Readers write: 鈥榃ho鈥� versus 鈥榳hom,鈥� GPS adventures, immigration activist
鈥榃ho鈥� versus 鈥榳hom鈥�
The May 20 鈥淚n a Word鈥� column by Melissa Mohr titled 鈥�The waning use of the word 鈥榳hom鈥�鈥� really got my attention. In my school days in England during the 1950s and 鈥�60s it cost you a minus point if your essay contained the word 鈥渨ho鈥� where 鈥渨hom鈥� was required. So this grammar rule has stayed with me!
During the last few years I have come across this mistake more and more in the print media, including this publication and indeed printed books. However, I admit it is rarely used in speech today (though it does make a good impression if you do).
Why We Wrote This
Letters to the editor for the June 17, 2019 weekly magazine.
The song 鈥淚f I Fell鈥� by John Lennon and Paul McCartney ignores a similar rule:
If I give my heart to you
I must be sure
From the very start
That you would love me more than HER.
In the last verse, her should be she grammatically. But I concede that the correct grammar would have ruined the song!
Gwendoline Haack
Hamburg, Germany
GPS adventures
I鈥檝e so enjoyed Sue Wunder鈥檚 Home Forum essays through the years. Her latest piece 鈥�On the road, I follow a paper trail鈥� in the May 20 issue of the Monitor Weekly made me laugh out loud because of a recent incident in my own life.
My cousin and I were going to visit a relative in a nearby city. We were traveling in her car, equipped with the latest GPS technology.
Suddenly, the voice of the GPS told us to make an exit we both knew was wrong 鈥� so we ignored it and arrived at our destination right on time. My cousin admitted this had happened several times since buying the car.
No, we didn鈥檛 use a paper map, but it would have sufficed for sure. Keep 鈥檈m coming, Sue!
Carolyn Hill
Portland, Oregon
Immigration activist
I am ashamed for my country but grateful for selfless fellow Americans after reading the April 22 & 29 cover story, 鈥�The immigrant crusader,鈥� in which lawyer Marty Rosenbluth seeks justice for immigrants who are just trying to work and raise their families in peace.
I only hope that moral support from the Monitor鈥檚 readers will help keep up Mr. Rosenbluth鈥檚 spirits. Thanks for Simon Montlake鈥檚 deeply interesting coverage of the personal side of the immigration controversy.
Janice Lambert
Charlestown, New Hampshire
