Practice Makes Perfect

Adverb Conjunction

We were in Mexico then, too. I found the book then returned to my room.

Then I decided to go to college. She slapped his face, then she ran down the street.

Whoand Whom

These two words are used frequently, and often misused. Whois the form used as the subject of a

question:

Whosent you?

Whoknows the man over there?

Whomis used as a direct object, indirect object, or the object of a preposition:

direct object Whomdid you meet at the party?

indirect object (To) Whomwill you give an invitation?

object of preposition With whomwas he sitting?

Refer to Unit 22 on interrogatives for a review of whoand whom.

It is important to remember that many native speakers of English avoid whomand use whoexclu-

sively. Compare these sentences:

Standard English Casual English

Whom did they arrest? Who did they arrest?

From whom did you get the gift? From who did you get the gift? OR

Who did you get the gift from?

When speaking or writing formally, you should use the standard forms of whoand whom. In

casual letters or conversation you can be the judge and avoid whom.

Circle the better of the two boldface words.

1. Today was a very bad/badlyday at work.


2. The patient isn’t doing good/wellthis morning.


3. He’s an awful man. Few/A fewpeople like him.


4. Tori has known fewer/lesshappiness in her later years.


5. Does your dog always lay/liein that corner?


6. She’s very ill, but we still have little/a littlehope.


7. I believe this knife is sharper than/thenthat one.

exercise 25-1

Some Important Contrasts 129

06 (099-132B) Units 20-25 11/3/04 1:42 PM Page 129