Tuesday, October 30, 2012

RAISE VS. RISE and WHO AND WHOM?? by Rita



Do raise and rise mean the same thing, or is there a difference? —Anonymous
A: It’s hard to believe, but the answer to both of the questions posed is yes. Both words technically mean the same thing (to move upwards), but there is a difference in how you should use each one.
Rise is intransitive verb and does not take an object. What this means is that you use the verb rise when something moves upwards by itself.
The sun rises every morning.
I rise out of bed quickly when the smell of freshly cooked bacon is in the air.
In these examples, the subjects (“the sun” and “I”) move upward on their own, without the physical help of an outside force (though the smell of bacon certainly helps in its own way).
Raise, on the other hand, is a transitive verb that requires that the subject act upon an object. In other words, something raises something else.
The Boy Scouts raised money to offset the cost of their next camping trip.
I raised my hand in the meeting to ask, “Why isn’t there any bacon here?”
In the first sentence, the Boy scouts (subject) raised money (object). In the second, I (subject) raised my hand (object).
When constructing your sentence, just look to see if the subject rises on its own or if it’s raising something else. This will help you determine which verb to use.
Q: I don’t understand the difference between who and whom. Can you please explain to me, in simple terms, how to differentiate between the two?—Anonymous
The confusion between who and whom is one of the most common problems writers face. It can be tricky to find the correct use, and sometimes you may feel like locating the person who invented both words and smacking him upside his head. But there is a difference.
Who is used as the subject of a verb or complement of a linking verb. It’s a nominative pronoun. It was Carl who broke all the pencils in the house. When writing a sentence, first find the verb(s)—was and broke. Then, find the subject for each verb: Carl and who. Since who is a subject, it’s correct. Who needs a crayon to write this down?
Whom is used as the object of the verb or the object of a preposition. It’s an objective pronoun. You asked whom to the dance? In this case, the subject and verb are “You asked.” The pronoun following the verb is the object of the verb, therefore whom is correct. He’s already going to the prom with whom? This pronoun is the object of the preposition with, so whom is the right pick. Be careful, though. Make sure the prepositional pronoun in question isn’t also a subject—if it is, then you use who. For example, I cheered for who played hardest. While the pronoun follows a preposition (for), it’s also the subject of the second verb (played). When placed as a subject, always use who.
One way to remember is to check to see which pronoun can replace the questionable word. It’s a little trick I learned back in elementary school: If it can be replaced with “he,” you use who; if “him” fits better, use whom. Sometimes you may need to split the sentence to see it. For example, It was Carl—he broke all the pencils in the house. Who should be used here. You asked him to the dance? Whom is the correct choice.
And when in doubt on the “who whom” debacle, recast the sentence to avoid the issue altogether.
Information provided by: Brian Klems  - You may follow Brian on Twitter: @BrianKlems   - Sign up for his free weekly eNewsletter: WD Newsletter


2 comments:

  1. Well-written article! Sometimes we forget as adults these basic principles we learned in school. ^_^ Certainly gave me a refresher. - Cindi Lee

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Cindi ... I know what you mean. Never hurts to hear them again. Rita

    ReplyDelete

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