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May 24, 2004
Grammar Police!
I'm on comma patrol. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
That's right, I'm on grammatical guard. Are you shaking in your boots yet? C'mon--this is right up there with carbon monoxide on the list of "Things of Which You Should be Petrified."
Sure, I make mistakes, like any other human being--you might find semicolon misuse, or a dangling modifier if you look hard enough. Honestly, I try earnestly to do the best I can.
I'm wondering what makes grammar so difficult. Is it so much to ask for one to learn a few rules about the English language?
I don't know... I didn't ask for a 32nd day in July or anything, so I just never imagined it to be quite as taxing as it must be (or at least appears to be) for some in this world. (Yes, I sense a little "rant," too.)
I've been told that some people don't understand grammar until about the eighth grade, and even then, if they don't grasp it, they may never fully understand the concepts behind all the fabulous prepositions and compound complex sentences. Could grammar be what restrains a good writer from becoming a great writer?
... I digress, but here's a little of my analytical side: how's my grammar? And what about syntax? Punctuation? I'm preparing myself to learn a third language--should I be doing this when I haven't yet wholly mastered my primary language?
Oh, now I've gone and lowered my self-esteem.
Posted by KarissaKilgore at May 24, 2004 8:07 PM
Comments
Chin up Karissa! You have amazing grammar and have even saved me grief in many of my classes by being the amazing proof reader that you are. You should have no fear about learning a third language. I have every confidence that you will be amazing!
Posted by: Tiffany at May 25, 2004 9:11 AM
:^D Thanks, Tiffany. I hope that it goes well... I also hope that some will take a look at the links I've posted, I think they're quite helpful!
Posted by: Karissa at May 25, 2004 9:17 AM
Karissa, I'm thinking of using "The Bear Eats, Shoots and Leaves" when I teach EL150 next term. Have you heard of it?
Posted by: Dennis G. Jerz at May 25, 2004 4:35 PM
Haven't read it. Have you got a copy I could peruse? I think I read something about it on Donna and/or Julie's blog(s).
Posted by: Karissa at May 25, 2004 7:57 PM
I haven't picked up a copy yet.
Posted by: Dennis G. Jerz at May 25, 2004 11:04 PM
Like, totally! :-) I'm with you, Karissa, I hate poor punctuation too.
I used to be on patrol for misplaced apostrophes. I'm sure you have seen them in the wrong spot, where the word is plural, but people put the apostrophe in there like it's possessive or something. When I saw that, I figured the writer wasn't much of a writer.
Can you give us an example of a horribly comma-ized sentence? Just for grins?
Posted by: Paige at May 27, 2004 9:50 PM
How about when people forget to use commas when using appositives in sentences? -Karissa who loves to eat icecream is the author of this blog.
Or what about when there are no commas to delineate to whom a question is being directed? -Who are you going to ask Karissa?
Or what about when people just go "comma crazy" (a term one of my HS English teachers used frequently) and throw them in like jellybeans in a fruitcake? -The man, who crossed the street, wearing his blue suede shoes, didn't have a clue, that the light had turned red, and walked into the street, nearly being hit by the oncoming traffic. (I'm pretty certain that some people think throwing commas in just fixes a run-on sentence. NEWSFLASH: it doesn't.)
Posted by: Karissa at May 29, 2004 6:40 PM