Dear Mr. Lederer: Your delightful column on language reminded me of when I was away at camp in sixth grade. The letters I sent home were being corrected by Dad, with a red pen and then presented to me upon my return. It’s been 50 years and I still remember it. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
— Corrine Lloyd, Vista
Corrine Lloyd sounds as though her memories of her grammar stickler dad are suffused with light and warmth. That’s not surprising. In fact, I have never met an adult who resents having been grammatically vetted by his or her father or mother. So parents: Do your duty.
Dear Mr. Lederer: Whatever happened to the wonderful word “take”? Has it been kidnapped or did it just die a slow painful death? When I was growing up, I was taught that I should take my suitcase with me when I went on a trip and to make sure I brought it back with me when I came home. I would ask my sister to please bring me a cookie from the kitchen, but I would take my dishes back to the kitchen. I “take” something with me when I go from point A to point B, but I “bring” it back from point B to point A.
I have noticed for a while now in conversations and the reading I do that “bring” seems to be used for both concepts. When did this happen and why didn’t I get the memo? Should I take my concern to the verbivore or bring it to you?
— Dawn Yocom, Scripps Ranch
As Dawn Yocom points out, bring indicates motion toward the speaker and take indicates motion away from the speaker. We bring in the newspaper; we take out the trash: “Take this note to Valdez, and bring me his answer this afternoon.”
Which request would parents be more likely to make of their children?: “Take the stray dog home” or “Bring the stray dog home.” Moms and dads would probably prefer that the street mutt travel in a direction away from their home. Hence, they would be more likely to make the first request.
Dear Mr. Lederer: Will you please write about the difference between “anxious” and “eager”.
— Delle Willett, San Diego
These two adjective have intermarried for centuries, but careful speakers and writers distinguish between them. To be anxious means “to be worried”; to be eager means “to anticipate with keen interest or enthusiasm.” One is eager to do something but anxious about something, not anxious to do something: I hope that you, gentle readers, are eager to learn more about English usage — and not anxious about the subject.
Please advise me as to which sentence is correct: “I will vote for whoever runs” or “I will vote for whomever runs”?
— Chris Tsiliacos, Chula Vista
The first version is the grammatically correct one: “I will vote for whoever runs.” Every verb must have a subject, and the subject of runs is whoever, cast in the nominative case. “But hold your horses,” you object. “The preposition for must take an object.” Yes, it does. The object of for is the entire noun clause whoever runs.
To support this choice, I ask which sentence sounds better to you: “I know who did it” or “I know whom did it.” The first one, of course. The subject of the verb did is who, and the direct object of the verb know is the entire noun clause who did it. It’s the same with “I will vote for whoever runs.”
Even the estimable columnist George Will hypercorrected this construction when he recently wrote, “Nebraska and Maine, however, award two votes to the statewide winner, but one to whomever carries each congressional district.” Make that whoever.
Please send your questions and comments about language to richard.lederer@utsandiego.com verbivore.com