Editorial Help Desk

Word of the Month

Desultory (Adj.)
Lacking a definite plan, purpose, or enthusiasm, often disjointed, jumping for one thing to another.

Examples:
     Janey made a desultory attempt to study for her exam, after Matt startled her.
     We spent a great weekend at the beach, after trudging through a desultory summer.

Tip of the Month

Choosing the Right Pronoun

Let’s say you are writing a report or an informational memo to your audience. You may have to choose between writing “…and I” or “…and me.” Either phrase may be acceptable use in conversation. However, it’s best to use the correct standard grammar in your writing. So, which one should you use and when?

Here’s the foolproof trick….
Consider this sentence:
Read the story and tell Grace and I what you think.
Eliminate the first half of the compound and read the sentence with just the pronoun.
     So: Read the story and tell Grace and I what you think.
     This is obviously wrong.
Correct grammar: Read the story and tell Grace and me what you think.

In another example…
Maria and me want to take the class.
Eliminate the first half of the compound and read the sentence with just the pronoun.
    So: Maria and me want to take the class.
    This is obviously wrong.
Correct grammar: Maria and I want to take the class.

Practice
Which of these are correct?

• The three travelers—Sybil, Grant, and me—arrived on time for the concert.
• Sybil and I parked near the church.
• The teacher asked us—Renée, Paul, and me—to collect all the answer sheets.
• Paul and me put our papers in the wrong pile.

Add this trick to your arsenal of tools to check for good grammar in your work.

As always, when in doubt, check it out! Contact the Editorial Help Desk for help (Donna_M_MarksPleasant@mcpsmd.org).