Posts tagged learning English grammar

If He really is coming tomorrow, it’s one ‘m’ – not two.

May20
2011 1 Comment Written by Renelle George

Ok, so with all the talk of the rapture taking place tomorrow, I’d like to address a fundamental issue – spelling (yes, I dare say it will be valuable hereafter as well, for those among us who will be departing).  Come, coming, came. The end.  Never a need to double up on the ‘m’.  ONE m.  Get it?  Just one.  If He really is coming, I bet it’s one ‘m’ as well.  That’s not going to change.  So no, He’s never comming.

I know, you’re going to argue with me and give me a list of words that double up on the consonant before adding ‘ing’.  And, I’m going to tell you that you’re right (provided your list is accurate, of course).  But try doubling the ‘m’ in come before adding ‘ing’, and you’ll be wrong.  There’s a whole host of rules I usually can’t be bothered to remember – this post on 5minute English may help.  Chances are, you’ll have to use “coming” more frequently than not.  So please, pay the grammar gods homage and spell it correctly.

I trust that after my long rant about this one gracious word, you’ll spell it correctly.  If not, heaven help you!

And, speaking of heaven – to the faithful who will be departing tomorrow, I bid you farewell.  To the rest of us, keep an eye out for the new face of The Write Foot – coming soon!!!  (Yes, that’s one ‘m’ as well – not two.)

Posted in Common Grammar Errors, Commonly Misspelled Words - Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

You’re weird for writing “wierd…”

Mar25
2011 2 Comments Written by Renelle George

I was trying to be nice – I really was.  But since I failed miserably in that attempt, I will just stick to getting the point across :) .  Dear friends, weird is spelled weird, NOT wierd.  Yes, ei, NOT ie.  I don’t even know how to help you remember that.  Wierd just looks weird, no?

We all learned the “i before e except after c” rule.  That is, in words containing i and e together, i usually precedes e - as in friend, believe, thief, relieve, etc. – except when the vowels are followed by c, as in receive.  But words are not unlike disobedient children who don’t follow rules.  So, there are some exceptions.  I’d love to pretend that I have a long list of these memorized, but I don’t.  Here’s where your trusted dictionary comes in handy.  Check it if you have any doubts!  Seriously… and read, read, read – soon your eyes will be trained to spot the differences without even trying (see Read to Write for a little pep talk).  And no, unfortunately, Facebook doesn’t count as valid literature.  You see, Facebook is the catwalk of bad grammar… seems like everybody is airing out their dirty grammar laundry on their walls.  Unacceptable.  (Yes, as you can tell, this disturbs my equilibrium ever so slightly).

Check out my trusted friend Wiki for exceptions to the “i before e except after c” rule.  And if you have any friends who misspell weird, send them over to The Write Foot – I’m sure they’re polluting the grammar planet in other ways too :)

Posted in Common Grammar Errors, Commonly Misspelled Words - Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

One of… is. Not are.

Mar10
2011 2 Comments Written by Renelle George

Ladies and gentlemen, one can only be one thing – SINGULAR.  Therefore, one of cannot be followed by a plural verb.  Ok?  Good.

Of course, I wouldn’t be writing this post if some wonderful person out there didn’t give me the opportunity to :) .  I guess it may be pardonable, as the offender seemed a tad bit confused by the presence of a plural word after one of (and before the verb).  But I know you’re smarter than that, right?!  (You do follow TWF, that should say something ;) ).  On a serious note, this is as easy a mistake to make as it is to fix.  Just remember that one always is.

Examples:

  • One of my friends is attending the function later today.
  • He is one of the persons who was nominated to receive the award.
  • This is one of the reasons TWF makes me happy.

Hope this is one of the reasons TWF makes you happy too!

Posted in Common Grammar Errors - Tagged , , , , , , ,

…and we’re back!

Feb28
2011 2 Comments Written by Renelle George

Yes, yes – I know, I’ve been away for too long.  I’ve missed TWF so very much – life just got crazy busy the last few months.  But I simply couldn’t resist the urge to blog about this one, despite the fact that I’m in class and I should be paying attention!!

No beating around the bush on this one – when you use more, drop the “er,” “ier,” “est” etc. Please! It legit crawls my blood (yes, that was slang :D ).

Now that that’s out of the way, the more friendly version :)

When comparing items, there are a few words which stand perfectly well on their own two feet.  To get grammar-techie on you, those include superlatives – the ones we reserve for the real fancy stuff.  Examples include prettier, nicer, better – you get the point.  More and most can be savored for special occasions as well, and thankfully do not need crutches!  Generally, they are used when you can’t add “er” or “ier” to the end of the word, or when you simply choose not to (the beauty of language – you can do that!).  Examples:

  • She is the most obnoxious person I have ever met.
  • This car is more expensive than the other one.

Get it?  Peeve of the day: more better.  Trust me, anything that’s more better is worse than anything you can ever imagine.

See you next time, and I promise it won’t be as long as the last!

Posted in Common Grammar Errors, General Tips - Tagged , , , , , , ,

Celebrity offenders

Oct14
2010 4 Comments Written by Renelle George

While reading CNN online earlier today, I came across the following remark from T.I.:

“I believe that I have been put here for a purpose, and I believe that I have an ability to reach people that most people can’t reach, that I can turn lives around that other people, they can’t have the same affect,” he said. “I think that God placed me here for that purpose.”

Can you spot the error?  There are several, but I’m thinking of one in particular.  Maybe someone should send him the link to TWF… Check out my August 23 post if you need help!

Posted in Common Grammar Errors - Tagged , , , ,

I’ll forgive you for saying “forgivance”… eventually.

Sep16
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Renelle George

You may have realized that Facebook is the land of all things incorrect when it comes to grammar.  I mean, do we not teach English in schools anymore?  Is it not a fundamental skill to be able to communicate effectively?  I must live in some sort of historic abyss, because it used to be a mandatory subject back in my day (and I’m not that old, I promise!).

A mere perusal of my Facebook Home page recently yielded an atrocity more severe than you can possibly imagine.  To date, it is responsible for one of the most painful grammar convulsions which I have ever endured.  An acquaintance of mine (who obviously does not share my penchant for all things written) dared post something about having forgivance for another.  Really?  Of course, I was completely taken aback, thrown for a really long loop (and still not quite sure if I’ve returned!).  Now, this disturbs me on more than a grammatical level.  Are we not taught about forgiveness as children?  Is it not one of the more common values known to provide immeasurable release from hurt, pain, vengeance, etc.?  To err in such a fashion – my ears still ring when I repeat “forgivance” – is to demonstrate not only a breakdown in the fundamentals of grammar, but a disintegration in the rubric that forms our society as well.  Highly disturbing…

Loyal readers of The Write Foot, “forgivance” is not a word.  I’ll give the individual the benefit of the doubt – maybe (s)he really meant to say something else.  What do you think?

Posted in Common Grammar Errors, Commonly Misspelled Words - Tagged , , , ,

“Irregardless” really irks me…

Aug16
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Renelle George

Just thought I’d put that out there from the get go.  Now, the prefix ir means not.  Therefore, irrational = not rational, which is what I become when I see “irregardless” or similarly egregious grammatical faux pas.  Irrelevant = not relevant, and so on.

Over to the suffix, less.  Less means, without.  So, regardless = without regard.  Add ir to the mix and you’ve created a double negative – contrary to what the math wizards will tell you, two negatives make a really big (bad) negative!!!  Seriously though, think about it – not without regard would mean with regard…  That’s not really what you’re trying to say, is it?  (If it is, just say that – don’t think that substitution with “irregardless” can make the cut.  It can’t.)

Regardless of how much you like to say “irregardless,” it’s wrong.  Cease and desist, please and thank you very much!

Posted in Common Grammar Errors, Commonly Misspelled Words - Tagged , , , , , , ,

Uh-vv mice and men… but not quite :)

Jul09
2010 2 Comments Written by Renelle George

I’m sitting here minding my own business and I had a random (or not so random) thought re: off vs of that I thought I’d share with you wonderful folks… Off and of are pronounced reeeealllly differently – if you missed the differences in their meaning, I guarantee that you’ll find no trouble spotting the differences in the way the words are enunciated (btw, you can’t take me to court for that guarantee – it’s one of those non-legal ones :) ).

So… of is pronounced “uh-vv” while its counterpart off is closer to “aw-ff” – there’s that hard (?) ‘f’ sound you make when you say the word fight.  (I promise I’m not violent, I don’t bite, but that was the first – and only – word that came to my head… call it what you will, I’m happy in my own mental state!)

Merriam Webster did a fabulous job of recording this one – have a listen:

Hear it?  (Feel free to nod in agreement even if you don’t.  Better yet, play it non-stop all day… it’ll grow on you, promise – you got it, another one of those non-legal ones.)  And remember, the more you read, the less you’ll make some of these mistakes.  Stay tuned for a post on pronunciation, coming soon!

Posted in Common Grammar Errors - Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Off course? Of course!

Jul08
2010 2 Comments Written by Renelle George

Ok folks, first I need to apologize – I’ve been moving and the last few weeks have been super busy.  Normal is abnormal these days… it will soon settle, and I promise to have new posts loaded at least twice a week for your viewing pleasure :)

That said, let’s get to it!  Off vs. of, not as difficult as you think.  Let’s deal with off first.

Off has many meanings, one of which indicates removal or separation: to take off your shoes, be kicked off a team, let off steam, be off from work etc. (don’t worry, I got happy for a minute there too – you’re not alone!).  Off is also the opposite of on, so you put on your clothes in the morning (I hope) and then take them off later when you return home.

Of is comprised of two letters that create magic when used correctly.  A little bit of this… a little bit of that (see, you got me singing now!).  It’s a preposition and though I honestly can’t remember all the nitty gritty involved in that word, of has many little meanings (while making a big difference, as you can imagine… check out The Apostrophe Series for more little things that shouldn’t be underestimated ;) ).  A few of them:

  • To describe an individual or its origin (substitute “from”), e.g. Queen of England; of noble means
  • To indicate a reference point, e.g. east of place X
  • To describe components, e.g. part of a whole
  • As a synonym for “about”, e.g. the horrors of domestic abuse

Catch the drift?  Of is a nice little joiner.  Chances are, you need to use of more than off.  And oh, just in case you’re wondering – off course means maligned, not going in the right direction. The term is commonly used to describe situations in which ships and other sea vessels deviate from their intended path (we also borrow the term for pretty much anything – or anyone – not going according to plan).  Of course is the one you’re likely to use more frequently to mean “certainly” or “definitely”.  Of course The Write Foot is here to help steer you in the right direction if you happen to be going off course with respect to grammar and writing ;)

Posted in Common Grammar Errors - Tagged , , , , , ,

Let’s converse about “conversate,” shall we?

Jun13
2010 14 Comments Written by Renelle George

It’s very simple.  We have a conversation; we converse.  We cannot conversate.  Absolutely not.  I know we live in a society where hybrids are the in thing, but you really cannot combine converse and conversation to create your own verb.  It just can’t happen.

I heard a song on the radio earlier today where the artist was “conversating” with someone else.  Uhm… you mean to tell me that nobody – not a single person – from composer to producer could tell him that conversate isn’t a word?  You have got to be kidding…

Contrary to what you may think, saying “conversate” doesn’t make you sound intelligent; you appear quite the opposite (cough cough).  Use talk, discuss, speak, dialogue - anything else.  Whatever you do, don’t try to help the word converse by adding “ate” to its rear end – it is not in the least bit necessary!  Converse is a bellyful all on its own; it doesn’t need to eat anything else, remember that :)

Posted in Common Grammar Errors, Commonly Misspelled Words - Tagged , , , , , , ,
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