The English language has thousands of words in it. Many of which can become confused. Whom vs who and lie vs lay are two excellent examples of this.
In order to fully understand using who/whom, one must also understand whether the word is being used as the subject of the verb or the verb’s object. Whom being the objective form, who being the subjective form. “Who is the best student in the class?” is the correct way to use who. “To whom are you referring?” is the correct way to use whom. The confusion between the two arises more in a question because the word order is reversed. If you are not sure which to use, use who.
Lie vs lay grammar is even more confusing to most. The word lay means to put or to place. “Lay the book on the table.” This sentence is telling someone to put the book on the table. Lie means to recline. It is an intransitive verb meaning it has no object. The action stays with the verb. An excellent example of this would be a nurse telling you to “lie back”. People become confused because the past tense of lie is spelled the same as the present tense of lay. “He went to lay in bed,” is a sentence in which the past tense of lie is used.

Confusable words in English abound. In the following paragraphs we’ll take a look at two word pairs that commonly perplex native speakers. With a little review and a couple of tips, you’ll improve the likelihood of choosing the right word.

who vs. whom

First, remember that both words refer to a person. In a sentence or clause, ‘who’ functions as the subject, ‘whom’ as the object. If you can substitute ‘him’ for whom, then ‘whom’ is the right choice. And if ‘he’ can replace ‘who’, then ‘who’ is the correct word. Think of it this way: whom = him, who = he. Here are several examples:

Who/whom is invited to the party?
‘Who’ is the correct choice; it’s the subject of the sentence. (Would you say, “Him is invited to the party?” No.)

The girl knew who/whom to choose as leader.
Identify the subject : girl. Now, the verb: knew. And the object of this sentence? Whom. Read aloud to check: The girl knew him (to choose as leader).

Rewording a sentence can help. “To who/whom do we owe our thanks ?” could be changed to “We do owe our thanks to who/whom?” It’s easier to spot the subject, ‘We’, and the verb phrase, ‘do owe’. It appears clearer that the choice should be ‘whom’(here it’s the object of the prepositional phrase, ‘to whom’), but you substitute ‘him’ for whom, just to be sure…”We do owe our thanks to him.”

advise vs. advice

With this pair, it’s a simple matter of learning definitions. ‘Advise’ is a verb meaning to offer counsel or recommend a course of action. ‘Advice’, a noun, is the counsel offered. The ending sound is more of an short ‘s’ than the ‘z’ you hear on ‘advise.’

Tom will act upon his father’s advice and keep training for the marathon.
His mother will probably advise him to get enough rest while he trains.

According to Strunk and White’s classic ELEMENTS OF STYLE, dashes are marks of separation “stronger than a comma, less formal than a semicolon, and more relaxed than parentheses.” Most often, they’re used to emphasize a pause, add or correct information, or signal an abrupt switch in thought or tone. The sentences below illustrate their handiness. Suggestions for alternate punctuation are also offered.

I need to purchase my return ticket for—oh, no, my wallet is missing! (change in thought)
After many sleepless nights—and some careful consideration—Grace decided to quit her job and start a business. (additional information; commas okay)
The contestant held his breath—had he given the game show host a correct answer? (pause for emphasis; semicolon also appropriate)
The ingredients for the cake—flour, sugar, vanilla, butter, and eggs—are on the kitchen counter. (adds list; parentheses acceptable)
The unhappy child opened her mouth and began to scream—a shrill, piercing, earsplitting wail. (emphasis; could use colon instead)

The “em dash”(its technical term) is formed by hitting the hyphen key twice. On most PCs, it can also be formed this way: type the first word, hold down the ALT key, type 0151 on the numeric pad, and then enter the next word. Like magic—there it is!

Keep in mind that using just dashes alone lessens their effectiveness. Mix in other punctuation marks when appropriate—commas, semicolons, colons, and parentheses—to vary the rhythm of written work.