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Hi! I was wondering about the grammar of the below sentences. The first, second and third sentences are extracts from an online English text written by a teacher.a uncountable nounParallel structure refers to structures which are repeated because they are connected by and, but, or, etc. This connecting words are referred to as coordinating conjunctions. I'd like to have some pasta, and a steak.But wasn't it strange to fraternize with women who a little while previously you would have killed? He cared for everyone and everything. The highest joy comes from friendship. My questions are respectively: 1. Why did he write “a uncountable ...”             Isn’t it: “an uncountable ...”?2.“This connecting words...”              Isn’t it: “These connecting words...”?3. Why do they use a comma before “and”?            In which occasions do we use a comma before using “and”?4. In this sentence, why is “who” used? I would expect to see “whom” instead.5. Are these sentences grammatical?6. Something else:  When in a text we refer to humans in general, in singular form, should we use “the human” or just “human”?Could you please help me?Thanks a lot!

Stephanie. · Accepted Answer

Excuse me,

I noticed that the paragraph numbering has changed automatically in my post.

In the paragraphs where my questions are, the numbering is 1., 2., 3., 4., 5., 6. instead of 1., 1., 1., 1., 2., 3.

Thanks!

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Stephanie 11. Why did he write “a uncountable ...” Isn’t it: “an uncountable ...”?

You are correct.

Stephanie 12.“This connecting words...” Isn’t it: “These connecting words...”?

You are correct.

Stephanie 13. Why do they use a comma before “and”?

It is incorrect. We use commas if the list is longer than 2 elements.

... pizza, ice cream, beer(,) and anchovies.

The highlighted comma is called an Oxford comma. Read more here. https://www.grammarly.com/blog/what-is-the-oxford-comma-and-why-do-people-care-so-much-about-it/

Stephanie 14. In this sentence, why is “who” used? I would expect to see “whom” instead.

In very formal writing, the objective "whom" is used. However its usage is decreasing and being replaced with "who." It is in the natural evolutionary process of the English language, where inflected and irregular forms are replaced by regular, simpler ones.

In contemporary English, "whom" is still regularly used as the direct complement of a preposition, but not anywhere else.

For whom the bell tolls. (Book title);
To whom should I forward your email?  (very formal) 
Who should I forward your email to? (informal, business casual)
Who did you ask? 
 Who did you correspond with in our office?   
That was the man who you sent it to.

Stephanie 1He cared for everyone and everything. The highest joy comes from friendship.

Those sentences are grammatical.

Stephanie 16. Something else: When in a text we refer to humans in general, in singular form, should we use “the human” or just “human”?

It depends on the sentence.

Human beings are animals too. 
Being human means having compassion. 
The earliest humans on earth lived nearly a million years ago.

P.S. Next time, limit your questions to one or two. It takes a long time to answer a long list of different questions. Teachers like to give quick answers to a focused question; they are reluctant to spend a long time answering so many at one time.

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