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Into vs. In To

How does one know when to use into or in to?

One of the main uses of the preposition into is to indicate movement toward the inside of a place.

Examples
The children jumped into the lake for a swim.
Mom drove the car into the garage.

In to is the adverb in followed by the preposition to.

Examples:
He turned his paper in to the teacher.
The administrators wouldn’t give in to the demands of the protesters.

We will explore into vs. in to in more depth in a future blog.

Pop Quiz

  1. As a child, I was too afraid to go into/in to the Halloween haunted house.
  2. I’m going to turn the wallet I found into/in to the police.
  3. If your battery is running low, you’ll need to plug your power cord into/in to the socket.

Answers

  1. into
  2. in to
  3. into

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Posted on Saturday, July 18th, 2009, at 10:02 pm

I vs. Me (Review)

I get more questions about pronoun usage, particularly I vs. me, than any other topic. So, here is a review that should help you feel more secure about your choices. For more on the topic, click here.

Should we say, “She and I went to the store”? Or is it correct to say, “She and me went to the store”?

Is it, “He put suntan lotion on him and I”? Or would you say, “He put suntan lotion on him and me”?

Many of us were taught (incorrectly) never to use me, as though uttering this “dirty” word would make us sound uneducated. But the question of whether to use I or me comes down to whether you are using the word as a subject or as an object in the sentence. Both words are pronouns, but I is a subject pronoun while me is an object pronoun.

So, in the sentence, “She and I went to the store,” the correct word to use would be I rather than me. Why? Because I is the subject of the sentence. (Who is going to the store? She and I are going to the store.)

One good way to test this rule is to see how it sounds when you use each pronoun individually: It sounds right to say, “She went to the store.” You would also say, “I went to the store.”

“He put suntan lotion on him and me” would be correct because him and me are objects. Specifically, they are objects of the preposition on. Using these pronouns individually, it should sound right to say, “He put suntan lotion on him.” You would also say, “He put suntan lotion on me.”

Pop Quiz
Select the correct sentence.

1A. Arlene asked he and I to complete the job.
1B. Arlene asked him and me to complete the job.

2A. He and I completed the job for Arlene.
2B. Him and me completed the job for Arlene.

Answers to Pop Quiz

1B. Arlene asked him and me to complete the job.

2A. He and I completed the job for Arlene.

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Posted on Tuesday, June 9th, 2009, at 9:30 am

Some “All” vs. “Al-” Words

All ready vs. Already

These two words may sound alike when you say them, but they have distinct meanings.

All ready means entirely ready.

Example: We are all ready to go.

Already means previously or so soon.

Examples:
Is it summer already? (so soon)
I did the dishes already. (previously)

All together vs. Altogether

All together, which is a phrase, means in a group.

Examples:
We are all together in the photo.
It is wonderful to be all together to celebrate your birthday.

Note that all can be omitted from sentences without affecting the meaning.

Altogether is an adverb meaning entirely, completely, everything included.

Examples:
It is not altogether his fault. (entirely)
We had an altogether wonderful day. (completely)
Altogether, the groceries cost thirty dollars. (everything included)

All right vs. Alright

The word alright means the same as the phrase all right; however, alright is not considered a correct spelling in more formal writing.

Altar vs. Alter

Altar means pedestal, usually of a religious kind.

Example:
They exchanged wedding vows at the altar of the church.

Alter means to change.

Example:
Please don’t alter your plans until we have the final schedule approved.

Pop Quiz

Choose the correct word in each sentence below.

1. We had to altar/alter our wedding plans because of the unseasonable rain.

2. I’m not sure that your conclusion is all together/altogether correct.

3. We were all together/altogether for our family reunion.

4. When will you be all ready/already to go to the party?

5. Tell me the secret all ready/already before I go crazy.

Pop Quiz Answers

1. alter

2. altogether

3. all together

4. all ready

5. already

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Posted on Tuesday, January 13th, 2009, at 9:09 am

Regardless vs. Irregardless; Sneaked vs. Snuck; Assure vs. Ensure vs. Insure

Regardless vs. Irregardless

Some words in the English language are so overused that we don’t notice that they are incorrect or don’t even exist. A perfect example is irregardless. There is no such word as irregardless because regardless already means without regard. The —ir prefix is redundant.

Sneaked vs. Snuck

Sometimes, two forms of a word may be correct. For example, both sneaked and snuck may be used as the past and perfect tenses for sneak.

Example: She snuck up on him. OR She sneaked up on him.

Example: She has snuck up on him twice while he was napping. OR She has sneaked up on him twice while he was napping.

Assure vs. Ensure vs. Insure

These three words can be confusing.

Assure = to promise or say with confidence
Example: Let me assure you that I will be at the meeting.

Ensure = to make sure something will/won’t happen
Example: To ensure my family’s safety, I have installed an alarm.

Insure = to issue an insurance policy
Example: I will insure my home with an additional fire policy.

Quiz
1. She sneaked out of the house in the middle of the night.
2. I ensure you that I have been honest about the money I spent.
3. I will ensure my car as required by law.
Answers
1. She sneaked out of the house in the middle of the night. (Correct OR snuck)
2. I assure you that I have been honest about the money I spent.
3. I will insure my car as required by law.

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Posted on Saturday, August 9th, 2008, at 6:40 pm

Bi vs. Semi (weekly/monthly/annually)

Using bi or semi in front of time periods can cause tremendous confusion.

Biweekly means once every two weeks or twice a week.
Bimonthly means once every two months or twice a month.
In addition, a biweekly publication is issued every two weeks and a bimonthly publication is issued every two months.
Semiweekly means twice a week.
Semimonthly means twice a month.

To avoid confusion, you may want to substitute the actual time frame for these confusing terms.
For example, say, “I visit my aunt every two weeks,” not “I visit my aunt bimonthly.” If you mean every two weeks, you may also say, “I visit my aunt semimonthly.”

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Posted on Tuesday, July 29th, 2008, at 1:14 am

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