Yet, when I got out of high school (back in 1957), I found myself doing a lot of writing. Thus, the basics that got beat into my head came in handy. But some of the items in the graphics above I couldn't define if you paid me.
Can you grab one of the sentences in this post and diagram it? Me neither. Can you identify what each and every word or phrase is in the sentence? Me neither.
I learned that "irregardless" is not a word. I just checked Webster's online dictionary and they say it is; it's just an irregular form that is mostly used in spoken speech, not writing. They then declare: "Use regardless."
I write "conversational" prose. I try to communicate like I'm talking to you. I don't try to impress you with obscure references to Greek gods – I'll leave that to the New Yorker magazine writers. Nor do I use what I call "dollar three ninety eight" words. Shorter, simpler words are better. I may know the longer, fancier and more exotic words, but I don't use them in everyday conversation, so I don't use them when writing.
I did learn a lot about semicolons and colons and I tend to use them. Others seldom do. Did you notice that I slipped both into this post? Did I use them correctly? Let me know if I didn't.
I also often use parentheses and en and em dashes. (It has been a long time since I hand coded HTML and I just spent five minutes figuring out how to do an en dash in a paragraph above versus the old typewriter style of --. Now I wonder if I should have used an em dash instead. Oh, the headaches technology creates.)
I have several pet peeves about grammar on the net. Too many people confuse "your" and "you're". And, "there", "their" and "they're" set my teeth on edge. (Did I just use another cliche? The only real way for my teeth to be on edge is when I drop them in a glass at night.)
Remember that even little girls in their dancing tutus can use English properly. She said, "I can count to two too."
I enjoy your writing style and find no reason to use words people would have to look up. I stop reading books and blogs if I get the impression the author spent half his/her time searching for more obscure words. Makes no sense to me but I'm not writing a research paper.
ReplyDeleteI did go back and find the colon and semicolon - you slipped both past me without my noticing.
No matter what the dictionaries say, I will not be using irregardless in sentences (except this one). I'm stuck in the mud that way.
Fun post, DC!
Emily In Ecuador | Internet Cafes in Puerto Lopez
Like you I have problems with that diagram. What English I was taught I do not remember, but regardless of that I still enjoy writing even if i see red underlining on this I have written.
ReplyDelete