Being from "up North" means you're most likely to not speak the Queen's English - hey, that's no bad thing, in fairness. However, our unique dialect and accents have got our English language skills a little muddled up.
So, just for you we've got this blog on where your language may be slipping. In everyday conversation nobody notices, but when you're doing a business presentation or in a business-like environment, maybe those grammar skills will make a difference to the opinion of the person opposite you.
Just so you know, I'm from Middlesbrough - and attended the primary school that recently sent letters home to their children for poor pronunciation and speaking (i.e. the seaside town is Redcar, not "Redka"). As I may not be 100% perfect this blog has been given the green light by our inhouse pedant, Rachel, who is well-known for correcting the Smoggy, Geordie and Mackem language in the office. It's only for our - and your - own benefit...
I was told never to let anybody put you down for your dialect - after all, home is home. However, when it comes to using the correct words, phrases and grammar in speech and writing, these really do have an impact on a person's perception of education, capabilities and attitude.
So here are five terms you may be using wrongly (we joke...) incorrectly.
Who Vs Which Vs That
There are potentially three rules to learn with this one - so be wary of how you use "who", "which" and "that".
Rule 1
Who refers to people. That and which refer to groups or things. E.g.
- Anya is the one who rescued the bird.
- Lokua is on the team that won first place.
- She belongs to an organisation that specialises in saving endangered species.
That introduces essential clauses while which introduces non-essential clauses. E.g.
- I do not trust products that claim "all natural ingredients" because this phrase can mean almost anything.
- We would not know which products were being discussed without the that clause.
- The product claiming "all natural ingredients," which appeared in the Sunday newspaper, is on sale.
The product is already identified. Therefore, which begins a non-essential clause. NOTE: Essential clauses do not have commas surrounding them while non-essential clauses are surrounded by commas.
Rule 3
If this, that, these, or those has already introduced an essential clause, you may use which to introduce the next clause, whether it is essential or non-essential. E.g.
- That is a decision which you must live with for the rest of your life.
- Those ideas, which we've discussed thoroughly enough, do not need to be addressed again.
"That is a decision which you must live with for the rest of your life." - a better sentence would be: "That is a decision you must live with for the rest of your life."
Source: https://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/whoVwhVt.asp
Lie Vs Lay
Present tense
You lay something down, and people lie down by themselves.
Past tense
The past tense of lie is lay, so:
Last week, Steve lay down on the floor.
The cat lay in the mud after it rained yesterday.
The past tense of lay is laid, so:
Last week, I laid the TPS report on your desk.
Mary forcefully laid her ring on the table.
The past participle of lie is lain, so:
Steve has lain on the floor for days.
The cat has lain in the mud for hours.
The past participle of lay is laid, so:
I have laid the TPS report on your desk.
Mary has forcefully laid her ring on the table.
Source: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/lay-versus-lie
Seen Vs Saw
Saw is the past tense form of "see". Saw can be used by itself, without a helping verb
You saw me. I saw that movie.
Seen is the past participle form of "see". Seen requires a helper verb, such as "have."
I have seen that movie. A coyote was seen in the park yesterday.
It is never correct to use "seen" without a helper verb.
I seen you. - Incorrect
Source: http://www.whitesmoke.com/seen-and-saw
May Vs Might
“May” implies a possibility. “Might” implies far more uncertainty. “You may get drunk if you have two shots in ten minutes” implies a real possibility of drunkenness. “You might get a ticket if you operate a tug boat while drunk” implies a possibility that is far more remote. Someone who says “I may have more wine” could mean he/she doesn't want more wine right now, or that he/she “might” not want any at all. Given the speaker’s indecision on the matter, “might” would be correct.
Source: http://litreactor.com/columns/20-common-grammar-mistakes-that-almost-everyone-gets-wrong
Sorted? Perhaps, you need a lie down (we'd understand). It's naturally hard for humans to reprogramme anything that they've done a set way for so long, so nobody would expect you to correct these things overnight. Instead, try teaching yourself one rule a week - in a month you'll be fine!
