Confusion

I AM quite confused about using “speak with” and “speak to”.

Do we say “May I speak to Mr Lim” or “May I speak with Mr Lim”?

You can use either “speak to” or “speak with” in that context, but “speak to” is the more common form in British English.

“Speak with” is more commonly found in American English, but its use has crept into British English too.

Who and whom

“Whom” is the object form of “who”. We can see this in relative clauses, for example:

1. “The person who owns this book would like it back.” In this sentence, “who” is the subject of the relative clause “who owns this book”.

2. “The boy whom they beat up has made a police report.” In this sentence, “whom” is the object of the defining relative clause “whom they beat up”. The subject of that clause is “they”. However, in this sort of sentence, it is possible to use “who” or “that” instead of “whom”, or leave out “whom” altogether: “The boy (who/that) they beat up has made a police report.”

3. “Her aunt, whom she loves very much, is in hospital.” In this sentence, “whom” is the object in the non-defining relative clause “whom she loves very much”. In less formal usage, “who” can be used instead of “whom”: “Her aunt, who she loves very much, is in hospital”.

In modern English, “whom” is considered very formal. One common use of “whom” is in the expression used in a reference or testimonial written for a scholarship applicant or job-seeker, i.e. “To Whom It May Concern”. But in questions, “who” is more often used, e.g. “Who did you give the book to?” instead of “To whom did you give the book?”

At the library/In the library

Shop/Library/Canteen/Bookstore – You say “In the shop/library/canteen/bookstore” if you’re actually inside one of them. But if someone phones and asks your daughter where you are, she would say you’re “at the shop/library/canteen/bookstore”.

Lie down/Lay down

“Lie down” means to put oneself in a horizontal position, as on a bed or sofa, e.g. “You look tired. Go and lie down on the sofa.”

“Lay down” is the past tense of “lie down”. So, “She lied down on the ground” should be replaced with “She lay down on the ground”, NOT “She laid down on the ground.” “Laid” is the past tense and past participle of another verb, “lay”.

“Lay down” is used in informal US usage to mean “lie down”. There are many popular songs with words like “Lay down beside me”, etc.