NationStates Jolt Archive

I am starting this thread so that people can correct or debate spelling, grammar, and usage from posts on other threads. If anyone has an issue regarding the grammar of another user's post, that person can post his or her corrections and comments in this thread. Thus, arguments over language will not appear as often in threads about other topics; but amateur grammarians will still have a place to vent their anger over spliced commas and dangling participles.

I sincerely hope that you and all other Grammar Nazis have read Eats, Shoots and Leaves by... Linda Truss I believe. It's the funniest grammar book which I have ever read!

I am foreign (whee!) and I would very much like to be corrected every time I misspell something or make a grammatical error. Just bring it awwn!

Thank goodness. There needs to be some place like this...I've run into SO many people with SUCH POOR grammar that I could barely (if even) understand. Ugh...not to mention poor grammar lessens clarity.

I am starting this thread so that people can correct or debate spelling, grammar, and usage from posts on other threads. If anyone has an issue regarding the grammar of another user's post, that person can post his or her corrections and comments in this thread. Thus, arguments over language will not appear as often in threads about other topics; but amateur grammarians will still have a place to vent their anger over spliced commas and dangling participles.
That is an incorrect use of the semicolon.

I sincerely hope that you and all other Grammar Nazis have read Eats, Shoots and Leaves by... Linda Truss I believe. It's the funniest grammar book which I have ever read!

Sorry, but Lynne Truss ought to Eat Shit and Die. (Notice how the meaning changes without commas? Eat, Shit, and Die would be something else altogether. How clever.) The success of that book was the product of a crazy marketing push by the publisher. Pure hype. They never even bothered to correct for American useage for the U.S. edition! So Truss, the maven of perfect grammar, trains the American reader how to make mistakes in American style.

Phooey.

I sincerely hope that you and all other Grammar Nazis have read Eats, Shoots and Leaves by... Linda Truss I believe. It's the funniest grammar book which I have ever read!
It is by Lynne Truss,
really, to be pedantic,
you have to be right.

Grammar is simply;
commas, full stops, question marks
et cetera help.

I am foreign (whee!) and I would very much like to be corrected every time I misspell something or make a grammatical error. Just bring it awwn!
Your first sentence is a compound sentence (meaning that you would have two complete sentences if you replaced the "and" with a period). Compound sentences require a comma before the conjunction.

That is an incorrect use of the semicolon.
lmao

I'll do what I can. I hate people who don't know how to spell when they should. I'm not saying a 7-year-old should know the spelling of grotesque, but a 12-year-old should.

Sorry, but Lynne Truss ought to Eat Shit and Die. (Notice how the meaning changes without commas? Eat, Shit, and Die would be something else altogether. How clever.) The success of that book was the product of a crazy marketing push by the publisher. Pure hype. They never even bothered to correct for American useage for the U.S. edition! So Truss, the maven of perfect grammar, trains the American reader how to make mistakes in American style.

Phooey.
It also became
the perfect book for Christmas.
For some strange reason

They never even bothered to correct for American useage for the U.S. edition! So Truss, the maven of perfect grammar, trains the American reader how to make mistakes in American style.


This shows the basic problem with correcting grammar in English. To what should one correct it. I use a traditional British style (Grammar school and all that), but there will be posters, such as the estimable You Forgot Poland, who use a different, but equally correct form of English grammar.

Sorry about the Linda mistake, but at least I got the Truss part right!

And she considered changing the book for Americans but decided to leave it the same so that it was sure to sell just as well. It was a complement to our intelligence that she didn't see the need to dumb it down. She mentioned many differences between American and British grammar in the British version anyway. It was very amusing, and it is an extremely useful way to teach my grammar students that grammar really is an important subject.

It is by Lynne Truss,
really, to be pedantic,
you have to be right.

Grammar is simply;
commas, full stops, question marks
et cetera help.

Yay, haikus invade!
Soon we'll take as our hostage
All of Twodi's threads

lmao

I'll do what I can. I hate people who don't know how to spell when they should. I'm not saying a 7-year-old should know the spelling of grotesque, but a 12-year-old should.

Dyslexics are bad
at spelling though, be careful
with who you attack

Your first sentence is a compound sentence (meaning that you would have two complete sentences if you replaced the "and" with a period). Compound sentences require a comma before the conjunction.

"I am foreign, and [...]"? I didn't know that. Thanks!

Dyslexics are bad
at spelling though, be careful
with who you attack

With whom. You want the objective form of the word, not the nominative form because it's the object of the preposition.

That is an incorrect use of the semicolon.
Damn. That's what I get for reading these threads instead of just posting blindly.

Dyslexics are bad
at spelling though, be careful
with who you attack

I love you so much
for spreading the haiku word
can I bear your child? :P

u iZ STEwpidD i AMMM kUle11111

It also became
the perfect book for Christmas.
For some strange reason

Sales cycles can be slow to build. An early push leads to a rise in Amazon orders which in turn leads to a rise in Amazon sales ranks. Lots of bookstores take their cues from Amazon's sales figures, which puts more copies on hand for the Christmas buy. Lots of individual buyers take their cues from Amazon's "popular in ..." circles. The hard early marketing push has a trickle-down effect through these mechanisms.

Doesn't make the book any less crapzors.

Yay, haikus invade!
Soon we'll take as our hostage
All of Twodi's threads
:fluffle:

Fluffles all around.
Join in the rebellion
against non-haiku

Sorry about the Linda mistake, but at least I got the Truss part right!

And she considered changing the book for Americans but decided to leave it the same so that it was sure to sell just as well. It was a complement to our intelligence that she didn't see the need to dumb it down. She mentioned many differences between American and British grammar in the British version anyway. It was very amusing, and it is an extremely useful way to teach my grammar students that grammar really is an important subject.
Compliment, instead of complement.

Compliment, instead of complement.

Alas, spelling has always been my downfall. I truly wish that spelling did not count as a part of grammar.

With whom. You want the objective form of the word, not the nominative form because it's the object of the preposition.
It was a haiku,
and therefore protected by
artistic licence ;)

I love you so much
for spreading the haiku word
can I bear your child? :P
I am very touched.
We will create a new world.
Fluffles all around

:fluffle:

It was a haiku,
and therefore protected by
artistic licence ;)

You've my sincerest
apologies, and I hope
you'll keep doing well.

It was a haiku,
and therefore protected by
artistic licence ;)
That comma shouldn't be there.

u iZ STEwpidD i AMMM kUle11111
DAS ROCKET FOR TEH WIN

i hunt grammar nazis, this thread is a stake out.

The Deluxe Transitive Vampire blows the doors off the Truss book. It's fun, it's smart, but it, unfortunately, never got the marketing shove Eats did.

Alas, spelling has always been my downfall. I truly wish that spelling did not count as a part of grammar.
Claim dyslexia,
It gets you out of trouble
and helps for exams

That comma shouldn't be there.

Wasn't that also
a compound sentence? Or am
I simply foreign?

This shows the basic problem with correcting grammar in English. To what should one correct it. I use a traditional British style (Grammar school and all that), but there will be posters, such as the estimable You Forgot Poland, who use a different, but equally correct form of English grammar.

To what should one correct it?

(it's a question)

and

...but there will be posters, such as the estimable You Forgot Poland, who use a different, but equally correct, form of English grammar.

("but equally correct" should be separated from the sentence, "but there will be posters... who use a different form of English grammar.")

hehe

BAD SPELLERS OF THE WORLD, UNTIE!

Let's talk in iambic pentameter,
Because iambic pentameter's fun,
And then you guys can discuss more grammar,
and spelling, too, until you are quite done!

Let's talk in iambic pentameter,
Because iambic pentameter's fun,
And then you guys can discuss more grammar,
and spelling, too, until you are quite done!
The first 3 lines are not in iambic pentameter

Wasn't that also
a compound sentence? Or am
I simply foreign?
Nope. Let's take a look at it.

It was a haiku,
and therefore protected by
artistic licence

Let's see what happens when we replace the and with a period.

It was a haiku.
Therefore protected by artistic license.

See, the second one doesn't make sense. That "and" was just separating items in a list.

'therefore protected by an artistic licence' is a subordinate clause

'therefore protected by an artistic licence' is a subordinate clause
And?

The first 3 lines are not in iambic pentameter
The third line is.

I think he thinks that iambic is three syllables; i-am-bic

Originally Posted by HE HATE ME
That is an incorrect use of the semicolon.

One of the proper uses of a semicolon is to join related independent clauses that are already connected by a coordinating conjunction if either of the clauses already contains a comma. The sentence that you want me to correct is: "Thus, arguments over language will not appear as often in threads about other topics; but amateur grammarians will still have a place to vent their anger over spliced commas and dangling participles." However, the first clause of this sentence contains a comma; therefore, I connect the two clauses of the sentence with a semicolon.
The following quote is from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/Semicolons.html) website:
Use a semicolon between independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction if the clauses are already punctuated with commas or if the clauses are lengthy.
This quote is near the middle of the page; it is in the second table on the page.

The third line is.

I think he thinks that iambic is three syllables; i-am-bic
Iambic means every other syllable is stressed.

If we try the iambic form on the third line: "And THEN you GUYS can DIS-cuss MORE gram-MAR"...

That doesn't make any sense because in spoken English, the emphasis should always be on the second syllable of "discuss" and the first syllable of "grammar." Therefore the third line cannot work out as iambic.

One of the proper uses of a semicolon is to join related independent clauses that are already connected by a coordinating conjunction if either of the clauses already contains a comma.
(emphasis added)

http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/semicoln.html

"Generally, you should not place a semicolon before a co-ordinating conjunction that links two independent clauses. The only exception to this guideline is if the two independent clauses are very long and already contain a number of commas."

Neither your source nor my source says semicolons should be used if there is even one comma appearing in another part of the sentence. Generally semicolons are only used if two long clauses with many many commas need to be joined together. However, your sentence had only one comma so the semicolon was unnecessary and I think the flow of the sentence would be much improved if the semicolon were replaced with a comma instead.

Iambic means every other syllable is stressed.

If we try the iambic form on the third line: "And THEN you GUYS can DIS-cuss MORE gram-MAR"...

That doesn't make any sense because in spoken English, the emphasis should always be on the second syllable of "discuss" and the first syllable of "grammar." Therefore the third line cannot work out as iambic.


(emphasis added)

Fair point

This is the quote you used from uottawa.ca:
The only exception to this guideline is if the two independent clauses are very long and already contain a number of commas.
Notice that this doesn't specify a particular number of commas that cause a compound sentence to require a semicolon. One comma is "a number" of commas. I realize I am being too literal, but my point is that the rule should specify that writers can or should use semicolons in this instance when the sentence contains a particular number of commas or a particular structure involving commas. The following rule from writeshop.com (http://www.writeshop.com/bluebooksample.htm) does specify a particular number of commas at which writers may begin to use a semicolon instead of a comma:
Rule 5b. You may use a semicolon between two sentences that are joined by a conjunction but already have one or more commas within the first sentence.

Examples When I finish here, I will be glad to help you; and that is a promise I will keep.
If she can, she will attempt that feat; and if her husband is able, he will be there to see her
Notice that this rule allows the use of a semicolon in sentences in which the first independent clause contains "one or more commas." This means that my use of the semicolon was correct.
Furthermore, you should note this quote from your own post:
However, your sentence had only one comma so the semicolon was unnecessary and I think the flow of the sentence would be much improved if the semicolon were replaced with a comma instead.
You should use a comma before "and" because it connects two independent clauses. A comma should precede a coordinating conjunction that connects two independent clauses.

Anyone ever notice how much people mix up "then" and "than?"

Fair point
You are missing the period.

"Fair point."

Anyone ever notice how much people mix up "then" and "than?"

Or 'effect' and 'affect.'

Sorry, but Lynne Truss ought to Eat Shit and Die. (Notice how the meaning changes without commas? Eat, Shit, and Die would be something else altogether. How clever.) The success of that book was the product of a crazy marketing push by the publisher. Pure hype. They never even bothered to correct for American useage for the U.S. edition! So Truss, the maven of perfect grammar, trains the American reader how to make mistakes in American style.

Phooey.


It is american style itself that is mistaken.

Different dialects of a language have different rules for the use of the language. Cockney, for example, is different from Austrialian, which is different from American, which is different from the English they use on the Island itself.

It is american style itself that is mistaken.
Correction!

It is the American style itself that is mistaken.

Correction!

It is the American style itself that is mistaken.

I thought about correcting that, but I felt that mentioning that different dialects have different functions took precedence there.

Thank goodness. There needs to be some place like this...I've run into SO many people with SUCH POOR grammar that I could barely (if even) understand. Ugh...not to mention poor grammar lessens clarity.

"u wot? wot did u jus say bt me ??? if u sy tht agn ur fukin ded k???? "

Don't you just hate it ;-)?

"u wot? wot did u jus say bt me ??? if u sy tht agn ur fukin ded k???? "

Don't you just hate it ;-)?

Yes, I hate grammar like that in its entirety. As I am also Annastrianna d Maril (I stopped posting as that one because it was too much trouble to switch over from using this on one thread and that on another), it is a valid answer.

It is american style itself that is mistaken.

Uh-uh. No you didn't.

I am going to boldly split an infinitive where no infinitive was split before!

I am going to boldly split an infinitive

"Going to" was the phrase there, Super-power, not "to...split." Therefore, the infinitive was not split.

"Going to" was the phrase there, Super-power, not "to...split." Therefore, the infinitive was not split.

Oh! And on a grammar thread to boot. You shouldn't have done that. "To split" was in fact the infinitive, used as the object of the transitive "going." Call reversed. Super gets the points for the proper split!

Kaymiril, thank you for reviving my thread. I thought this thread was a good idea; I was surprised that it didn't become more popular. I still see people debating grammar on other threads. So I guess this thread isn't acheiving its purpose.

Sorry about the Linda mistake, but at least I got the Truss part right!

And she considered changing the book for Americans but decided to leave it the same so that it was sure to sell just as well. It was a complement to our intelligence that she didn't see the need to dumb it down. She mentioned many differences between American and British grammar in the British version anyway. It was very amusing, and it is an extremely useful way to teach my grammar students that grammar really is an important subject.
"complement" should be "compliment". Unless you meant that her not seeing the need to dumb it down somehow adds to or enhances our intelligence, as opposed to flattering or praising our intelligence (fragment). ;)

This thread needs to be de-Nazified.

So ...

Be honest ...

How many of you, before submitting your posts to this thread, checked your spelling and grammar extremely carefully?

Personally, I don't give a shit. I like to point out grammar nazis bad grammar, though.

I think I am a grammar nazi. I usually try and hold my tongue, but it always bothers me when people use improper grammar/spelling. I know that I make mistakes, but really blatant ones just drive me crazy. :)

My region has to do with nazis, we worship a german bball player, dirk nowitzki lol
please join
duetcshland

My region has to do with nazis, we worship a german bball player, dirk nowitzki lol
please join
duetcshland
This is a beautiful post.

This is a beautiful post.


It definitely belonged in this thread. :rolleyes:

My region has to do with nazis, we worship a german bball player, dirk nowitzki lol
please join
duetcshland

Um, whom else is saying "what the hell" besides myself?

Originally Posted by Antebellum South
This thread needs to be de-Nazified.

I fulfilled Godwin's Law as soon as the thread began.

Originally Posted by Quindenisia
Um, whom else is saying "what the hell" besides myself?

Your sentence should be "Um, who else is saying 'what the hell' besides myself?" The pronoun is the subject of its clause; therefore, it should be in nominative case.

Does anybody else think that the term "grammar nazi" just doesn't go too far enough? How about "Jackbooted Unterfuhrers of the Grammar Gestapo" as a more accurate description?

Kaymiril, thank you for reviving my thread. I thought this thread was a good idea; I was surprised that it didn't become more popular. I still see people debating grammar on other threads. So I guess this thread isn't acheiving its purpose.

I am more than glad to have revivified this thread. I am a grammar Nazi in the truest sense of the word; I am told that it is my greatest flaw. Your thread was a good idea, and I was relieved when I saw it, however...it appears that people will debate grammar when and wherever the opportunity arises, instead of copy-and-pasting their grievance from the original thread and tearing it apart in here.

My region has to do with nazis, we worship a german bball player, dirk nowitzki lol
please join
duetcshland

First off, this post is a non sequiter. Don't people read anymore? This is not a Nazi thread, it is a grammar Nazi thread. The word "grammar" serves as an adjective to the noun "Nazi," and together, the two words form an adjective to describe those people who are particularly choosy about such things as spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and, God forbid, misplaced and dangling modifiers.

Second...to be the true grammar Nazi...corrections to this post to make it more grammatically correct.

I come from a region which associates with Nazis. The majority of us are fans of a German (baseball/basketball?) player, Dirk Nowitzki, amusingly enough. If you believe you would like such a region, please join Duetcshland

He spelled the region name correctly, I checked...which means the founder of the region cannot spell. I know it is still not entirely contiguous...however, such is the nature of the post.

Originally Posted by Kaymiril (in a quote of Nowitzkland)
(baseball/basketball?) player, Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk Nowitzki is a German basketball player. He plays forward for the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA.

Thanks. I didn't know that, to be perfectly honest. I'm not a sports fan.

Upon reading this thread one may find herself rather intimidated.


Out of curiousity I ask, "When one is a Grammar Nazi, how do they feel about political correctness, such as writing he/she, specifying the female part of an occupational title (ie: firewoman), and the like?"

Upon reading this thread one may find herself rather intimidated.


Out of curiousity I ask, "When one is a Grammar Nazi, how do they feel about political correctness, such as writing he/she, specifying the female part of an occupational title (ie: firewoman), and the like?"

Political correctness is extremely important, while political affiliation is not.

Um, whom else is saying "what the hell" besides myself?
Your sentence lacks proper grammar and spelling etiquette.

'Um, whom else is saying, "What the Hell," besides myself?'

I believe it should have been:

Other than myself, who is saying "What the hell?"

Im A Penguin :d :d :d :d :d :d :d :d :d

I sincerely hope that you and all other Grammar Nazis have read Eats, Shoots and Leaves by... Linda Truss I believe. It's the funniest grammar book which I have ever read!
That book is incredibly boring!!! The humor in there is dryer than the Sahara Desert!

While my grammar and punctuation are far from perfect, I wish some posters would at least make an attempt to be understandable by the average English speaker. Correct away, folks

I am more than glad to have revivified this thread. I am a grammar Nazi in the truest sense of the word; I am told that it is my greatest flaw. Your thread was a good idea, and I was relieved when I saw it, however[1]...it appears that people will debate grammar when and wherever the opportunity arises[2], instead of copy-and-pasting their grievance from the original thread and tearing it apart in here.
Grammar Nazi Citations:
[1]Improper use of ellipsis
[2]Improper comma use


First off, this post is a non sequiter. Don't people read anymore? This is not a Nazi thread, it is a grammar Nazi thread. The word "grammar" serves as an adjective to the noun "Nazi," and together[3], the two words form an adjective to describe those people who are particularly choosy about such things as spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and, God forbid, misplaced and dangling modifiers.

[6]Second[4]...to be the true grammar Nazi[5]...corrections to this post to make it more grammatically correct.

[4,5]Improper use of ellipsis
[6]Improper use of infinitive, sentence is a phrase

He spelled the region name correctly, I checked[7]...which means the founder of the region cannot spell. I know it is still not entirely contiguous[8]...however, such is the nature of the post.
[7]Improper use of ellipsis
[8]Improper use of ellipsis

Dang ain't them a shame all them citations? :D

Dang ain't them a shame all them citations?

I shouldn't even have to correct that. My choice on the placements of ellipses instead of other punctuation marks (i.e., commas and semicolons) is primarily my choice. I will admit an over-fondness for them, and I use them in the way a writer of fiction might use them, instead of in the style of the essayist.
However, your sixth citation was placed incorrectly. It was the second matter I was getting to, and instead of placing a bullet or a number, I typed out the word.

Im A Penguin :d :d :d :d :d :d :d :d :d


Is :d supposed to be :p ?

Because that is definitely impressive.

I shouldn't even have to correct that. My choice on the placements of ellipses instead of other punctuation marks (i.e., commas and semicolons) is primarily my choice. I will admit an over-fondness for them, and I use them in the way a writer of fiction might use them, instead of in the style of the essayist.
However, your sixth citation was placed incorrectly. It was the second matter I was getting to, and instead of placing a bullet or a number, I typed out the word.
Then you should have ended with a colon. *"Hmmph reminiscent of stubborn English teacher, then laughter*

Then you should have ended with a colon. *"Hmmph reminiscent of stubborn English teacher, then laughter*

I didn't feel like sounding like a chopping block. That was more like the ominous drawl of an interrogator, about to crush his or her (her, in my case) target in one fell swoop. Artistic license is the name of the game, my friend. English has its rules, but it also has its freedoms. How it is perceived as being used correctly or not has a lot to do with the interpretation of the individual.

Political correctness is extremely important, while political affiliation is not. Ahhh...

*The Jeopardy Theme Song begins to play.*

"To boldy split an inifinitive where no infinitive has ever been split before..."

Mwahahah

"To boldy split an inifinitive where no infinitive has ever been split before..."

Mwahahah

While you have split the infinitive, you have not split the infinitive in a complete sentence. Your sentence is only a fragment.

However, maybe this would work.

"...To boldly split..."

Comments, anyone?