Oh, sorry, don’t stop what you’re doing. I meant the word that. Please, ignore the outburst and go on about your business; don’t mind me. All right, since you’re here, I’ll tell you: I hate that. It’s overused and clunky. People stick a that in everything. The question is, why? It isn’t a mantra, it’s … Continue reading : stop that :
Tag: grammar
: outlines are bossy :
When I see an outline, I see a fussy little despot. On a good day, I’ll see a To Do list. But either way, it’s a buzz kill and not the helpful, practical tool everyone believes. Let me explain why. Like you, I was introduced to outlines in a 5th grade English class. I didn’t like them … Continue reading : outlines are bossy :
: rule #10, use orthodox spelling :
The Elements of Style, that most revered of writing guides, is chockablock with constructive, useful advice. Those 95 pages of wisdom are quoted, consulted, studied, and deferred to by all and sundry, not just fancy pants authors and stodgy grammarians. Me, I’d be a disaster without ready access to clear rules of usage. Yet I do … Continue reading : rule #10, use orthodox spelling :
: pile-drove or pile-driven? :
Stubbed is a puny understatement. Hammered is okay. Clobbered and walloped are better. But I’m going with the wildly ungrammatical; I pile-drove my toes into the bed frame. Sorry if that clanks or sounds nonsensical, but it’s hard to think with the screaming in my head. I broke a toe, the big one, the one … Continue reading : pile-drove or pile-driven? :
: stop that :
No, sorry, don’t stop what you’re doing. By that, I meant the word that. Please, go on about your business; don’t mind me. Well, okay, since you’re here, I’ll tell you: I hate that. It’s overused and distracting, a totally irksome term. People stick a that in everything. Why? It’s a word, not a mantra. … Continue reading : stop that :
: happy punctuation day :
Yippee and yahoo, boys and girls, it’s time to celebrate. National Punctuation Day is here. You sticklers and buffs will no doubt question not only my credentials, but also my enthusiasm for this very festive holiday because I haven’t used any exclamation points. Well, go ahead. I’ve never hidden my disdain for the frivolous and … Continue reading : happy punctuation day :
: a sing along for wordaholics :
Follow the bouncing period, boys and girls. It's Weird Al Yankovic performing Word Crimes, a grammar freak's delight. There's something for everyone here: punctuation, emoticons, grammar tips, hashtags, sentence diagramming, parts of speech, proofreading symbols, double entendres, fun design, the whole enchilada. Just you watch, the video's a gas. Sort of a writer's pornography set … Continue reading : a sing along for wordaholics :
: crazy talk :
Writing isn’t always enjoyable. Some days it leans heavily toward masochism. Okay, right there’s a perfect example. I’ll spend the next twenty minutes fretting over whether I should use ‘toward’ (singular) or ‘towards’ (plural). I’ll check a couple dictionaries, google it, consult Grammar Girl and Woe is I, then change it from toward to towards … Continue reading : crazy talk :
the whirly girl 