Comments on: Usage: Who And Whom http://blog.gordaen.com/2007/12/28/usage-who-and-whom/ Ramblings about art, education, culture and a lot more Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:48:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Gordaen http://blog.gordaen.com/2007/12/28/usage-who-and-whom/comment-page-1/#comment-53742 Gordaen Sat, 29 Dec 2007 06:01:32 +0000 http://blog.gordaen.com/2007/12/28/usage-who-and-whom/#comment-53742 I should have suspected Mr. Gray/Grey himself had posted about this previously. ;) You're definitely right in your second paragraph. I'm not too harsh about critiquing people based on their usage of who/whom (because it often isn't taught well enough in school), but I definitely am about other things. When I see someone using your/you're(/yore, as if that one comes up much) or there/their/they're incorrectly, I often quit reading. Those are the kinds of rules/words that people in the third grade are learning; if someone's writing is at an elementary level, I'm going to assume the concepts themselves are elementary and therefore not worth my time. It takes too much effort to try to ignore all the mistakes. What seems strange to me is the sort of anti-intellectualism and/or apathy that so many people have toward using correct language. It's particularly strange when people are using writing to communicate and it represents that person (e.g., when visiting someone's blog for the first time). That's like going into a job interview in shorts and a stained t-shirt. Any time I am not sure about something, I figure it out. I'm not sure if that's due to my infinite curiosity or simply due to my desire to avoid looking like an idiot, but it always surprises (and saddens) me that there are so many people who don't care to learn. I should have suspected Mr. Gray/Grey himself had posted about this previously. ;) You’re definitely right in your second paragraph. I’m not too harsh about critiquing people based on their usage of who/whom (because it often isn’t taught well enough in school), but I definitely am about other things. When I see someone using your/you’re(/yore, as if that one comes up much) or there/their/they’re incorrectly, I often quit reading. Those are the kinds of rules/words that people in the third grade are learning; if someone’s writing is at an elementary level, I’m going to assume the concepts themselves are elementary and therefore not worth my time. It takes too much effort to try to ignore all the mistakes.

What seems strange to me is the sort of anti-intellectualism and/or apathy that so many people have toward using correct language. It’s particularly strange when people are using writing to communicate and it represents that person (e.g., when visiting someone’s blog for the first time). That’s like going into a job interview in shorts and a stained t-shirt.

Any time I am not sure about something, I figure it out. I’m not sure if that’s due to my infinite curiosity or simply due to my desire to avoid looking like an idiot, but it always surprises (and saddens) me that there are so many people who don’t care to learn.

]]> By: Bernie Zimmermann http://blog.gordaen.com/2007/12/28/usage-who-and-whom/comment-page-1/#comment-53718 Bernie Zimmermann Sat, 29 Dec 2007 03:04:25 +0000 http://blog.gordaen.com/2007/12/28/usage-who-and-whom/#comment-53718 I'm glad to see I'm not the only one *who* <a href="http://www.bernzilla.com/item.php?id=348" title="The Difference Between Who and Whom" rel="nofollow">cares about this kinda stuff</a>. The thing is, it seems like there are various circles of language. If you openly display that you're in the circle that uses things like "She ain't no good," you're likely to be looked down upon by those in "higher" circles. Same goes for who vs. whom, but I don't think there are as many people in higher circles in the latter case. I’m glad to see I’m not the only one *who* cares about this kinda stuff.

The thing is, it seems like there are various circles of language. If you openly display that you’re in the circle that uses things like “She ain’t no good,” you’re likely to be looked down upon by those in “higher” circles. Same goes for who vs. whom, but I don’t think there are as many people in higher circles in the latter case.

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