Grammar and spellling that make you twitch

[Twik]

Here's one I'm not entirely sure about, but I look at it and it just seems...off.

"The method in which you do (x)" - shouldn't it be "the method WITH which"? How can you be in a method? It's certainly not a place.

I think I'd use "the method BY which you do (x)", but definitely not 'in'!

Yes, "by" definitely works too! So glad it's not just me who thinks "in" is wrong...

In that vein, I'd like to submit "faced with." As in, "I was faced with a problem." NO! Walls are faced WITH things; people are faced BY them.

Actually, neither of those bother me. I think in the first case, though, I'd interpret "the method in which you do X" would mean "the method during which you do X," not "the method for doing X".

The other one? The metaphor is so stretched, that I would allow language to take its own route. I'm pretty sure that more people now say "faced with" rather than "faced by" problems.

[violinp]

Here's one I'm not entirely sure about, but I look at it and it just seems...off.

"The method in which you do (x)" - shouldn't it be "the method WITH which"? How can you be in a method? It's certainly not a place.

I think I'd use "the method BY which you do (x)", but definitely not 'in'!

Yes, "by" definitely works too! So glad it's not just me who thinks "in" is wrong...

In that vein, I'd like to submit "faced with." As in, "I was faced with a problem." NO! Walls are faced WITH things; people are faced BY them.

Actually, neither of those bother me. I think in the first case, though, I'd interpret "the method in which you do X" would mean "the method during which you do X," not "the method for doing X".

The other one? The metaphor is so stretched, that I would allow language to take its own route. I'm pretty sure that more people now say "faced with" rather than "faced by" problems.

Be that as it may, "faced with" involving a person will always make my recall The Cask of Amontillado. 

[Lynn2000]

Here's one I'm not entirely sure about, but I look at it and it just seems...off.

"The method in which you do (x)" - shouldn't it be "the method WITH which"? How can you be in a method? It's certainly not a place.

I think I'd use "the method BY which you do (x)", but definitely not 'in'!

Yes, "by" definitely works too! So glad it's not just me who thinks "in" is wrong...

Ah, this is exactly what I mean with abstract prepositions! Sometimes even native/fluent English speakers have problems with them, it's no wonder they're hard to learn when you're trying to pick up English as an adult.

[daen]

Here's one I'm not entirely sure about, but I look at it and it just seems...off.

"The method in which you do (x)" - shouldn't it be "the method WITH which"? How can you be in a method? It's certainly not a place.

I think I'd use "the method BY which you do (x)", but definitely not 'in'!

Yes, "by" definitely works too! So glad it's not just me who thinks "in" is wrong...

Ah, this is exactly what I mean with abstract prepositions! Sometimes even native/fluent English speakers have problems with them, it's no wonder they're hard to learn when you're trying to pick up English as an adult.

The only way I can see "the method in which you do" is if the speaker is using a detail to identify the method.  If s/he is talking about two methods  for baking (muffin method vs creaming method, let's say) but can't remember the phrase "muffin method," s/he could say "Well, the way to make muffins is the method in which you mix wet and dry until just combined."

On the other hand, if s/he is talking about  how to make muffins, then it would be more along the lines of "Mixing wet and dry until just combined is the method by which you will get the best muffins." 

(That sounded much clearer in my head. Sorry.)

[Liliane]

Here's one I'm not entirely sure about, but I look at it and it just seems...off.

"The method in which you do (x)" - shouldn't it be "the method WITH which"? How can you be in a method? It's certainly not a place.

I think I'd use "the method BY which you do (x)", but definitely not 'in'!

Yes, "by" definitely works too! So glad it's not just me who thinks "in" is wrong...

Ah, this is exactly what I mean with abstract prepositions! Sometimes even native/fluent English speakers have problems with them, it's no wonder they're hard to learn when you're trying to pick up English as an adult.

The only way I can see "the method in which you do" is if the speaker is using a detail to identify the method.  If s/he is talking about two methods  for baking (muffin method vs creaming method, let's say) but can't remember the phrase "muffin method," s/he could say "Well, the way to make muffins is the method in which you mix wet and dry until just combined."

On the other hand, if s/he is talking about  how to make muffins, then it would be more along the lines of "Mixing wet and dry until just combined is the method by which you will get the best muffins." 

(That sounded much clearer in my head. Sorry.)

The context (what little there is, anyway) is definitely the 'other hand' part. No method was being described, it was just a simple statement. What's kind of ironic is that it was said by the type of person that jumps down other people's throats for having even a single letter out of place...

[Clarissa]

I live in England and hear this all the time. "I lent a pen from Paul". No you borrowed a pen, Paul lent you a pen. Arrgghh! Or people seem to think its proper to say "I". As in,"I and Nick were there."If you would say me singular, then it is still me plural. And the misuse of then/than. I'd rather eat peas than sleep in a ditch, verses I'd rather eat peas then sleep in a ditch!

[Onyx_TKD]

I live in England and hear this all the time. "I lent a pen from Paul". No you borrowed a pen, Paul lent you a pen. Arrgghh! Or people seem to think its proper to say "I". As in,"I and Nick were there."If you would say me singular, then it is still me plural. And the misuse of then/than. I'd rather eat peas than sleep in a ditch, verses I'd rather eat peas then sleep in a ditch!

Did you perhaps mix up your examples? You wouldn't say "Me was there." You'd say "I was there," so "Nick and I were there" would be entirely correct. OTOH, the order "I and Nick" rather than "Nick and I" is atypical, although I don't know whether there is an explicit rule against it or just convention.

[Clarissa]

Oh yes. How bad was that? And I'm doing a degree in English. You knew what I meant though! Thank you.

[Clarissa]

I meant when people say "Jamie and I really enjoyed that today". It should be Jamie and me. But people are trying to talk "posh". The old joke, a primary school teacher asked a pupil to say a sentence using the word "I". The pupil answered "I is..." The teacher interrupted saying "always use 'I am', not 'I is' ". The pupil replied "I am the letter after H in the alphabet".

[Mel the Redcap]

I meant when people say "Jamie and I really enjoyed that today". It should be Jamie and me. But people are trying to talk "posh". The old joke, a primary school teacher asked a pupil to say a sentence using the word "I". The pupil answered "I is..." The teacher interrupted saying "always use 'I am', not 'I is' ". The pupil replied "I am the letter after H in the alphabet".

You need object, not subject for this example. "I really enjoyed that today" works, so "Jamie and I" is correct for that sentence - however, "Bob talked to I" is wrong, therefore you need to use "Bob talked to Jamie and me" instead of "Bob talked to Jamie and I". Or you can just dodge the whole mess and say "Bob talked to us".

[starry diadem]

I meant when people say "Jamie and I really enjoyed that today". It should be Jamie and me. But people are trying to talk "posh". The old joke, a primary school teacher asked a pupil to say a sentence using the word "I". The pupil answered "I is..." The teacher interrupted saying "always use 'I am', not 'I is' ". The pupil replied "I am the letter after H in the alphabet".

 But if you took Jamie out of the picture,  you wouldn't say  "Me really enjoyed that today."  Unless, perhaps you were Tarzan.  'Jamie and I' is correct in your example.

It will be 'me' when I am the object of the sentence and 'I' when I am the subject. So:

Jamie and I were invited to Fred's party.    That's correct, as 'Jamie and I' is the  subject of the sentence.

Fred invited Jamie and me to his party.  Here 'Jamie  and me' is the object, and Fred s the subject.


The trick for working it out is to remove Jamie from the sentence, and whatever would be right for you alone, will be the right one to use when you're being grouped  with others.

[Redneck Gravy]

Today's sign sighted:

Saturday & Sunday
All you can eat buffet
with Saled bar

Oh my, hasn't anyone working there seen this yet?  And CHANGED it!

[Elfmama]

Today's sign sighted:

Saturday & Sunday
All you can eat buffet
with Saled bar

Oh my, hasn't anyone working there seen this yet?  And CHANGED it!

One of the fast food places near me had this sign for MONTHS:

Now hiring
Chicken nuggets

[Liliane]

Today's sign sighted:

Saturday & Sunday
All you can eat buffet
with Saled bar

Oh my, hasn't anyone working there seen this yet?  And CHANGED it!

One of the fast food places near me had this sign for MONTHS:

Now hiring
Chicken nuggets

A Burger King nearby has an electronic sign reading "Now Hiring - Sweet Potato Fries" in sequence. I keep joking that they can't find any fries to hire!

[TootsNYC]

I meant when people say "Jamie and I really enjoyed that today". It should be Jamie and me. But people are trying to talk "posh". The old joke, a primary school teacher asked a pupil to say a sentence using the word "I". The pupil answered "I is..." The teacher interrupted saying "always use 'I am', not 'I is' ". The pupil replied "I am the letter after H in the alphabet".

 But if you took Jamie out of the picture,  you wouldn't say  "Me really enjoyed that today."  Unless, perhaps you were Tarzan.  'Jamie and I' is correct in your example.

It will be 'me' when I am the object of the sentence and 'I' when I am the subject. So:

Jamie and I were invited to Fred's party.    That's correct, as 'Jamie and I' is the  subject of the sentence.

Fred invited Jamie and me to his party.  Here 'Jamie  and me' is the object, and Fred s the subject.


The trick for working it out is to remove Jamie from the sentence, and whatever would be right for you alone, will be the right one to use when you're being grouped  with others.

Basically if we all stopped being so damned modest, we'd get it right every time.

I and Jamie went to the party.

Fred invited me and Jamie.

See? We should all be more conceited.