Q:

Dear Grammar Cop,

Please help settle this HR Department dispute! Smile Below is the excerpt with the discrepancy highlighted:

• All full-time regular, exempt and non-exempt positions are eligible for the Employee Referral Bonus.
• Employees of Monster Cable are eligible to receive the Employee Referral Bonus, with the exception of Directors, employees in the Human Resources department, individuals referring their own direct or indirect reports into their own department, and the hiring supervisor of the open position.

Q:

Dear Grammer Cop,

Please help!

I am a funeral director. Several times a week I have to compose obituaries for our local paper. At the very end of it, I add a line which offers those folks that would like an alternative to sending flowers that reads..."the family request that memorial contributions may be made to(whatever) organization/fund/etc."

The problem is that a recent widow insist that it should read..."the family requests". She believes because family is plural it should be requests--which is crazy because if you replaced family with they--they would request.

Q:

Dear Grammer Cop,

I am trying to find out is snuck a word?

Angela

A:

Dear Angela,

There are many words commonly used in the vernacular that would not be considered "real" words by a lot of people. "Snuck" is not one of them, so feel free to use it and lambaste those who tell you otherwise :-)

Some words, though, have weird forms, like the past tense of "hang", as in "to hang somebody", which is "hanged". You don't use that form when talking about towels on the laundry line.

Q:

Dear Grammer Cop,

Please explain and provide examples for the correct syntax when using the two letters, "ie" (such as) in a sentence. I would like to know where the commas should be placed and if there is any other punctuation necessary.

Diane

A:

Dear Diane,

The phrase "i.e." is Latin for "id est", roughly translated, "it is". The phrase is commonly used to mean "in other words" or "this is to say" . . . it does not mean "for example" which would be "e.g.", or "exempli gratia".

Q:

Dear Grammer Cop,

Please advise which way is correct.

I could care less.

I couldn't care less.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Rita

A:

Dear Rita,

"I couldn't care less" is correct.If you think about it, it does make sense. If you could care less, then by all means, care less! It implies that you do care about it, even if just a little.

Q:

Dear Grammer Cop,

I am writing a leaflet about an upcoming ball that my organsiation is holding - should ball be written with a capital or lower case 'b'?

Thanks,

Anna

A:

Dear Anna,

It depends . . .

If the ball has a proper name, such as "The 23rd Annual Charity Ball", then the name should be capitalized.

If the word is just being used as a regular noun, then it is not:

"We should like you to attend our annual charity ball . . ."

Hope this helps!

Q:

Dear Grammer Cop,

He is my Question so I can prove a Brit wrong.

American version: He will be issed a driverse license.

Britsh Version: He will be issued with drivers license.

I know the American Version is correct but I am not sure how to explain to him.

Please tell me which is correct and why the other is wrong.

Please, National Security is at risk over this............... joking

David

A:

Dear David,

Q:

Dear Grammer Cop,

My coworker and I have a continual debate on which is correct. Would you please settle this once and for all? I asked her, "Would you taste of this dip?" and she declares it should be, "Would you taste this dip?" Which would be correct and should the conjunction "of" be used in this manner?

Thanks for your assistance!

Laryssa

A:

Dear Laryssa,

I'm afraid that your friend is probably right, but this is a matter of style and collocation, not really grammar.

Q:

Dear Grammer Cop,

Help!

I say that writing "One of the only people," or "One of the only businesses," is always incorrect--that one should write "One of the FEW people," or "The only person." Others say I am wrong. What do you say?

Thanks!

A. G. M.

A:

Dear AGM,

I concur.

The word "only" is an absolute, meaning "one in number". To be "one of the only" implies that there are more than one "only" things, which is an absurdity.

Q:

Dear Grammar Cop,

Is it grammatical to write:

Fred isn't happy, but I am.

If so then why isn't it grammatical to write:

Fred isn't happy, but I'm.

When isn't the use of contractions permitted?

How about this one:

1. Fred's happy in Venice, but he isn't happy in Rome.

2. Fred's happy in Venice, but he isn't in Rome.

Why does "happy" have to be included to keep the same meaning? I'm confused and need an answer for an ESL student. I can't pinpoint a good enough reason.

Thanks!

GMG

A:

Dear GMG,