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“Uh ... no.” - Michelle P., a friend, when I wanted a real kiss on New Year's Eve
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Keeping it simple today ... a zen koan ... ...
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The First Knuckle Method.You've seen these people. We all have. The people that engage in some good old fashioned public booger mining.
That's my politically correct term for nose…
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After succumbing to the inevitable metabolism death, I underwent The Great Diet Switch . Since that fateful day when I swore off regular sodas, I have rarely to…
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We are the children. We are the ones who make a brighter day so let's start giving. That's how the song goes and even though tons of stars banded together…
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The Thanksgiving Feast.It's that time of the year again. The leaves have turned from brilliant oranges and yellows to shades of brown. The time had changed and temperatures have cooled…
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My wife and I decided to go see UNCG and Miami play basketball last night. We knew it would be a tough game but after all, we're both Alumni, and…
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Yesterday, I made the bestest breakfast in the world. I fried up three sausage patties, six slices of bacon, and two eggs over easy. Then I added two pieces of…
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Hackwriters.com published another of my stories, a creative non-fiction piece based on a true story. You may go HERE to read it. ...
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As a child during the 70s, when sugar was cheap and inflation a virtual myth, we were privy to a selection of breakfast cereals that, like 60s rock music, can…
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Stress is one of those realities of life that we all experience. Whether it's stress on our job or stress in our relationships, eventually this harbinger affects us all. It's…
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Written by Ross Cavins
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Monday, 29 June 2009 04:14 |
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 I've written about how our nation's spelling acuities have decreased since the advent of the internet. As a people, we spell bad. Real bad. But something that often escapes us is how bad our grammar is.
Now granted, I have a Computer Science degree, not an English degree. So in many instances, I'm as guilty as the rest of you. But that is no excuse. Bad grammar is bad grammar.
I think the problem of bad grammar arises from the fact that we speak a certain way, and write another. For instance, did you notice in the first paragraph how I complained about how bad we spell? Verbatim, I wrote, "We spell bad."
Bad is an adjective that can only be used to describe a noun. However, I used it as an adverb. Adverbs describe verbs and adjectives.
When I wrote "bad" above, I wasn't describing "we," I was describing "spell." The verb. Because even though we can't spell, that doesn't mean we are bad people.
To be correct, I should have written, "We spell badly."
(Remember how LY-words are adverbs?)
Once this was pointed out to me the other day by an English professor friend of mine, I began to see how many times I misused adjectives when I really meant to use adverbs. Can we say a plethora?
No, really, can you say it? It's fun; try it.
Oh, and since we're on the topic of misusing words, notice the title of this piece? "Myriad" is not a noun, it is an adjective. And I almost always see it misused.
It is a beautiful word and doesn't deserve the substandard treatment we give it.
The correct title should be something like "Myriad Grammar Problems" but for some reason, that just sounds weird to us, doesn't it? If it helps, try substituting a synonym in it's place.
Which sounds correct? "A Countless of Grammar Problems" or "Countless Grammar Problems"?
Of course, any time you mention grammar problems, it becomes mandatory to mention (your, you're) and (there, their, they're) and (its, it's). They are the granddaddies of grammar misuse.
By the way, catch my misuse of "it's" three paragraphs above?
If so, there's hope for you yet.
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