NationStates Jolt Archive

Yes, I can't write a simple, short sentence that actually makes sense. Everything has to be qualified to within an inch of its life, or at least to the point where my writing is barely intelligible. Of course I need to fix this, but I thought I might as well find out: what are your stylistic foibles? ;)

I use an inordinate amount of ellipses...

They are just so useful everywhere!

I use ";" and "," and "..." far more than is really advisable. Also, I cannot spell.

I split my infinitives regularly.

Yes, I can't write a simple, short sentence that actually makes sense. Everything has to be qualified to within an inch of its life, or at least to the point where my writing is barely intelligible. Of course I need to fix this, but I thought I might as well find out: what are your stylistic foibles? ;)

I highlighted a short, simple sentence that makes sense. This thread is now done.

I tend to use too many ellipses...

Plus, I like to say "anyway" a lot.

Anyway, that's me...

i point out the blatently obvious, without feeling the need to justify myself. so it SEEMS like i dont use enough descriptive language, and that im stupid. the truth is, im just arrogant.

ive made an exception for this reply naturally hehe

I tend to use esoteric terminology in an attempt to draw attention to key points, only to find out that it creates more obfuscation than illumination.

I'm addicted to capitalization.

I wr1t3 l13k 7h15!1!!
Nah - probaby lots of run-ons.

I tend to add tangent semi-off topic explainations in brackets (such as this, and I am sure it can be quite distracting, since I continue the previous statement as if this were not here) all the damn time.

I use too many asides and take away from the thesis of my writing. I also tend to overdo the use of excessively-massive verbiage.

I tend to add tangent semi-off topic explainations in brackets (such as this, and I am sure it can be quite distracting, since I continue the previous statement as if this were not here) all the damn time.

I also do this very frequently (although I restrain myself when writing something I will later hand in for marking), which is disconcerting.

My tendency to use excessively prosaic, flowery language when writing, alongside my fetish for Olde English, Latin and other, foreign words (especially French). I can also be too vague at times

I tend to lose the focus of my post pretty quickly by going off on only vaguely related points.

I use the semicolon more often than the period in many cases; also, I use the "..." notation pretty heavily. The use of words like "also" and "however" are also very common.

The number one distinguishing feature is the "..." in place of a period or semicolon.

I use the semicolon more often than the period in many cases; also, I use the "..." notation pretty heavily.

Pretty much. I have to stop myself from using more than 3 semi-colons in a paragraph, as my english teacher found it annoying, and while I don't use ellipses too often in formal writing, I use them entirely too much in informal writing - ie, a blog.

Actually, dashes are another big flaw of mine - I use them too often, and where semi-colons should actually be instead. See previous sentence.

Finally, I'm also guilty of the "anyway" addiction... and the "however" addiction... and the "entirely" addiction.

Thats just it, I,m conserned.
i don't know why.
I just am.
I also use too many smilies.
:eek: :mad: :rolleyes: :cool: :upyours: :p :headbang: ;) :sniper: :D

when writing long papers or discussing in-depth, I overuse commas.

I tend to add tangent semi-off topic explainations in brackets (such as this, and I am sure it can be quite distracting, since I continue the previous statement as if this were not here) all the damn time.
I do that same thing all the time (only I also do it in real life, like during conversations not in print) and it really confuses my friends.... although my kids and husband catch the gist of it most of the time.

(I also have a thing where I "...." a lot, it's mostly because I either talk really fast and about 10 things at once or I have these weird pauses for dramatic effect.... and I tend to type like I talk.)

Pretty much. I have to stop myself from using more than 3 semi-colons in a paragraph, as my english teacher found it annoying, and while I don't use ellipses too often in formal writing, I use them entirely too much in informal writing - ie, a blog.

Actually, dashes are another big flaw of mine - I use them too often, and where semi-colons should actually be instead. See previous sentence.

Finally, I'm also guilty of the "anyway" addiction... and the "however" addiction... and the "entirely" addiction.

I have the same problem. For me, I think some of it has to do with the fact that the foreign language I study is German, and it is pretty notorious for having long, complex sentences with abundant conjunctions and the use of semicolons/commas to link independent clauses. It probably just transferred itself from one to the other.

I only use ellipses in informal cases and on NS General; they're not really encouraged in research papers so I have to try and break the habit when I'm writing one.

The number one distinguishing feature is the "..." in place of a period or semicolon.
I do that a lot. When I am chatting informally I also throw in "like" and "whatever" a lot, sort of like a high school bimbo. :eek: Semi-colons exist for a reason, so I use those wherever I can. Perfect mix of comma and period. ^^

Subordinate clauses, parentheses, dashes, semi-colons and whole paragraphs full of these in an effort to make unrelated topics somehow relate.

I overuse elipses and semicolons (but mostly elipses in forums; semicolons are more useful in essays, etc. [although I did just use one in this sentance]); I also tend to make run-on sentances through a combination of previously mentioned punctuation and the overuse of comas and parenthesees (and brackets when the subsentence is already panethetical [like this, for example]).

I tend to use too many ellipses...

Plus, I like to say "anyway" a lot.

Anyway, that's me...

I do both of those as well.

I have the tendency to compulsively point out the spelling and grammar mistakes of other posters.

I have the tendency to compulsively point out the spelling and grammar mistakes of other posters.
A fellow language Nazi! ^^

A fellow language Nazi! ^^
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h278/NazcaVisitor/grammarnazi.gif
All your grammar are belong to me! :D

I don't like apostrophes. Or most grammatical things. I tend to put them in the wrong place or leave them out althogether.

A fellow language Nazi! ^^
Have you ever seen the book "Eats, Shoots & Leaves"? I know someone who has it and, while they are the sort of person you'd want proof reading your work, they can get annoyed if a shop sign is grammatically incorrect.

Have you ever seen the book "Eats, Shoots & Leaves"? I know someone who has it and, while they are the sort of person you'd want proof reading your work, they can get annoyed if a shop sign is grammatically incorrect.
Haha, that sounds a little like me. I have a huge attention to detail, so spelling mistakes -and particularly ones in the professional domain of activity- catch my eye like an erupting volcano. I hate incorrect language usage, especially if someone is purportedly fluent in it. To me, someone who cannot make the effort to ensure the correct spelling of a shop sign is unlikely to be meritorious of my clientelle. Also, from an objective standpoint, correcting them can help people from repeating the same errors. :)

Haha, that sounds a little like me. I have a huge attention to detail, so spelling mistakes -and particularly ones in the professional domain of activity- catch my eye like an erupting volcano. I hate incorrect language usage, especially if someone is purportedly fluent in it. To me, someone who cannot make the effort to ensure the correct spelling of a shop sign is unlikely to be meritorious of my clientelle. Also, from an objective standpoint, correcting them can help people from repeating the same errors. :)
So have you seen "Eats, shoots and leaves"? If not, do a google search and have a look at the blurb if it comes up. Some copies come with a grammar repair kit for the true grammar nazi.

So have you seen "Eats, shoots and leaves"? If not, do a google search and have a look at the blurb if it comes up. Some copies come with a grammar repair kit for the true grammar nazi.
Will do.

So have you seen "Eats, shoots and leaves"? If not, do a google search and have a look at the blurb if it comes up. Some copies come with a grammar repair kit for the true grammar nazi.
The phrase is actually punctuated correctly. Panda bears carry concealed firearms. It's part of a secret Chinese conspiracy to take the over the world; they allow pandas to visit foreign zoos, where they covertly supply local terrorist cells with arms, munitions, and bamboo.

The phrase is actually punctuated correctly. Panda bears carry concealed firearms. It's part of a secret Chinese conspiracy to take the over the world; they allow pandas to visit foreign zoos, where they covertly supply local terrorist cells with arms, munitions, and bamboo.
Just think of a movie based around that.

Just think of a movie based around that.
Rise of the Pandatariat. :D

Rise of the Pandatariat. :D
A platoon of pandas with rifles are walking towards you. There is the dramatic mood music. The movie screen blurs and swirls as you flashback to when all of this started.

So have you seen "Eats, shoots and leaves"? If not, do a google search and have a look at the blurb if it comes up. Some copies come with a grammar repair kit for the true grammar nazi.

I love that book. :)

Umm baassicly i cant spell, type, or correct grammar use.

Umm, basically, I can't spell, type, or use correct grammar.
Fixed.

Don't worry. We're here to help.

I love that book. :)
Has anyone actually used a "The panda says NO!" stickers?

I waffle.

I waffle.
Pandas don't eat waffles, they eat pancakes. Silly.

Has anyone actually used a "The panda says NO!" stickers?

I've never seen one of those.

Oh, I am a terrible evildoer....

I use ellipses with abusive frequency to make a blushing nod towards preventing a run on sentence...but in truth, I feel no real emotional commitment to confining a sentence to a regular and reasonable length and end up stringing together ideas and clauses and subclauses (often with long asides in brackets, sometimes without any sense of where the aside should start relative to the sentence and thus destroying the reader's sense of the idea flow)(that was a relatively benign tangent in the latter regard) in an obsessive, reflexively overdone attempt to say _everything_ that I could possibly mean to the _exact_ degree and with the _precise inflection which I meant it....in the process, often totally failing to communicate my point entirely(or at least badly confusing the reader so that any absorption of my point is by serendipity rather than design), which has to be a true betrayal of the whole point of language.

Also:
--> I'm a bit too found of underlining stuff or using " "
--> I write with almost no mental pre-editing, which makes for misplaced modifiers, dangling participles, incomplete parallelisms and a host of minor but significant structural errors which add up...and in fact, some of these errors are made intentionally to try and capture the "feel" of the idea within my head as it emerges
--> I will sometimes use a word because the word I want to use I am unsure of the spelling of and too lazy to look up
--> I love lists of three points, and will often put a third point in which is weak, a "straw man" or not entirely relevant in order to round out a magical "set of three"
--> I tend to repeat myself a lot because if I change the manner of inflection or a small degree of the related facts, I'm happy to make the same point twice, feeling like I have made two different points
--> I am content to pass off an authoritative declaration of something as "everyone knows this" fact because I desperately don't want to go to the library, but I'm sure I'm right
--> my love of metaphor and analogy lead me to substitute flowery prose for proof (...never mind the _type_ of flowers on this linguistic plant...)


******


I am curious....I've seen a few other people above make some or all of these admissions...how many of you have Perpetual Developmental Disorder (probably Not Otherwise Specified) or it's more specific sub-pathology Asperger's Syndrome ?

How many of you respond to that question with an instinctive rebuttal to anyone who seems to thus be a lapdog of the psychiatric and mental health science Establishment ? (grins)

How many of you say "yes, but why do you state the condition like it is a problem?"

....just curious :)