Cainanite (imported) wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2011 1:54 am Another big problem people have is where to put commas. This is one, that for me, has proven difficult.

If I write, "I'm inviting the prostitutes, Dave and Jerry." There are only two people invited, Dave and Jerry, both of whom are prostitutes.

If I write, "I'm inviting the prostitutes, Dave, and Jerry." Then Dave and Jerry are in for a good time with some prostitutes.

Shouldn't it be a semi-colon before you list the names of the prostitutes? For example, "I'm inviting the prostitutes; Dave and Jerry."

Also, I thought it was Tom and Jerry. Or maybe it is Ben and Jerry - they're famous for their cream right?

Back to a bit more seriousness... one thing that irks me between the posts and stories written here is the use of "txt" style spelling (that bothers me even when I get a text as well). Presumably, those contributing thoughts or stories are doing so from a computer with a full sized QWERTY keyboard or a smart phone with at least a virtual QWERTY keyboard. Such writing methods in a post are perhaps understandable as people are writing their reply as quickly as they might verbalize it in an actual conversation, but in a submitted story there really (not rly) is no excuse for it. It would be acceptable in a first or second draft since the ideas may be flowing faster than you could write them correctly, however, once you are at your final draft you should be doing spelling and grammar checking with at least software. I expect many would not have a close enough friend to have proof read their works so considering the nature and subject matter of most stories.

Oh, and one more thing that I think bothers me even more than txting is the habit of some people who quote an entire post or article in their reply just to say that they like or agree with it. It's not so bad if it were a 1 or 2 sentance post, but when it's a full page essay it's most annoying. Please trim the quoted text down to the particular sentence or paragraph related to your comment as I did above.

And use the spell check function before saving or posting your reply.

Some of us are interested in writing correctly, and I see nothing wrong with those of us that are having a discussion about it. Someone pointed out a mistake I made in another thread, and I take no offense to that. I want to know when I screw up. I don't point out mistakes that particular people make in their posts.

Cainanite (imported) wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2011 1:54 am Also, there is the problem people have with words and names that end with an "s". If you are talking about Davis and his new car, you don't want to write it, "Davis's new car." Correct usage is, "Davis' new car."

The proper use of apostrophes is difficult, and you'll probably find many people that agree with you in this example, but I don't.

When creating the possessive form of words ending in "s," use only an apostrophe after the "s" if the word ends in a "z" sound. However, if the word ends in an "s" sound use an apostrophe and an additional "s" to create the possessive.

Less Desirable: He was a student in Professor Adams's class. More Desirable: He was a student in Professor Adams' class.

However: He was a student in Professor Weiss's class.

Davis's would be correct in this case. The extra 's' is pronounced.

I'm still at a loss at times about whether or not to use a comma in certain sentences.

Richard_Less (imported) wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2011 8:36 am Shouldn't it be a semi-colon before you list the names of the prostitutes? For example, "I'm inviting the prostitutes; Dave and Jerry."

Also, I thought it was Tom and Jerry.

A semicolon would not be appropriate, but a colon might be. "I'm inviting the prostitutes: Dave and Jerry."

A comma, in this case, is also fine.

Cainanite (imported) wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2011 1:54 am "I'm inviting the prostitutes, Dave and Jerry."

Both are referring to Dave and Jerry as being the prostitutes. A semicolon is used more like a period is used. For a semicolon to be used

Richard_Less (imported) wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2011 8:36 am in that sentence it would need to be written a

s follows.

"I'm inviting the prostitutes; Dave and Jerry are the prostitutes."

Riverwind (imported) wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2011 5:53 am And here is the last word,

this is not a lit guild, or a writing club, get over it.

Many of us including me are dyslexic, and being so English has always been hard for us, we spell phonetically always, example, (ov), this simple two letter word, in my mind its spelled correctly, (of) is speled rong.

The last day of school in my senior year my English teacher wrote a story on the board, totally phonetically, it was the first time in my life that I could speed read English and I was the only one in class who could. If English was written as it sounds, most of you would be totally lost, but people like me would understand ever word. English is a second language for us.

I hope I made my point.

River

The forums might not be a writing club, but the Archive has long been a writing club. There are many of us that honed our writing skills writing for the Archive. Maybe this was posted to the wrong forum, maybe it should have been posted to one of the story forums, but I think it's highly appropriate considering the original purpose of the Archive.

I moved this thread. You can look at it as a discussion by writers on the proper use of grammar. There is no reason for anyone to feel threatened by it. Anyone not interested in writing can ignore it.

uh uh uh.... I dunno... I like the usage of multiple period. Kind of sort of gives you a point to ponder...

La de da, la de da.

Does artistic impression inserted into a document count for anything? I received a 4.0 gpa in my college english classes. But to say I am a wordsmith is to say pickup is the same as a semi truck. I plod my way with uniqueness and creativity that confounded my professors into a high grade. Basically, I speak therefore I write? I dunno....

justgottago (imported) wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:40 am uh uh uh.... I dunno... I like the usage of multiple period. Kind of sort of gives you a point to ponder...

La de da, la de da.

Does artistic impression inserted into a document count for anything? I received a 4.0 gpa in my college english classes. But to say I am a wordsmith is to say pickup is the same as a semi truck. I plod my way with uniqueness and creativity that confounded my professors into a high grade. Basically, I speak therefore I write? I dunno....

They, ellipses, can certainly be used; I use them; but most people use them too often. They should be used sparingly.

http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/ellipsis.aspx

Slammr (imported) wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2011 9:50 am I moved this thread. You can look at it as a discussion by writers on the proper use of grammar. There is no reason for anyone to feel threatened by it. Anyone not interested in writing can ignore it.

No wonder I couldn't find the damned thing...



Waht I wnat to say nxet is taht it meaks no drffceiece how you sepll the wrods as lnog as you idndclue all of the letters get the fsrit and the lsat letter in the rhigt pcale uauslly it can be raed.

RIGHT? OR not?

The concept DOES NOT prove the whole word reading theory over phonics. It is more of a phenomena of the human neurological system.

IS that right moi or janekane? What do you say...?

justgottago (imported) wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:40 am uh uh uh.... I dunno... I like the usage of multiple period. Kind of sort of gives you a point to ponder...

La de da, la de da.

Does artistic impression inserted into a document count for anything? I received a 4.0 gpa in my college english classes. But to say I am a wordsmith is to say pickup is the same as a semi truck. I plod my way with uniqueness and creativity that confounded my professors into a high grade. Basically, I speak therefore I write? I dunno....

To answer the rest of your question: yes, artistic expression does count. I often violate the rules of grammar for effect. Generally, however, you need to know good grammar to know when and how to violate those rules for effect.

I knew there were a bunch of loosers around here.