar
Logs
# 386

QUESTION
"That book was obviously written by a man whom the Jesuits trained very well."
  • Q: is the use of "whom" correct , why or why not?
  • Q: why SHOULD this sentence be in the passive voice?
Thank you
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Unknown Thu, May 4, 2000
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
The relative clause "whom the Jesuits trained very well" modifies the word word "man," but we choose the form of the relative pronoun by determining whether we want a subject or object form of a pronoun there. We can do that by turning the clause around. "The Jesuits trained him/he very well." We want him, so we want an object, so we use "whom."

Why is the main clause appropriately in the passive voice? One answer is why not. The object of the act of writing, the book, has been acted upon, "was written." In the main clause, the actual actor, the man-writer, is not as important as the book that was written by the man. See the section on Passive Voice for appropriate uses of the passive.


QUESTION
Is the word Ground Breaking one word or two?
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Newark, New Jersey Fri, May 5, 2000
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
If I read my dictionary correctly, when it's used as a noun — "Are you going to the ground breaking tomorrow morning?" — it's two words, and when it's used as a modifier, it's one: "He did groundbreaking work in intergalactic economic theory."

QUESTION
When addressing an envelope to a 10 year old male child, do I address as Master Robert Smith or just Robert Smith?
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Upland, California Fri, May 5, 2000
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
The title "Master" used to be assigned to lads too young to be called Mister. It's an archaism that wants to die and we should let it go peacefully. Robert Smith will suffice.

QUESTION
Is it "the audience is/are"? For example, The main audience for this .... is the managers and team members.

Thanks.

SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Somewhere, India Fri, May 5, 2000
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
Even though the predicate is plural, the subject is still a singular entity, the audience, so we want a singular verb, "is."

QUESTION
There is a sign on one of the buildings where I work that reads: Carpentry and Paint. I contend that these words are not complimentary and the sign should read: Carpentry and Painting.

Can you help settle this argument. Thank you so much for your help.

SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Northport, New York Fri, May 5, 2000
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
Maybe the carpenter needs to work on the sign. I think the end of the sign, that surely used to say "Painting," fell off. Once you use "carpentry," the sign sort of begs for another human activity, like "painting" — not an object, like "paint."

QUESTION
The word 'hereby', when to use and what is meant?
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Wellington, New Zealand Fri, May 5, 2000
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
It means "by this means," according to my dictionary. "I hereby swear to lose twenty pounds by August." Outside of the legal world, it's widely regarded as archaic; usually we get along fine without it.

QUESTION
In the sentences "If I get nothing else out of grammar, I will at least get a few laughs", and "That is fun enough for me", how would you classify the words else and enough, which seem to follow the words that they modify?
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania Sun, May 7, 2000
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
Those are postmodifiers." As an adverb, "else" frequently post-modifies an indefinite pronoun: "anywhere else," "someone else," "who else." The adverb "enough" also frequently is found in the post-modifier position (modifying a preceding adjective): "close enough," "high enough," etc.

Authority: A University Grammar of English by Randolph Quirk and Sidney Greenbaum. Longman Group: Essex, England. 1993. Used with permission.
QUESTION
which is it...
We have an experienced team of bankers, many of (WHOM or WHO) followed Randy and me.
Thanks
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Chicago, Illinois Tue, May 9, 2000
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
The subject of the that clause is "many." "Many," in turn, is modified by a prepositional phrase, "of whom." We need "whom" because we need the object of a preposition there.

QUESTION
Which would be correct in the following:
"If you will look at last year's data comparing (him or he) and (me or I), you will see . . . ."
I think it would be 'him and me,' but I have been told I am incorrect and have been ordered to change to 'he and I'. Will you please advise and explain so I can either show my boss or eat humble pie. Thank you so much.
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
El Dorado, Arkansas Tue, May 9, 2000
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
You want the object forms of the pronouns there, "him" and "me." Does it help if you change "and" to "to"? or "my production" to "his production"? In any case, skip the humble pie regimen.

QUESTION
Re: participial phrases. My definition states that some act as adverbs and some act as adjectives. Why would the following example be one that is an adverb phrase?
"You haven't fixed the brown spots in the lawn."
--in the lawn--is certainly the participial phrase, but why is it not acting as an adjective modifying brown spots?

second example:

"You found the rake in the garage."
--in the garage-- is the part. phrase. Why is it acting as an adverb and not as an adjective?
SOURCE OF QUESTION & DATE OF RESPONSE
Aurora, Ontario, Canada Tue, May 9, 2000
GRAMMAR'S RESPONSE
I think you mean prepositional phrase, not participial phrase. (See the "Garden of Phrases for help.) In your first example, "in the lawn" is definitely modifying the "spots," telling you where they are; it's an adjectival prepositional phrase.

In the second example, it depends. Did you find the rake that was in the garage? If so, then "in the garage" is modifying the word "rake" and it's an adjective. Or did you find the rake while you were rooting around in the garage? Then "in the garage" is telling us where you did the finding, and it's an adverb.


Previous Grammar Log

Next Grammar Log

Index of Grammar Logs

Guide to Grammar and Writing