5 grade-school grammar gaffes to correct in 2017—and beyond

Is proper grammar in its final throes?

Casual messaging generally isn’t held to strict linguistic standards, of course, but today’s professional communications are littered with faux pas that would raise the ire—and the red pen—of any dedicated grade-school teacher. Such errors are, ahem, elementary.

Here are five basic grammatical blunders that professional communicators should correct immediately and permanently:

1. Objective case pronouns used as the subject of a verb.

The pronouns that should be used as objects of verbs or prepositions—me, him, her, us, them—all too frequently are used to drive the action in a sentence. Here’s the wrong, yet all too common, way:

Him and her have major differences about how to handle this situation.

Me and them will meet later to discuss it.

Do your teeth hurt yet? Try these corrected versions instead:

He and she have major differences about how to handle this situation.

They and I will meet later to discuss it.

It’s not great literature, but it is correct.

2. Subjective case pronouns used as the object of a verb.