Dear Trader Joe’s: It’s All About Salt!

Dear Reader,

Let’s take a look at this label from Trader Joe’s salt container:

Do you see the obvious problem? We know that the contraction it’s stands for it is. Therefore, when we spell out the words in the contraction, the sentence reads as follows:

• Trader Joe’s sea salt is perfect for grilling and roasting meats due to it is delicate flavor, lingering taste and slower dissolving properties.

But this doesn’t make sense, does it? No, this sentence requires the possessive pronoun—its:

• Trader Joe’s sea salt is perfect for grilling and roasting meats due to its (i.e., the salt’s) delicate flavor, lingering taste and slower dissolving properties.

I know I’ve covered it’s and its before (please see my post from May 30, 2010). But because this problem is ubiquitous, I thought I should cover it again.

Until next time, happy reading!

Scoop

Dear Scoop: Q&A

Dear Reader,

Today’s question concerns the French adjective à la mode, which means “according to the prevailing style or fashion” or “in the current fashion,” or simply “fashionable.”

Q: May I say “à la Indian mode”?

Pie à la Mode

A: That’s an interesting question. I’ve seen Indian à la mode and India à la mode—and of course, there is the popular pie à la mode. (In American English, this means “pie served with a scoop of ice cream.” According to lore, pie with ice cream has been fashionable since the 1890s! So you could say that pie is in its most fashionable state when it’s served with a scoop of ice cream.) But you would like to place a word between two elements of this famous French adjective.

A quick search of the Internet reveals many examples of words followed by à la mode: links à la mode, cupcakes à la mode, pudding à la mode. But it’s rare to find a word in between.

The reason à la mode follows the noun (e.g., links, cupcakes) is that in French, the adjective is placed after the noun. Let’s look at an example:

• maison blanche = “white house,” but as written, it’s “house white.”

That’s why it’s natural for us, when we use the French à la mode, to have the French adjective follow our English noun; hence Indian à la mode or Good Grammar à la Mode—the title of my blog.

My best advice is to let à la mode follow Indian. (Yes, you can translate this adjective word by word, but that isn’t how we use it). If you choose to use à la mode in a different fashion, perhaps you should place à la Indian mode in italics to let your reader know that you know you’re playing with words.

Thanks for writing!

Best,

Scoop

Dear Scoop: Q&A

Dear Readers,

Question #1: That ain’t good grammar. Is that sentence considered proper grammar?

Answer: Ain’t is not standard English; however, it’s perfectly acceptable to use ain’t in a few idiomatic expressions and when quoting a speaker who is using nonstandard English.

1. Idiomatic expressions:
• You ain’t seen nothing yet!* (Proper grammar is as follows: You haven‘t seen anything yet.)
• If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.* (Proper grammar is as follows: If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.)
• An idiom from Yogi Berra: “It ain’t over till it’s over!” (What Yogi meant was that the game isn’t over until the last out.)

2. Quoting a speaker.
Here are examples from the movie The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993):

Tom Sawyer: Muff’s innocent, Huck; we gotta help him.
Huck Finn: We ain’t gotta do nothing.
Tom Sawyer: You’d let him hang for something he didn’t do?
Huck Finn: It ain’t no skin off my back.
Tom Sawyer: I thought we was friends, Huck.
Huck Finn: You thought wrong. I ain’t got no friends. Ain’t got time for ‘em. But if I did have one, I’d want him to be like you. **

*Sabin, William A., The Gregg Reference Manual, Ninth Edition, McGraw Hill, New York, 2001, p.283.
**From IMDB.com

That isn’t good grammar: Bryan Garner also discusses ain’t on page 28 in his Dictionary of Modern American Usage (1998). There he explains, for example, that those who know and use standard English may use ain’t “to be tongue-in-cheek.” So if you were to say, “That ain’t good grammar,” you would be using ain’t in a tongue-in-cheek fashion.

Question #2: Our favorite memory. Is it proper grammar?

Answer: Yes. Our favorite memory is a noun phrase. You can use it, for example, as a title of a chapter or an essay or within a sentence.
Example: My family and I traveled to California last summer. Let me tell you about our favorite memory.
Example: This is our favorite _____ memory. (Fill in the blank with vacation or holiday, for example.)

Do you want to make memory plural? Here’s an example:
• What are our favorite camp memories? Oh, where shall I begin?

Thanks for asking your questions. I hope these answers have been helpful.

Best wishes,

Scoop

Do you have a question about grammar?

Dear Reader,

If you have a quick question about grammar (e.g., how to turn a certain singular word into a plural) or a suggestion for a post, please let me know. I’ll post the answers to your questions on my blog as soon as possible.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Question or Suggestion(required)

I need the answer quickly!

Numbers and hyphens in compound adjectives: In the ad for Silk soy milk, should it be a “10 day” challenge or a “10-day” challenge?

Dear Reader,

I recently saw this ad on TV:

The manufacturer of Silk soy milk is asking consumers to make the switch from cow’s milk to soy milk. I have no opinion regarding the challenge itself (but the copy is clever and it rhymes—and I love rhymes). However, as you would expect, I do have something to say about the text in the ad. But before I discuss that, I must first define a term: compound adjective. To do so, let’s talk about a snack that goes well with milk—be it cow’s, soy, rice, or almond: cookies!

You are already familiar with a single-word adjective:

• These are delicious cookies. (The adjective modifies the noun, cookies.)

Well, a compound adjective is just a fancy name for a multi-word adjective:

• These are handmade treats. (The adjective modifies the noun, treats.)
• These are handmade. (The adjective complements the pronoun, these.)

There are three types of compound adjectives:
(1) closed compounds (e.g., handmade treat, foolproof recipe),
(2) open compounds (e.g. chocolate chip cookies), and
(3) hyphenated compounds (e.g., out-of-this-world cookies).

In my book The Scoop on Good Grammar, I associate compound adjectives with cookies. (As memory experts say, attentiveness and association are two keys to a good memory.) Incorporating the ad for soy milk, you could say that in compound adjectives, numbers go with hyphens the way milk goes with cookies!

Here are some examples from my book that show the proper way to use hyphens with numbers in compound adjectives:

• Clear: Use two 20-inch cookie sheets.
Confusing: Use 2 20-inch cookie sheets.

• a 30-minute demonstration

• a million-dollar recipe; a two-million-dollar recipe
But no hyphen is used here: a $2 million recipe

• a 12-hour class

• • a one-time class

• a first-class kitchen

As you can see, the hyphen links the parts of the compound before the noun in such a way that the whole phrase—the noun and its modifier—becomes one idea. And that’s the reason for hyphenating a compound adjective before the noun: Oneness creates clarity! Now that we have a good foundation, let’s take a look at that compound adjective before the noun, challenge, in the ad for soy milk. I’m sure you’ve identified the issue. Yes, it should be a 10-day, not a 10 day, challenge. Simple, right?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

To help you remember the connection between hyphens and numbers, I’d like to share this recipe for meringue cookies. These gems are also known as forgotten cookies. Read the recipe below (click on the page to enlarge) to see why they have been given that name.

_________________________________________________________________________________

That’s right: You “forget” about them overnight. But please don’t forget this lesson!

Best wishes,

Scoop

Wheel of Fortune: Is It a Sentence or a Phrase?

Dear Reader,

Recently, while solving a puzzle on Wheel, I noticed a problem: The name of the puzzle (PHRASE) didn’t match up with the actual solution (SENTENCE). The solution was as follows: We would love to go whale-watching. (Admittedly, the solution didn’t have the hyphen between whale and watching, but we can tackle that omission another time.)

We would love to go whale-watching is a sentence, not a phrase. These words express a complete thought, which is exactly what a sentence is supposed to do.

If the writers on Wheel had wanted to create a PHRASE puzzle, they could have easily done so:

• in the ocean
• with friends
• to go whale-watching
• after lunch

Here are some everyday phrases in one sentence. I’ve included the subject and the verb to give the phrases (in alternating bold and italic type) meaning:

• Tim [subject] swam [verb] in the ocean with the dolphins for an hour.

As you can see, a phrase is a group of two or more words used to express an idea. And while a phrase does not express a complete thought—it doesn’t have a subject and a predicate*—that doesn’t mean it’s unimportant. It has a vital role to play! As part of a sentence, a phrase functions as a noun, an adverb, or an adjective.

Noun: I like watching the whales. (This phrase answers the question, I like what?)
Adverb: The kids jumped for joy! (This phrase answers the question, In what manner did they jump?)
Adjective: The whale-watchers from Australia are quite knowledgeable. (This phrase describes the whale-watchers.)

Note: There are 8 parts of speech. If you need an acronym to help you remember, how  about PAPA VINC? This should help you “conquer” (or vinc, from the Latin vincere) your fear of memorizing!
1. Pronouns: he, she, them, it, us
2. Adjectives: good, small, blue, square, salty
3. Prepositions: to, with, about, over, under
4. Adverbs: quickly, magnificently, very, quite, nicely
5. Verbs: look, go, see, swim, think, am, are, is, seem
6. Interjections: gee, ha, hey, whew, well, oh, oops
7. Nouns: whales, guide, ocean, Tim, Australia
8. Conjunctions: and, but, yet, for, so, or

Like most people, I watch TV for the enjoyment of it, but I also look and listen for mistakes in order to help me give you the scoop on good grammar. If you notice a mistake in the media, please share it by commenting on my blog.

Until next time,

Scoop

*Every sentence is the same in that it has a subject (simple and complete) and a predicate (simple and complete).

Let’s take a look at these two sentences:
1. Our Australian whale-watching guide is quite knowledgeable.
2. I love whales.

The simple subject and the complete subject: The simple subject is the main part of the complete subject minus any modifiers (e.g., adjectives). In Our Australian whale-watching guide is quite knowledgeable, the complete subject is Our Australian whale-watching guide. The simple subject—the core of the subject (it’s usually a noun or a pronoun)—is guide.

A one-word subject is the complete subject of a sentence. In the second sentence, the complete subject is I.

The simple predicate and the complete predicate: The complete predicate is all the words in the sentence but the complete subject. In the first sentence, it’s is quite knowledgeable, and in the second sentence, it’s love whales. The simple predicate is the verb. In the first sentence, it’s is and in the second sentence, it’s love.

Note: A one-word sentence that gives an order—Look!—has an implied subject, and that implied subject is you: [You] look!

The sign on the bus . . .

Dear Reader,

There’s  a new cable channel in town: Antenna. It airs many of my favorite TV shows from the 20th century. I recently watched an episode of The Partridge Family, and when that colorful bus rolled into view, I had to smile . . . and then I noticed something that has needed fixing since 1970. On the back of the bus is this sign:

Look at it closely. The word careful is meant to introduce words of warning: Drivers and pedestrians, be careful. A nervous mother is driving. Have you figured out what’s missing from the sign? If you are imagining a colon, congratulations!

• Careful: Nervous Mother Driving. (That’s better.)

Here’s the two-part rule: A one-word introducer, such as note or remember or careful, is followed by a colon to elevate what follows. Think of the colon as a pedestal, such as the one that supports the Statue of Liberty. The word immediately following the colon begins with a capital letter.

• Note: The (NOT: the) concert begins at eight o’clock.

This is an easy rule to remember, isn’t it? Like the show’s theme song (listen here), it just sticks with you.

Best wishes,

Scoop

On behalf of . . .

Welcome back!

Today we will discuss a popular phrase: on behalf of. We say it, but do we know what it means? Well, let me tell you. On behalf of means “as a representative of.”

I bring this up because quite often—for example, when we thank others—we incorrectly use the reflexive pronoun myself in sentences that contain on behalf of.

Let’s see if you recognize this everyday example of incorrect usage:

• On behalf of my family and myself, I would like to thank you for a lovely afternoon.

If we can’t use and myself, how can we properly say thank you, you ask?

Here’s the answer:

• On behalf of my family, I would like to thank you for a lovely afternoon.

Why is and myself unnecessary, you ask? By definition, as a representative of others, the person speaking is doing so as a spokesperson for others. Or it can be inferred from circumstances that because he or she is speaking, he or she is also thanking the person being spoken to.

That wasn’t too difficult, right? Great! Now go enjoy your Sunday.

Until next month, “relaxing grammar” wishes,

Scoop

Do you know how to compare?

Welcome back!

Pizzaioli, pizzerias, and pizzas! Whether talking about pizzaioli (people), pizzerias (places), or pizzas (things), we’re always comparing. Here’s how we compare three pizzerias, for example, using the adjective new:

Pizzeria A is new. (This is a positive statement. Nothing is being compared.)
Pizzeria B is newer than Pizzeria A. (Newer is the comparative form, which is used to compare two people, places, or things.)
Pizzeria C is the newest one of all. (Newest is the superlative form, which is used to compare three or more people, places, or things.)

New-newer-newest: That’s the way most one-syllable adjectives and some two-syllable adjectives transform themselves to help us compare.

Another way to compare is to use more or most with a few two-syllable adjectives and with adjectives that contain three or more syllables. For example, let’s focus on the adjective delicious:

• My pizza is more delicious than yours.
(Use more with the positive form of the adjective to compare two people, places, or things.)

• This is the most delicious pizza I’ve ever eaten.
(Use most with the positive form of the adjective to compare three or more people, places, or things.)

So far, comparing is easy. Next, you should know that sometimes words completely change forms from the positive to the comparative to the superlative. Here are some examples:

• good-better-best
• bad-worse-worst

Combining toppings makes a pizza tasty; however, when comparing, combining forms is not on the menu.

Say: Your pizza is better than mine.
Don’t say: Your pizza is more better than mine.

Say: This pizzeria has the nicest atmosphere.
Don’t say: This pizzeria has the most nicest atmosphere.

Pop Quiz

Choose the correct sentence:

• Of the two, he is the youngest pizzaiolo.
Or: Of the two, he is the younger pizzaiolo.

• She is the most nicest pizzaiola.
Or: She is the nicest pizzaiola.

Answers:

• Of the two, he is the younger pizzaiolo.
• She is the nicest pizzaiola.

How did you do on the quiz today? If you have any questions or comments, please post them on my blog. As always, I’d love to hear from you!

Until next Sunday, “fine-finer-finest grammar” wishes,

Scoop

When all is said and done, one punctuation mark is usually enough.

Welcome back! Today we are going to discuss one of my favorite pet peeves: Ending a sentence with more than one punctuation mark. Really, one is  usually enough.

Take these examples:

•    I wrote the desk calendar Is There Life After Chocolate?
[Not: I wrote the desk calendar Is There Life After Chocolate?.]

•    I arrived for my book talk at eight p.m.
[Not: I arrived for my book talk at eight p.m..]

But: If there’s an abbreviation at the end of the sentence and that sentence requires an exclamation point or a question mark, punctuate like this:

•    It’s twenty minutes past eight p.m.!
•    It’s twenty minutes past eight p.m.?

Note: But sometimes, two marks are necessary.
•    Single: We’re late? We’re late!
     Double: We’re late?!

Because these guidelines are so simple, there will be no pop quiz today. But if you have any questions or comments, please post them on my blog. As always, I’d love to hear from you!

Until next Sunday, “simple grammar” wishes,

Scoop