Grammar Lesson Friday: All Together and Altogether

Welcome to Grammar Lesson Monday!
This continuous series will address many common grammar mistakes made in the media and that I've seen more than once.  I strive to make the world a better place with good grammar.

Today, we will learn about all together and altogether.

All together means everyone or everything together.
Let's go ride that trolley. All together now!

Altogether is an adverb. It means "completely" or "all in all".
That was altogether the worst.
The repairs cost $5000 altogether.

That's it for today.  Celebrate good grammar!

Grammar Lesson Friday: Punctuation with Quotations

Welcome to Grammar Lesson Friday!
This continuous series (posted every third Friday of the month) will address many common grammar mistakes made in the media and that I've seen more than once.  I strive to make the world a better place with good grammar.

Today, we will learn about using punctuation and quotation marks.

Put quotation marks after a period or comma. Put quotes before a colon. Put quotes after a question mark unless the entire sentence is a question. This is a US English standard. The British English usage can differ.

Examples:
He asked, "Are you hungry?"
She replied, "Yes."
Did she say "Yes"?
"I don't know," he said.
"I think she did."

The example with the ? behind the "Yes" is the one I see the most commonly misused, especially in a series of quotations. 

Example:
She scrunched up her nose in a whine. "I'm tired.  I don't want to be lonely anymore.  This makes me confused."
I heard her say "tired", "lonely", and "confused".

Those commas are outside the quotations because they weren't part of the quote.

That's it for today.  Celebrate good grammar!

Grammar Lesson Monday: All Right and Alright

Welcome to Grammar Lesson Monday!
This continuous series will address many common grammar mistakes made in the media and that I've seen more than once.  I strive to make the world a better place with good grammar.

Today, we will learn about all right and alright.
This is simple...

Alright is not a real word, at least in grammar circles.
So, always use all right.

That's it for today.  Celebrate good grammar!

Grammar Lesson Monday: Aisle and Isle

Welcome to Grammar Lesson Monday!
This continuous series will address many common grammar mistakes made in the media and that I've seen more than once.  I strive to make the world a better place with good grammar.

Today, we will learn about aisle and isle.
Oh, the homonyms.

Aisle refers to a row that you can walk through.
The bride sauntered down the aisle between the pews.

Isle refers to an island (it's like a shorter version of island).
Irishmen like to call Ireland "the emerald isle."

That's it for today.  Celebrate good grammar!

Grammar Lesson Monday: Antennas and Antennae

Welcome to Grammar Lesson Monday!
This continuous series will address many common grammar mistakes made in the media and that I've seen more than once.  I strive to make the world a better place with good grammar.

Today, we will learn about using antennas and antennae.


Antennae is used as a plural for a bug's antenna.
Ants use their antennae to sense if an object is friend or foe.

Antennas is used as a plural for non-bug's antenna.

The antennas on our cars are always bent.  Is someone vandalizing them?

That's it for today.  Celebrate good grammar!

Grammar Lesson Monday: Semicolon with However

Welcome to Grammar Lesson Monday!
This continuous series will address many common grammar mistakes made in the media and that I've seen more than once.  I strive to make the world a better place with good grammar.

Today, we will learn about using a semicolon with however.

Semicolons are difficult.  But here is a very specific way to use one...with however.

If you are connecting however between two complete sentences, then you need a semicolon:

I love the show Bunheads; however, it might be cancelled because its lack of interest.

You don't use the semicolon with however if it it interrupting the sentence:
That finale on Bunheads, however, could have generated more interest.

That's it for today.  Celebrate good grammar!

Grammar Lesson Monday: Double Negatives

Welcome to Grammar Lesson Monday!
This continuous series will address many common grammar mistakes made in the media and that I've seen more than once.  I strive to make the world a better place with good grammar.

Today, we will learn about double negatives.
These are easy to catch if you read them aloud to yourself.

Here is the incorrect form:
I did not talk to nobody on the flight.

It's trying to say you didn't talk to people on the flight.

It actually, should be...
I did not talk to anybody on the flight.

Only one negative is needed to get your point across.


That's it for today.  Celebrate good grammar!

Grammar Lesson Monday: Went and Gone

Welcome to Grammar Lesson Monday!
This continuous series will address many common grammar mistakes made in the media and that I've seen more than once.  I strive to make the world a better place with good grammar.

Today, we will learn about went and gone.
I make this mistake a lot, too, but it's kind of a nitpicky grammar error.

Here is the incorrect form:
I should have went to the store last week.  I'm running out of milk.

It actually, should be "I should have gone to the store last week."

When using gone, you should use it in this order:

should + have + past participle

Gone is the past participle of go.
Went is the past tense of go.



That's it for today.  Celebrate good grammar!

Grammar Lesson Monday: Detached Body Parts

Welcome to Grammar Lesson Monday!
This continuous series will address many common grammar mistakes made in the media and that I've seen more than once.  I strive to make the world a better place with good grammar.

Today, we will learn about detached body parts.

This lesson is mainly for people who are writing.  It applies to novelists as well as students.

I get it.  We're trying to write descriptively, but sometimes it doesn't make literal sense, as in the case of detached body parts.

Example:
She blushed.  Her fingers reached out and took the birthday card.

See how "her fingers" are now detached from her body?  They are independently taking a birthday card on their own.

This is common with arms, hands, legs, and especially eyes.

I know this rule isn't super grammarific.  And few people are bothered by it more than most.  But, it's something to watch for, especially if it happens a lot.




That's it for today.  Celebrate good grammar!

Grammar Lesson Monday: Very

Welcome to Grammar Lesson Monday!
This continuous series will address many common grammar mistakes made in the media and that I've seen more than once.  I strive to make the world a better place with good grammar.

Today, we will learn about very.

This lesson is mainly for people who are writing.  It applies to novelists as well as students.

Try to keep the use of very to a minimum.  Why?  Because it is overused and too vague.  Take for example the sentence below:
She was very pretty.

It's a common phrase.  But what does it mean?  How is she pretty?  What is it that makes you think she is pretty?
Be specific.  You can write about her eyes that sparkle.  The gentle curl in her hair.  Her soft smile.  Her pink lips.  Her button nose.  Whatever strikes your fancy.

See how very can muck up your writing?  Specifics make it more powerful!


That's it for today.  Celebrate good grammar!

Grammar Lesson Monday: Stationery and Stationary

Welcome to Grammar Lesson Monday!
This continuous series will address many common grammar mistakes made in the media and that I've seen more than once.  I strive to make the world a better place with good grammar.

Today, we will learn about stationery and stationary.

Stationery refers to the nice paper you write on to send to people through the mail (not e-mail, but snail mail).
Her wedding stationery had purple flowers on it.

Stationary means in place, not moving.
She rode a stationary bicycle while she worked out.
It was rush hour.  Why did it always seem like her car remained stationary while everyone else moved forward?

That's it for today.  Celebrate good grammar!

Grammar Lesson Monday: Principle and Principal

Welcome to Grammar Lesson Monday!
This continuous series will address many common grammar mistakes made in the media and that I've seen more than once.  I strive to make the world a better place with good grammar.

Today, we will learn about principle and principal.

Principle is always a noun, meaning a rule, law, standard, or doctrine.
The key principle in this lesson is to use good grammar.
He is a man of principle (meaning he has set personal standards and doesn't waver from them).

Principal is either a noun or an adjective, meaning of the highest rank or importance, or main.
My principal is the principal advocate for education in my city.

That's it for today.  Celebrate good grammar!

Grammar Lesson Monday: This

Welcome to Grammar Lesson Monday!
This continuous series will address many common grammar mistakes made in the media and that I've seen more than once.  I strive to make the world a better place with good grammar.

Today, we will learn about using this.
This tip is for writers, really.

Beware of using a "naked" this.  It makes it hard for readers to distinguish what you're referring to.

This is so confusing.
>> Out of context, we have no idea what you're talking about.

The rain falls in waves.  But the sun is still shining. This is so confusing. 
>> Obviously, the this is referring to the phenomenon of rain plus sun being confusing.
But, you could also refer this to the immediate previous sentence "But the sun is still shining," which isn't a confusing concept at all.

The rain falls in waves.  But the sun is still shining. This weather is so confusing.
>> Much more clear.

As a rule, you want to avoid confusing your readers.  You don't want to leave room for misunderstanding.

That's it for today.  Celebrate good grammar!

Grammar Lesson Monday: Literally

Welcome to Grammar Lesson Monday!
This continuous series will address many common grammar mistakes made in the media and that I've seen more than once.  I strive to make the world a better place with good grammar.

Today, we will learn about literally.

A lot of times, people say literally when they actually mean figuratively.

Literally means for real.  Like, it really happened.

Wrong:

I could literally see my friend jump over the moon after he heard his wife was pregnant.

>> Obviously, no person can really jump over the moon.  It doesn't make sense.

Right:

I could figuratively see my friend jump over the moon after he heard his wife was pregnant.

>> Here, I'm probably making a reference to the slang term "over the moon" meaning really excited or happy.  So, my friend is really excited or happy.

That's it for today.  Celebrate good grammar!

Grammar Lesson Monday: Compliment and Complement

Welcome to Grammar Lesson Monday!
This continuous series will address many common grammar mistakes made in the media and that I've seen more than once.  I strive to make the world a better place with good grammar.

Today, we will learn the difference between compliment and complement.

Simply put:

Compliment is when you want to say something nice about a person or thing.
I loved her cute jeans, so I gave her a compliment.

I complimented her cute jeans.

Complement is when you think something goes together with something else or the whole is already a set.

The jeans/top complement really highlights her figure.  

   >> although "complement" as a noun is really more for ship crews, army divisions, and such group types.

Her halter top and cute jeans complement each other.

That's it for today.  Celebrate good grammar!

Grammar Lesson Monday: Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda

Welcome to Grammar Lesson Monday!
This continuous series will address many common grammar mistakes made in the media and that I've seen more than once.  I strive to make the world a better place with good grammar.

Today, we will learn about coulda, woulda, shoulda (or could of, would of, should of).

All of the words listed above are grammatically incorrect.


Coulda or could of is just slang for could've, which is a contraction for could have.  It should always be could have.
She could've (could have) won, if she had more endurance.


The same with woulda or would of.  Proper grammer is would've or would have.

She would've (would have) won, if her opponent hadn't cheated.

The same with shoulda or should of.  Proper grammer is should've or should have.
She should've (should have) won, since she was so talented.

That's it for today.  Celebrate good grammar!

Grammar Lesson Monday: Loose and Lose

Welcome to Grammar Lesson Monday!
This continuous series will address many common grammar mistakes made in the media and that I've seen more than once.  I strive to make the world a better place with good grammar.

Today, we will learn about when to use loose and lose.

Loose is an adjective and means something is too baggy.
I lost weight and now my pants are loose.

Lose is a verb and means that you are going to miss something.  Past tense: lost.
Since my pants are loose, I'd better put on a belt so I don't lose them.

That's it for today.  Celebrate good grammar!

Grammar Lesson Monday: Then and Than

Welcome to Grammar Lesson Monday!
This continuous series will address many common grammar mistakes made in the media and that I've seen more than once.  I strive to make the world a better place with good grammar.

Today, we will learn about the difference between then and than.


Than is used when you are comparing different things.
The laundry basket is bigger than the baby bathtub!

Then is usually used for all other times.
Then (as in later), we all piled into the car to go to the movies.
I washed my hair, then shampooed it.

That's it for today.  Celebrate good grammar!

Grammar Lesson Monday: Comma Splices

Welcome to Grammar Lesson Monday!
This continuous series will address many common grammar mistakes made in the media and that I've seen more than once.  I strive to make the world a better place with good grammar.

Today, we will learn about comma splices.
A comma splice is where two separate sentences are separated by a comma instead of a period (without the "and" or "but" or "so" or similar joining word).
Example: She read the book aloud, she sounded confident.
>> Here, the comma can be/should be a period.

Stylistically, I find that, in our modern time, authors do this a lot.  I'm guilty of it, too.
Just beware that it doesn't look like good grammar to an editor.

That's it for today.  Celebrate good grammar!

Grammar Lesson Monday: Intro Phrase Commas

Welcome to Grammar Lesson Monday!
This continuous series will address many common grammar mistakes made in the media and that I've seen more than once.  I strive to make the world a better place with good grammar.

Today, we will learn about introductory phrase commas.
This tip is also for writers.

Disclaimer: I've seen a lot of accomplished writers disregard this rule, but it always bothers me when I'm reading.  So, if you decide not to use the rule, make sure you are consistent!  As always, when not following a common grammar rule, consistency is key!

Commas need to follow an "introductory" phrase.  You can usually tell if there needs to be a comma after a phrase if you pause while reading the sentence aloud.

In America, every adult can choose to vote.
After my last final, I sat back and smiled.
Facing her fear of heights, Erin took a deep breath and jumped off the diving board.

That's it for today.  Celebrate good grammar!