MovieChat Forums > Employee of the Month (2006) Discussion > Bad Grammar

Bad Grammar

posted 14 years ago by dee62383
1 reply | jump to latest

I know this is "nit-picking," and I know the vast majority of you don't really
care. But as a writer, the bad grammar in this movie just stuck out like a sore thumb. I will list two examples that I believe to be incorrect, as well as corrections for each. I am open to tactful suggestion if you believe I'm wrong.

-- Example #1: --

"Well, I bet if he were covered in chocolate and had a nougaty inside, you'd know exactly where he were at."

Correction: "Well, I bet if he was covered in chocolate and had a nougaty inside, you'd know exactly where he was."

-- Example #2: --

When Zack and Vince have a confrontation in the employee lounge, they actually wrestle with grammar for a brief moment. I think Vince says something that ended with ". . . if I was you." Then Zack corrected him, saying, "WERE you." That bothered me at first, then I realized that you have to use "were" in hypothetical and/or impossible sitiations, even though "I" is singular. Based on that same logic, the song title "If I Were a Boy" also bothered me before I did some research.

It's so OCD, I know.

The writers could have purposely given Vince poor grammar skills to make his obnoxious personality that much more obvious. But I guess I just notice these things. I know this is a MOVIE forum and not a GRAMMAR forum, but that's my two cents!

-------
http://www.examiner.com/x-5914-Atlanta-Health-News-Examiner

[–] GoonDockGirl 9 years ago

Your explanation in the second example shows why your correction of the first example is incorrect. "I bet if he WERE" is the correct usage. Bless your heart, darlin.