I Do! I Do! by Rob Kyff on Creators.com

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I Do! I Do!

On my desk, behind a pile of old maps and erudite notes to myself ("Pick up milk!"), I recently found a year-old letter from Richard Carey of Somers, Conn., which raised three very good questions:

1. Why do people sometimes write a double "do," as in "they do do that?"

2. Which is correct: "I have drank too many" or "I have drunk too many"?

3. Why don't I have a more organized filing system for readers' letters?

Since I'm already in deep trouble for misplacing Mr. Carey's missive, let's start with the "do do."

The verb "do," in addition to meaning everything from "accomplish" to "kill," is also used to show emphasis. So, just as we might say of disorganized writers, "they do have filing systems" or "they do maintain folders for unread letters," we say, "they do do some things to control clutter." All true, by the way.

Now this double "do" construction sounds fine when someone SPEAKS the sentence, putting the proper emphasis on the first "do": "They DO do some things to control clutter." But when the sentence is written — "They do do some things" — the double "do" looks, well, "do"bious.

What to do? In formal writing, try to avoid stepping into the double "do." Instead, use adverbs such as "definitely," "really" or "absolutely" to convey emphasis, e.g.

"They definitely do some things to control clutter."

Just an aside, but don't you love how we now use "do" as a noun to describe a party ("big do") or a hairstyle ("new do")? Our language is so refreshingly flexible!

Uh, where was before I became drunk on the elixir of English? Oh, yes, "drunk" and "drank."

The correct inflection of the verb "to drink" is "drink" (present), "drank" (past) and "drunk" (past participle). So it's "I drink water today," "I drank water yesterday" and "I have drunk water many times."

In the authoritative guide "Modern American Usage," Bryan Garner suggests that people often say or write "I have drank" because they associate "drunk" with being inebriated. My own experience is that this is especially likely to happen when these speakers and writers are themselves inebriated. When you are drunk, who wants to say, "I have drunk"?

And, of course, never drink and "drive." This can lead to sentences such as, "I drived over yesterday" and "I have droven." Pick up milk!

Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Conn., invites your language sightings. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via e-mail to Wordguy@aol.com or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. To find out more about Rob Kyff and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.