The Grammar Thread

[Amy (In America - Busy atm)]

I don't know about anyone else, but my grammar is usually pretty appalling. It's recovered a fair bit in the last few years, but it was very cringe-worthy before.

So, like the Excerpt Thread, the aim of the game is for each person per post to write a point about grammar and how to use it, or how it is often misused. It can be extremely simple, or more complicated.

Why do this? I think it will help people be better prepared for writing stories, essays and many other things that they will have to do. Plus its a fairly fun way of learning new things. If people take in the information here then it means next time there is a Sim Spork type of group hopefully they will be immune to it.

I'll start.

● Always capitalise the first word after a full-stop/period.

✓ James had a cat. His cat was named Dave.
x James had a cat. his cat was named dave. [/center]

[Cayla]

This should be interesting. I will do an easy one.

●Use a period at the end of a complete sentence that is a statement.

Example:
✓Joey had a puppy. Her name was Lily.
x Joey had a puppy Her name was Lily.




;D

[tallonrk1]

● "a lot" is two words, not one

✓ I have a lot to do
x I have alot to do

[Zoe]

I like this idea a lot. Great idea. This is a rule about the who vs. whom controversy.

œ Use the he/him method to decide which word is correct.
he = who
him = whom

Examples:

Who/whom is responsible for this?
He is responsible. Therefore, it is who.

For whom/who should I vote?
Should I vote for him? Therefore, it is whom.

Eugh, that was a bit wordy. I hope people understand it. ^__^

[Samantha]

Dashes are made up of two hyphens (-), and you neither space before them nor after them.

x The only thing he was good for - if he was good for anything - was providing us with gas money for long trips.
✓ The only thing he was good for--if he was good for anything--was providing us with gas money for long trips.

[Laura]

Ok, I'm going to learn a lot from this thread.

Know the difference between to and too and know where to use each.

★ I go to the shop.
★ Let's walk to their house.
Not:
★ I go too the shop.
★ Let's walk too their house.

★ I love him too.
★ I'm too happy to cry.
Not:
★ I love him to.
★ I'm to happy to cry.

[Amy (In America - Busy atm)]

I must admit I always ignore the dash rule. I wait for word to make it a long dash for me instead, though TS2 never recognised that so I just got lazy

When to use your and you're.

Your refers to something which you may own, e.g.
✓ Your bedroom is green
x You're bedroom is green

You're is a shortened version of 'you are' and you can always use 'you are' to see if your use of the word makes sense, e.g.
✓ You're (you are) playing footing
✓ Your (belonging to you or another) playing football.

[Caitlin]

My grammar is awful, so hopefully this thread will help me. I may not post in it a lot, though, because I don't know a lot of grammar rules.

When and how to use the words: their, they're, and there.

Their is used when you're indicating possession. It is possesive and indicates that a particular noun belongs to them, example.
✓ The little kittens lost their mittens.
✓ My friends have lost their bus tickets.
x Their is no one here.

They're is a shortened version of 'they are' and you can always use 'they are' to see if it makes sense, example.
✓ Hurry up! They're closing the mall at six tonight!
✓ I'm glad that they're so nice to new people in this town.
x The dogs are happily chewing on they're bones.

Use there when referring to a place, whether concrete ("over there by the building") or more abstract ("it must be difficult to live there"). Also use there with the verb BE (is, am, are, was, were) to indicate the existence of something, or to mention something for the first time, example.
✓ There is a picnic area over here, and a campground across the river.
✓ "I see there are new flowers coming up in your garden." "Yes, they are the ones my grandmother gave me last year."
x Shelley wants to know if there busy.

Here are some tips to help you know if you got the word right. They might not always work, but they'll work a better part of the time.

• If you wrote there, will the sentence still make sense if you replace it with here?
  
• If you chose their, will the sentence still make sense if you replace it with our?
  
• If you used they're, will the sentence still make sense if you replace it with they are?
  

(That was extremely wordy, and I apologize!)

[Zoe]

Okay, well, I'd say this is more of an argument through ideas, but it's about the prepositional phrase controversy.

The rule states that it against the laws of grammar to end a sentence with a prepositional phrase. From where this rule came, I don't know. But in all realness, ending a sentence with a prepositional phrase is quite all right.

Examples:

From where this rule came from, I do not know sounds like Yoda. Who says things like that on a daily basis, anyhow?

I have no idea where this rule came from is an example of ending with a prepositional phrase, and people are more likely to say it in such a way, and that is quite all right.

This rule should be applied under some circumstances, although not in all.

(I have no problem with anyone who disagrees, because it's kind of confusing overall.)

[Samantha]

A comma splice is the grammatically incorrect usage of a comma to connect two completely independent clauses. If the two clauses can stand alone by themselves as complete sentences, then putting a comma between them is wrong. This error can be fixed with either a period/full-stop or, when appropriate, a semicolon.

x It is late, the buses are no longer running.
✓ It is late. The buses are no longer running.
✓ It is late; the buses are no longer running.

x I think he would make a good candidate for class president, he is very smart.
✓ I think he would make a good candidate for class president. He is very smart.
✓ I think he would make a good candidate for class president; he is very smart.

[legrande]

• Plurals don't require an apostrophe before the 's'.
  

Example:
✓ There are lots of flowers
x There are lots of flower's

[Laura]

I before E, except after C, usually.

Weird grammar rule where, in general, the letter I will come before the letter E in a word when the two are side by side.

i before e...
believe
relief
fierce
die
friend
...except after c...
receipt
deceit
deceive <------- note the 'c's!
conceive
receive
...usually.
There are a few exceptions to this somewhat bogus rule.
science
ancient
weird
neither
foreign

....so, it's not much of a rule at all. Best way to work it out is to type out a word and see if it 'looks' right - or, better yet, use a word program with a spell check.

[Samantha]

A while is a noun; awhile is an adverb. "A while" means "a short period of time," and "awhile" means "for a while." ("Awhile," therefore, will not follow the prepostion "for." That would make it both incorrect and redundant.)

Awhile:

x We walked a while.
✓ We walked awhile.

A while:

x We walked for awhile.
✓ We walked for a while.