Little Grammar Nitpicks That Make You Want To Kill

[Blood Ravenous]

I'm not sure if this is grammar, but I hate this at work:

.99 (cent sign)

That is a PENNY. Not 99 cents. 99 cents is $.99. Or 99 (cent sign).

Someones I mess up the punctuation outside of the quotes thing, but it's because I'm trying to separate the sentence from the quote. If it's something someone said, then I do it properly. If it's an emphasis meaning that the word implies something differently I don't want punctuation in there confusing it. Just a personal feeling of mine.

That reminds me of doing this:

"Go away was what she meant, but she said, "I need space right now." I told her to shut up," he said. It should be: "Go away was what she meant, but she said, 'I need space right now.' I told her to shut up," he said. It confuses me in professional writing when they have a large quote and quote something in the quote and use ". Then I think the quote ended, but it's still going, and that was a quote in a quote.

Or when people forget to end a long quote with the quote sign. Then I'm still reading it as a quote. But it never ends! Ahhhh!

[Lylessa Uluki]

It's a matter of taste, so if you don't like incomplete sentences you don't like them. I'm certainly not going to argue that they're grammatically correct. But I deliberately use sentence fragments in my posts. When I write, it's like I hear this rhythm in my head, and sentence fragments are short, sharp beats. They can be used to emphasize something, to make an action seem abrupt, or to show the state of mind of a character who's too confused to think clearly. And sometimes, a sentence fragment is the perfect punch line. Frankly, I love 'em. But to each to their own.

I do it too. I also start sentences with "and" or "but" even if I'm not setting up a subordinate clause.

The best writing teacher I ever had told me, "We learn the rules of writing so we know when we can break them." Complete sentences are a prime example of that. It's a stylistic touch.

Since my posts are from Uluki's point of view (unless it's specified OOC that a post focuses on an NPC,) I will write the way she sees things. She doesn't always see the world in complete sentences, so I don't write that way. In my OOC posts, sometimes it's me not thinking in complete sentences, and posting the way I talk.

If someone seems unable to form a complete sentence, then I agree with you. It's annoying if it's clearly happening by accident. As a point of style, though, I think it can work well.

[Frug]

I'm not sure if this is grammar, but I hate this at work:

.99 (cent sign)

That is a PENNY. Not 99 cents. 99 cents is $.99. Or 99 (cent sign).

That's true. I never noticed that though.

I too believe that sentence fragments have a place in good writing.

We learn the rules of writing so we know when we can break them.

That quote goes not only for writing, but for everything. Art, music, martial arts... Everything. There are rules so that you know how things should be, and once you do them over and over and you become an expert, you progress by breaking them. Picasso could draw people incredibly well. He only started drawing them all weird afterwards. Trained eyes (not like mine, I hate his stuff) can tell that he has a talented hand.

I'm not suggesting I'm an expert writer, but if you know you're using a fragment on purpose, I don't think it's bad.

[Ryalyn Kylana]

It's a matter of taste, so if you don't like incomplete sentences you don't like them. I'm certainly not going to argue that they're grammatically correct. But I deliberately use sentence fragments in my posts. When I write, it's like I hear this rhythm in my head, and sentence fragments are short, sharp beats. They can be used to emphasize something, to make an action seem abrupt, or to show the state of mind of a character who's too confused to think clearly. And sometimes, a sentence fragment is the perfect punch line. Frankly, I love 'em. But to each to their own.

*Frowns* I probably should have specified. I use them too and I agree there is a rhythm that must not be ignored. The sentences I was referring to are the ones that drop you off a cliff sort of thing or are incomplete in the sense that you have no idea what they were referring to / talking about like "kicked the bucket." for a random example. Who did?! What?!? That sort of thing (kind of reminiscent of someone who forgot to delete a few words when they changed something or someone trying to write in a language that is not their native tongue). I wish I had a better example than that but alas I have no idea where precisely I've seen them (probably in fan fiction since I never see that here thank goodness) or what it was that was a cliff hanger. All i remember thinking was wtf? But you're right, it is a useful tool if it's used in a way that is constructive to the writing. Otherwise, it just jars the reader unintentionally.

[Jenica Sabiny]

I'm sure if I see one sometime I'll suddenly realize what you're referring to, but I won't lie: I am drawing a blank!

Anyway, here's another one: to vs. too.

OMG to is not too.

To: directional! DIRECTIONAL! Implies direction! Like a shortened version of "toward." Yes toward, not towards. Stop that too! I know I mentioned that before but gawd.

Too: Also, as well, included. NOT DIRECTIONAL STOP IT STOP IT NOW

Furthermore,

[Ryalyn Kylana]

haha the to / too thing i'll admit sometimes i do it but it is not because i used it wrong it is usually because I accidentally spell it wrong by not hitting the 'o' enough times or bc my key stuck or whatever. And it's one of those typos that blends right in because it is spelled right just not used in the right context so it's easily missed in proof reading.

[Jenica Sabiny]

Oh we've all done it. I used to type out "forwards/towards" until I realized I was an idiot

[Frug]

it's not towards?

crap

[Metarie]

you'll be happy to know I corrected a few towards into toward in the paper. thanks for that. hooray!

[Jenica Sabiny]

Huzzah!!! Victory!!!!

[Devon]

Ok typing is one thing. I don't think though I'll ever be able to correct my speech in every day to day conversations. Just too much redneck in me.