Common Grammatical Errors

maxandliz4ever1357 · Post by **maxandliz4ever1357** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 7:49 pm

This is a page for people to list common errors that they see in stories and fanfiction. If you have a certain grammatical mistake that you read all the time in fics, bring it here!

Note: This is meant to be a tool for writers, so try not to make them feel bad by adding a lot of personal opinion (Ex: I hate when people do this...) in your posts.

1) Some people misspell Isabel as Isabelle

2) They're means they are; Their is possessive; There is a place (over there)

3) Your is possessive (Ex. Your book); You're means you are.

4) Good paragraph and quote separation helps the reader follow the story. Instead of mushing everything together, like this (the dialogue was made up on the spot, so please forgive it ):

"Hi," Liz said as Max walked up to her.
"How's it going?" asked Max, smiling at her.
"Good," Liz replied, "I just finished my shift at the Crash."
"Cool, so you want to hang out?" he asked nervously, awaiting her reaction.
Liz smiled brilliantly at his offer. "Of course!" she replied happily.

Write it like this:

Hi," Liz said as Max walked up to her.

"How's it going?" asked Max, smiling at her.

"Good," Liz replied, "I jsut finished my shift at the crashdown."

"Cool, so you want to hang out?" Max asked nervously, awaiting her reaction.

Liz smiled brilliantly at his offer. "Of course!" she replied happily.

5) Using punctuation after sentences in quotations make conversations easier to read. Instead of writing it like this:

"I love you" Max told Liz.

Write it like this:

"I love you," Max told Liz.

Jen C · Post by **Jen C** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 8:23 pm

I have a couple of questions.

How do you use in and on? Does someone sit in a chair or on a chair? Does the chair have to have arms to sit in it and not have arms to sit on it?

Is the Granilith/granolith spelled with an 'i' or an 'o', and is it capitalized or not? Is 'The' used as part of its name or just a word that goes before it?

Is the Crashdown one word or two? Crashdown or Crash down or even Crash Down?

Thanks in advance,

Jen

behrlyliz · Post by **behrlyliz** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 8:39 pm

Those are good questions Jen. I've wondered the same thing. Also, I know that maxandliz4ever1357 just merely copied what had been mentioned on another thread that was closed and I'm in no way stating that she said this (because she didn't. Someone else did) but I just wanted to mention that Micheal is a misspelling of Michael but Isabelle is not a misspelling. It's just another way to spell Isabel.

maxandliz4ever1357 · Post by **maxandliz4ever1357** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 9:23 pm

but I just wanted to mention that Micheal is a misspelling of Michael but Isabelle is not a misspelling. It's just another way to spell Isabel.

Is it really? Well, I actually didn't know that (although I do know that you can also spell Isabel 'Isobel' thanks to Grey's Anatomy

) I'm pretty sure, however, that the character 'Isabel Evans' is supposed to be spelled 'Isabel'. I'm almost positive that the writers used 'Isabel'.

Of course, the writers spelled 'Serena' something like 'Surina' (or so I've heard) and I like our way much better. In this case however, most people find 'Isabelle' off-putting, since everyone is used to the other way. I guess it would be like if someone took my name, which is Kelsey, and spelled it Celsey. It's the same name, but it's not the same. Did that make sense?

Jen C: Excellent questions! I don't know about the 'chair, in, on' one, but if I had to write a scene involving someone and a chair, I'd probably say 'in a chair'. Whether it has arms or not, I would use 'in'. Of course, that doesn't mean I'm right

, and if I'm wrong then please correct me.

As for the Granilith question, I know it's spelled 'Granilith' because this came up on the pet peeves thread. Someone, Breathless I believe, has seen scripts and knows it's definitely spelled that way. As for capitilizing the 'The', I don't think I would, but I could be wrong.

I've always written it Crashdown, and that's how I've always seen other people write it.

Ok, now I have a question. I want to know when to use those nifty little : signs. What are they called again? Colons?

pooklette · Post by **pooklette** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 9:46 pm

maxandliz4ever1357 wrote:As for the Granilith question, I know it's spelled 'Granilith' because this came up on the pet peeves thread. Someone, Breathless I believe, has seen scripts and knows it's definitely spelled that way.

I'm glad I stumbled upon this thread! Throughout my entire fanfiction I was using the incorrect, 'Granolith' spelling. Sheesh, I didn't realize how many references I'd made to the darned thing until I had to go back and edit them all.

I appreciate the heads-up on that one!

One of the common grammatical errors I've noticed is the misuse of the words its and it's. Its is a possessive form of the word it. It's is a contraction meaning it is.

Post by **Kath7** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 10:41 pm

Yes, Isabelle can be spelled that way, but our Izzy spells her name "Isabel." It is canon, and is therefore how Isabel Evans' name should be written.

Luvya · Post by **Luvya** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 1:54 am

Although Micheal is a misspelling it can be spelled that way the same as Isabel can be spelled Isabelle.

All names do have different spellings I know this because I'm Rachael- and almost everyone forgets the second a and goes Rachel for the simple reason its more common and when they do know there is two a's they do muddle it up with Racheal

And that went slightly off topic with a rant on my name. Sorry about that.

Shiesty23 · Post by **Shiesty23** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 7:25 am

maxandliz4ever1357 wrote: Ok, now I have a question. I want to know when to use those nifty little : signs. What are they called again? Colons?

Straight from the dictionary itself...

Colons
a. A punctuation mark ( : ) used after a word introducing a quotation, an explanation, an example, or often after the salutation of a business letter.
b. The sign ( : ) used between numbers or groups of numbers in expressions of time (2:30 A.M.) and ratios (1:2).

Below is from http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/marks/colon.htm

Think of the colon as a gate, inviting one to go on:

(Ex) There is only one thing left to do now: confess while you still have time.

You nearly always have a sense of what is going to follow or be on the other side of the colon. (Compare the function of a semicolon in this regard.)

We will often use a colon to separate an independent clause from a quotation (often of a rather formal nature) that the clause introduces:

(EX)The acting director often used her favorite quotation from Shakespeare's Tempest: "We are such stuff as dreams are made on; and our little life is rounded with a sleep."

With today's sophisticated word-processing programs (which know how much space to put after punctuation marks), we insert only one space (hit the space-bar only once) after a colon.

It might be useful to say, also, when we don't use a colon. Remember that the clause that precedes the mark (where you're considering a colon) ought to be able to stand on its own as an independent clause. Its purpose might be strictly to introduce the clause that follows, so it might feel rather incomplete by itself, but grammatically it will have both a subject and a predicate. In other words, we would not use a colon in situations like the following:

(EX)Her recipe for gunpowder included saltpeter, dry oatmeal, and ground-up charcoal briquets. (no colon after "included")

His favorite breakfast cereals were Rice Krispies, Cheerios, and Wheaties. (no colon after "were")

Her usual advice, I remember, was "Keep your head up as you push the ball up the court." (no colon after "was")

One of the most frequently asked questions about colons is whether we should begin an independent clause that comes after a colon with a capital letter. If the independent clause coming after the colon is a formal quote, begin that quoted language with a capital letter.

Whitehead had this to say about writing style: "Style is the ultimate morality of mind."

If the explanatory statement coming after a colon consists of more than one sentence, begin the independent clause immediately after the colon with a capital letter:

There were two reasons for a drop in attendance at NBA games this season: First, there was no superstar to take the place of Michael Jordan. Second, fans were disillusioned about the misbehavior of several prominent players.

If the introductory phrase preceding the colon is very brief and the clause following the colon represents the real business of the sentence, begin the clause after the colon with a capital letter:

Remember: Many of the prominent families of this New England state were slaveholders prior to 1850.

We also use a colon after a salutation in a business letter . . .

Dear Senator Dodd:

It has come to our attention that . . . . .
. . . and when we designate the speaker within a play or in court testimony:

BIFF: He had the wrong dreams. All, all, wrong.
HAPPY (almost ready to fight Biff): Don't say that!
BIFF: He never knew who he was.

Hope that helped...

SHI

Midwest Max · Post by **Midwest Max** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 7:48 am

One big no-no I was taught in a novel-writing class was to never use a colon (or semi-colon, for that matter) in dialogue.

You should never write something like this -

During his lecture, the professor said, "Remember: Many of the prominent families of this New England state were slaveholders prior to 1850." (thanks for the quote, Shiesty

)

I can't remember exactly why, other than that implies the person injected the colon into their speech, which is kind of silly...

Shiesty23 · Post by **Shiesty23** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 9:13 am

Midwest Max wrote: (thanks for the quote, Shiesty )

Anytime!

I also found this at:

http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/notorious.htm#xx

<center>Notorious Confusables:

Words that I often see get confused:</center>

(EX) I would accept your excuse, except the part about losing the watch.

Accept: is to receive something willingly

Except: is to exclude something.

(EX) When they got the assent of the weather bureau, they allowed the enormous balloon to begin its ascent.

Assent: is an act of agreeing or an agreement

Ascent: is an act of rising or climbing

(EX) I am averse to traveling in such adverse weather conditions.

Averse: is having an active feeling of distaste

Adverse: is something that is hostile or something that is unfavorable

(EX) I am annoyed that my bad back seems to be aggravated by tension. [To aggravate means to make something worse which is already bad. I cannot be aggravated, but my injury can be.]

Annoyed: to irritate, harass, especially in a repetitive action.

Aggravate: to make worse, more serious, more sever

(EX) I'll be back in a while. Can you wait awhile? (Awhile [one word] is an adverb that can modify a verb.)

A while: is a short period of time.

Awhile: for a while, used as an adverb.

(EX) He will break the car brake if he keeps pushing on it like that.

Break: is to destroy.

Brake: is to stop or slow an object or situation in motion down.

(EX) Every breath counts, so breathe deeply now. (I didn’t know this myself)

Breath: air inhaled and exhaled in breathing...ei....a natural act.

Breathe: to draw air into and expel it from the lungs....ei...when someone asks you to actively breathe or you force yourself to take a deep breath.

(EX) You cannot blame him for screaming, "Damn it, Bob! You can not do that anymore!"

Cannot: means not able...normal spelling

Can not: Emphasizes the negative.

(EX) The climactic moment of a lightning storm, nature's most dramatic climatic event, is a deafening roll of thunder.

Climactic: is resulting to, or constituting a climax.

Climatic: related to weather phenomena

(EX) She complimented her sister on the way her scarf complemented her blouse.

Complimented: means to praise.

Complemented: means to match, make something else perfect.

(EX) There was a terrible dinning noise coming from the dining room.

Dinning: making annoying loud sound.

Dining: is the act of eating.

(EX) I can run farther than you, but let's discuss that further after the race.

Farther: at or to a greater distance or to a more advance point.

Further: additional, more deeply to the point...no sense of measurable distance.

(EX) The prosecutor began to gibe the witness when the details of his story did not jibe with his previous testimony.

Gibe: to taunt.

Jibe: correspond to something.

SHI