Well, we are back to work with our first blog of 2015.
We have noticed in a lot of the work that is sent to us for
correction, and in everyday conversations, that there are a few common mistakes
that are made both in verbal and written English. These mistakes are often
understandable but are easily corrected once you know the correct grammar
rules. We would like to share a few tips with you, so you never have to make
these mistakes again.
1.
I, Me
and Myself.
Although all these words refer to the same person,
me, they are not interchangeable and should be used in the right context. We
use “I” for the subject, the person performing the action, and “me” for the
object , the person something is being
done to, in the sentence. Sounds a bit confusing but really it is not. Let’s
look at some examples:
a. I
walked the dog. (Correct).
b. She
gave the shopping bags to me. (Correct).
So far so good and most people are quite
happy with this. The problem seems to arise when another person is included in
the sentence. We are told, correctly, that when writing or speaking, it is
polite to put the others person’s name first. However this seems to have lead
to an assumption that the rule is always
“X” and I. This is not correct. We still follow the same rule as above, “I”
for the subject and “me” for the object.
c. Scott
and I walked the dog. (Correct).
d. Joanna
and I went shopping. (Correct).
e. She
gave the shopping bags to Aisha and me. (Correct).
f. He
wants to talk to Kevin or me. (correct).
As most people are happy with the use of “I”
and “me” in simple sentences, here’s a tip to check that you are always using
the right pronoun; simply remove the others person name from the sentence. So, for example in (d) take out the Joanna and
ask yourself would you say I went shopping or me went shopping? As it would be
correct to say I went shopping, then when you put Joanna back in the sentence you
know to use “I”.
Then
we come to “myself” a reflective pronoun which should be used with the subject
pronoun I, as in I often talk to myself, I bought an ice-cream for Missy and myself
etc. It is incorrect to use myself instead of “me” although this is seen and
heard again and again. It is only to be used when you are performing an action
on yourself.
2.
Borrow
and Lend.
There is often confusion over the use of
these words but it is actually very simple to make sure you use the correct
word. Just remember that you do not borrow something to someone ever, you can
only borrow something from someone.
Alternatively, lending is something only the giver does.
Just to confirm let’s look at some correct
examples:
a. Kath
lends Clare £100.
b. Clare
borrows £100 from Kath.
c. I
will lend you my comb.
d. Can
I borrow your bike?
3.
Uninterested
and Disinterested
These two words are often thought to be interchangeable,
but they are not. They have very different meanings as I will try and explain.
Someone who is uninterested has no interest
at all in the subject. It is the opposite of interested. So, for example, I may say I have no interest
in geography, so I am completely uninterested in his lessons.
However, a person who is disinterested is
impartial, unbiased, has no stake in the outcome. So for example we would hope
a judge would be disinterested to ensure a fair trial. We may also hope for
some disinterested, or impartial advice from our financial advisor.
I hope this has ironed out a few problems with
the use of certain words. Next week we will continue on this theme, with more
tips and advice to avoid common mistakes.
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