Re: the Jan. 25 letter to the editor "Use of adverbs is quickly disappearing."
I, too, am flummoxed when speakers and writers shun the mighty adverb in favor of using an adjective. This letter led (not lead) me to consider other usage problems that weaken our writings and jar a listener's ears. For example, whenever I hear someone say "just between you and I," I nearly have a coronary. It's (not its) me, as me is the object of the preposition between. Then there (not their or they're) is the troublesome trio that trips up many writers.
Another concern is subject-verb agreement errors. Each of the girls (is or are) going to the concert. The answer is "is" as the word "each" is the subject and it is singular. And is it "lie or lay"? Funny story: I once had a dog that knew the difference. If I said, "Lily, lay down," she sat still and furrowed her brow as if to say that's not right. "Lily, lie down;" she would hit the floor immediately!
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Pamalee Churchill
Marana
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.