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W R I T I N G T E C H N I Q U E S
Name ______
It Just Sounds Right
Often you have a feeling that an expression just sounds right. But the truth is that many common expressions are not correct. Your instincts may lead you in the wrong direction and create writing errors that cause readers to question your skills. The following exercise contains 15 sentences that fall into the “just sounds right” category. Select the word in parentheses that correctly completes the sentence and be ready to explain your choice.
1. If I (was, were) the company owner, things would be much different.
2. Not one of the ideas I submitted (was, were) accepted.
3. The sales reps are the ones (who, whom) our clients get to know best.
4. This frozen yogurt has (less, fewer) calories than ice cream.
5. Neither the instructor nor the teaching assistants (is, are) available to answer our questions.
6. Our manager closes his door (tight, tightly) when his phone rings.
7. Alexandra is one of those people who (is, are) always willing to help.
8. Nothing the manager can say will (affect, effect) my decision.
9. Just between you and (I, me), who will be our new manager?
10. Everyone using the parking lot must have a permit on (their, his or her) car.
11. Marcella Walker, as well two other sales representatives, (is, are) expecting a record year.
12. Nearly everyone in the office objected to (Carla, Carla’s) smoking in the restroom.
13. Some sales reps are not submitting their reports (as, like) they should.
14. You may send your application to Mr. Davis or (I, me, myself).
15. That government contract has been (laying, lying) on his desk for two weeks.
______
“Just Sounds Right” Key
1. If I were the company owner, things would be much different.
[Use the subjunctive mood were when expressing a statement that is doubtful or contrary to fact.]
2. Not one of the ideas I submitted was accepted.
[The singular verb was agrees with the singular subject one. Don’t be misled by intervening
prepositional phrases such as of the ideas.]
3. The sales reps are the ones whom our clients get to know best.
[Invert the sentence: our clients get to know them [whom] best. Use the objective case whom.]
4. This frozen yogurt has fewer calories than ice cream.
[Fewer refers to numbers or countable items. Less refers to total amounts, such as less food.]
5. Neither the instructor nor the teaching assistants are available to answer our questions.
[In neither/nor combinations, make the verb agree with the closer subject, which is assistants.]
6. Our manager closes his door tightly when his phone rings.
[Choose the adverb tightly because it answers the question, How does the manager close the door?]
7. Alexandra is one of those people who are always willing to help.
[This is tricky. The verb in clauses that include “one of those” agrees with the object of the clause, people. Think, Of those people who are always willing to help, Alexandra is one.
8. Nothing the manager can say will affectmy decision.
[The verb affect means “to influence.” The word “effect” usually functions as a noun: The effect of borrowing is increased debt.]
9. Just between you and me, who will be our new manager?
[This is a very common mistake! Use the objective case me as the object of the preposition between.]
10. Everyone using the parking lot must have a permit on his or her car.
[The problem here is that English has no all-purpose pronoun to represent both genders. The pronoun their is plural and is incorrect because it does not agree with the singular everyone. However, careful writers today try to avoid the wordy “his or her” combination. Instead, they reword the sentence, such as this: All people using the parking lot must have permits on their cars OR Every car in the parking lot must have a permit.]
11. Marcella Walker, as well two other sales representatives, is expecting a record year.
[The singular verb is agrees with the subject Marcella Walker. Do not let intervening expressions fool you.]
12. Nearly everyone in the office objected to Carla’s smoking in the restroom.
[The gerund smoking requires a possessive. What everyone objects to is Carla’s smoking, not Carla.]
13. Some sales reps are not submitting their reports as they should.
[The word like should not be used as a conjunction. It looks as if (not like) it may rain.]
14. You may send your application to Mr. Davis or me.
[Use the objective case me as the object of the preposition. Use reflexive pronouns (myself, himself, herself, themselves) only when they have an antecedent in the sentence, such as this: The president himself answers the phone.]
15. That government contract has been lying on his desk for two weeks.
[The intransitive verb lying means “resting.” The transitive verb laying means “to place”: He is laying tile. The tiles are lying near the door.]
© Dr. Mary Ellen Guffey, author, BUSINESS ENGLISH, ESSENTIALS OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION, and BUSINESS COMMUNICATION: PROCESS AND PRODUCT. May be reproduced for educational purposes only.