[Nan3cy]

The one that gets me, and that people who I think should know better confuse a lot, is "comprise" vs. "compose." If what I learned is correct, it's never right to say "this group is comprised of x, y and z." It is composed of x, y and z (or to put it the other way, x, y and z compose this group). To the knowledgeable ones here -- is that right? What I was told is that comprise means include. So something is not going to "be included of" x, y and z.

The other one that otherwise well-spoken people tend to use is saying "whom" "whomever" when they should use "who" or "whoever." Seems to happen when a subordinate clause has "whoever" as the subject, but the clause as a whole is an object. Actually, my first sentence has an example of that...

This is all the result of a misspent youth which featured a seventh grade filled with diagramming sentences.  :P

[Nan3cy]

The one that gets me, and that people who I think should know better confuse a lot, is "comprise" vs. "compose." If what I learned is correct, it's never right to say "this group is comprised of x, y and z." It is composed of x, y and z (or to put it the other way, x, y and z compose this group). To the knowledgeable ones here -- is that right? What I was told is that comprise means include. So something is not going to "be included of" x, y and z.

The other one that otherwise well-spoken people tend to use is saying "whom" "whomever" when they should use "who" or "whoever." Seems to happen when a subordinate clause has "whoever" as the subject, but the clause as a whole is an object. Actually, my first sentence has an example of that...

This is all the result of a misspent youth which featured a seventh grade filled with diagramming sentences.  :P