Month: January 2008

“Thanks so much for sharing Jim.”

Commas, Common English Blunders

I saw this in an email message.

Problem:
A comma is missing.

Explanation:
Without the comma, this sentence is structured such that the writer is thanking the reader for sharing Jim.

What the writer wanted to do was thank Jim for sharing (the information contained elsewhere in the email message).

Commas provide the pauses that let readers “hear” where writers are taking breaks in speech.

The writer of the sentence in the email message was pausing before saying in her mind the name Jim, but she failed to put in her sentence a comma that would indicate the location of that pause.

Solution:
“Thanks so much for sharing, Jim.”

“Gender” vs. “Sex”

Common English Blunders, Nouns, Versus

I often hear or read “gender” where “sex” is the appropriate noun.

Problem:
“Gender” and “sex” are not synonyms.

Explanation:
The noun “gender” is a grammatical term that traditionally has been used to refer to categories of pronouns and nouns (masculine, feminine, and neuter).

The noun “sex” refers to the division of living things into the male and female state. Given that “sex” has become overloaded to refer to the act, it seems that a prudishness has developed about using a perfectly good noun — “sex” — to refer to the division of living things.

Sorry, but a person doesn’t have a gender; a person has a sex. Ditto for cats and dogs and other living things.

Solution:
Use “sex” when referring to people and other living things. Reserve the use of “gender” to refer to the kind of a pronoun or noun.

“Anytime” vs. “Any Time”

Adjectives, Adverbs, Common English Blunders, Versus

I saw “anytime” used where “any time” was required in a technical document.

Problem:
“Anytime” and “any time” are not synonyms.

Explanation:
“Anytime” is an adjective. “Any time” is an adverbial phrase.

It’s an anytime event to have Bill Clinton visit our donut shop. is an example of the proper use of “anytime”. The adjective “anytime” tells the reader/listener the what type of event it is to have Bill Clinton visit the writer/speaker’s donut shop.

Getting stuck in the longest line happens any time that I try to pick the shortest line at the grocery store. is an example of the proper use of “any time”. The adverbial phrase “any time” tells the reader/listener when the writer/speaker gets stuck in the longest line.

Solution:
Use “anytime” when you are modifying a noun; use “any time” when you are modifying a verb.