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Rishonly Posted 21 years ago
Grammar
THEIR/THEM (USAGE)
The police offiers were terminated due to them abandoning the department prior to the storm.
Is it proper to use 'due to their' instead of 'due to them' in the above sentence? If not, would you please explain the reason?
Is it proper to use 'due to their' instead of 'due to them' in the above sentence? If not, would you please explain the reason?
Top answer
Yes indeed, their is the grammatically correct form, and them is wrong. Nevertheless, the object pronoun is becoming more and more common in casual speech and writing. )
- Yes indeed, their is the grammatically correct form, and them is wrong.
- Nevertheless, the object pronoun is becoming more and more common in casual speech and writing.
- )
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7 Answers
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Yes indeed, their is the grammatically correct form, and them is wrong. Nevertheless, the object pronoun is becoming more and more common in casual speech and writing.
(Due to is also considered wrong as an adverb by some stricter grammarians.)
(Due to is also considered wrong as an adverb by some stricter grammarians.)
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Thanks, Mister Micawber. I found this sentence in the 'USA Today' news paper.
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The police offiers were terminated due to them abandoning the department prior to the storm.And yet...it perfectly captures the style of a police officer giving evidence. (A BrE one, anyway.)
MrP
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rishonly,
Oof! Please don't imitate that sort of writing. It's something like the following that you want.
The police officers were terminated because they abandoned the department prior to the storm.
The police officers were terminated for abandoning the department prior to the storm.
CJ
Oof! Please don't imitate that sort of writing. It's something like the following that you want.
The police officers were terminated because they abandoned the department prior to the storm.
The police officers were terminated for abandoning the department prior to the storm.
CJ
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I'm also a card-carrying member of the never-use-"prior-to"when"before"-will-do-just-fine club. Agreed with you -- this kind of stuff drives me crazy.
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