I'm really not sure how to address this topic, but I felt that something needed to be said. Truthfully, I am probably not the most qualified to deliver the message. However, I don't think I can sit here another minute without making sure that a few things have been clarified.
There are a few grammar blunders that seem to have taken root as acceptable variations in writing. I would like to dispel the myth that they are OKAY. In fact, I find that these errors are quite grating simply because they are easy enough to avoid.
One.
its/it's
it's is a contracted form of IT IS. "it's hot out today." etc.
its denotes possession. "the dog scratched its ear." etc.
Two.
to/too/two.
two is a number.
too is mostly the same as also.
to is used like this: "she gave it to me. i handed it back to him." etc.
Three.
your/you're
your, like its, denotes possession. "it's your turn." (complicated?)
you're is a contracted form of YOU ARE. "you're right." etc.
Four.
bear/bare
bare is like naked. "her bare arms looked good in the sleeveless shirt."
bear has multiple meanings and I suggest that if you want them all, you open your dictionary. here are a few to get you started:
a. to give birth to. "she bore a son after 12 hours of labor."
b. to bring and tell. "the messenger bore a letter for the king."
c. to be productive. "the apple tree bears such lovely fruit."
d. to withstand or endure. "he bore her ceaseless beatings quietly."
as I already mentioned, there are many more but these shall suffice for the purposes of my column.
Five.
knew/new
knew is the past form of "know". "i just KNEW she was pregnant!"
new is applied to something fresh. something that has just come into existence or possession. "he moved into his new apartment yesterday."
Six.
know/no
know is to be aware of. familiar with. "i know that guy."
no is the opposite of yes. "no, i don't like green eggs and ham."
Seven. (courtesy of macandrew)
Chatspeak abbreviations.
U for you
UR for your or you are
2 for to/too
b4 for before
some of you are probably more familiar with these than i am. while they are perfectly suitable for chat, they are tedious in poetry.
Eight. (courtesy of GypsyDreamer)
their/there/they're
their denotes possession. "they got their dog back from the vet." etc.
there indicates location. "his bone is over there, on the couch." etc.
they're is a contracted form of THEY ARE. "they're almost ready to go."
Nine. (courtesy of mistletoe)
than/then
then is used in conjunction with time/order. "we used to like that, then." or "we will do this, then do that."
than is comparative. "i'd rather eat a dog than a cat." or "he is taller now than he was last year." (the comparison supercedes time)
Whew. I just had to get that off my chest. It is disheartening to see otherwise accomplished and brilliant writers who can't seem to get this right. Perhaps is a stylistic preference, but I happen to think SOME rules should not be bent or disregarded.
Again, remember that I am no kind of schooled representative of the English language here. More than anything else, these are pet peeves that drive me nuts. If anyone can think of other mistakes that fit into this category, please list them and I can incorporate them into the column.
Thanks for your time. Hopefully it has not been entirely wasted.just had to say something.
already put together about six edits! thanks for the input.
I'm really not sure how to address this topic, but I felt that something needed to be said. Truthfully, I am probably not the most qualified to deliver the mes
Included in the list
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Comments
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i think alot of people have hit this with different perspectives...and this does help...but as was said before.... sometimes it is poetic license... and some do get too critical...
rather than try to see within one's own writing
Edited on May 06, 11:11 p.m. because ''. -
yay. those blunders bother me too.
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I actually thought about doing something like this recently with commonly misspelled words. It is so, as you say, grating, to see the careless use of the English language. I hope people found this column helpful. I appreciate you sharing this with us.
Peace,
Lo
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I know people come from all sorts of backgrounds but these are simple things. I'm glad you posted this to let people know. It is really sad because I am a college student and I swear every year for the last 13 years my english class has gone back to these basic rules because people o not know them. That is one reason I want to be a teacher so not everyone will grow up making the same simple mistakes that annoy the BEEP out of everyone. I believe there is a difference of play on words and plain bad grammer. Mine isn't the best but it is sad there are people worse then me. At any rate, glad you put it out there to remind writers of simple mistakes.
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Thank you, thank you, thank you. But, um, wait....this was submitted on Oct. 5th....and this is Nov. 11th....oh, damn! It didn't work. (This sort of thing drives me mad, also.) Thanks for trying though.
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Good
Thanks muchly.. i can't stand errors like these.. i understand the occasional screwup in a 100,000 word fic but in a 50 word poem!? every word counts!
However- you've omitted my two main pet peeves- effectaffect, and loseloose
Good work. This needed to be written. -
i feel the need to clarify. this was intended to EDUCATE. no BERATE. and i don't think i ever de-volved into that sort of base behavior. if anything, some of the comments left have been MUCH harsher than anything i'd have said. i believe to be a matter of ignorance in many cases. preference in many others. for those who KNOW and prefer, that's their business. i had intended to use this column as a quick reference help section for people who get tripped up on those EASY to make errors.
i didn't single out anyone or say that grammar issues negate a person's worth and i'm sorry some of you have taken this view.
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I think this is a great column and needed to be said! Yes! Great job!
~Destiny~
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LOL, I agree with you, so much. I do think that there are times when one does break the rules on purpose, to help the poem in some way. "Ain't gonna work on maggie's farm no more" (those aren't what you are referring to, but still ..)
But know when you are doing it and think about if it helps.
The chat shorthand doesn't help the poetic value hardly ever .. it just looks sloppy and lazy and ruins the flow.
Sprocket's observation:"than" vs. "then" is a good one to put up, too.
I do have pretty bad spelling, but know the basics, generally. However, I have to admit that sometimes when I am typing quickly and not thinking about what I'm typing I will often type "it's" for "its" or something equally bad .. and when I find it, I'm always very embarrassed - even more so if other's have read it first.
Edited on Oct 13, 8:40 p.m. because ''. -
good stuff Steph
it is easy to forget the rules - that is if we ever actually had them embedded in our little brains to begin with - I also get annoyed and mostly with myself about such simple errors - I have a few tricks to help me remember things and if you can associate something with the words that give you trouble once you have worked out the correct usage then it really helps when the old brain domain is at limited functionality
examples:
stationery - I relate to letters with an e
stationary - I relate to a car with an a
this helps me use the correct spelling for the correct usage otherwise I was always confused without a dictionary
than - I relate to rather than
then - I relate to when
if I can substitute these concepts for the word then I know I'm on the right track
where - I relate to here with an h as a place - here we are, where are we
were - I relate to was, no h - I was alone, were you alone
to - I relate to go - only one o
too - I relate to too much or me too - more o's the better
silly but it really works and you can make your own connections
if you continually get stuck on the same thing and start thinking you're totally inept then try making up your own little word rules that become second nature once you've used them a few times - after all there are some things in life that just don't seem to want to stick sometimes - and if you don't care then keep it up and let us anal retentives suffer inconsolably
I like to take the time to find out what words mean and correct spelling and usage if I don't know - but I am interested in such things and I like adding to my little pool of knowledge whenever possible - language can be much fun and I agree that it's good to know the correct usage before you start playing with fun personal options and styles
oh and I have a thing when I'm writing about sentences and punctuation so please don't bag me for lack thereof as it's a terribly annoying habit I have that actually suits my mindscape better than constricted sentence structure can - I write proper all day and prefer to be less stuffy when hanging with y'all - what can I say - I'm a product of my environment as well
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grammar is spelt with two A's.
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nonot entirely
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yes sometimes the spelling in poems is annoying but not nearly as annoying as bland, cliched poems full of emotional statements concerning loss of love, self-pity & self-loathin
g.
could somebody write an article on that? -
An oddly touchy subject. While I aggree that the chat abbreviation
s or leet speak in poetry is purely annoying I am sure that I have fallen subject to bad grammer, and its not because i am uneducated, its generally because I am tired and not paying as much attention as I should.
I happen to agree with BlackSheep and with silica.... why IS it such a problem for you? And if it is such a problem, pin yourself as Grammer Police and contact those who are so offending.... but remember, a lot of the people posting on this site may not be aware of their mistakes.... so go easy.
till next time
HV
Edited on Oct 12, 9:13 p.m. because 'dear gods - perhaps we should talk about bad spelling too.... eek'. -
You’re not wrong but I think there is some irony in the experimental
poet becoming the word police. -
I completely understand how you feel towards this improper use of grammar. I personally don't appreciate it either. In certain instances a writer does use it possibly to prove a point or to get a certain feel to a poem. But excessive use of it not only gets annoying to the reader, but is making future writers ignorant. I can't count the number of errors that are made in school work and even important documents, not just because a person doesn't want to spell out a word, but because they read it and thought it was the correct spelling. It's happened to me before. But then there is the fact that writing is free, and each may do what he wishes to his own. So although I do agree with you and don't like the improper use of it either, people do have a right to spell as they wish. Personally, I just won't read the poem. That is my fix.
Jessica -
Aside from grammer at least use a spell checker. My personal peeves are "your" instead of "you're", even in chat rooms. I get messages like "your cute" and I have to contain myself from replying "my cute what?" I contain myself not out of courtesy, but simply because they would most likely not understand.
Stephanie, I agree with you. Poetry is an artform, and despite what may be politically correct, not everyone is talented at it. Anyone can toss some words onto a page, just like anyone can throw some paint on a canvass. Yes, art is subjective but some things just do not deserve any recognition. Of course, there are different levels of art. If your poem reminds people of a drawing by a four year old, maybe you should revisit the work.
Black Sheep, your statement "Just as long as you keep coming with the poetry" is counter productive. Poetry written for poetry's sake is hollow, dull, and disappointing. If you are going to write, make something of it and don't just crank out stuff for the hell of it.
Edited on Oct 07, 10:03 p.m. because ''. -
You know what? I'm generally very excellent about my grammar. However if I want to use impropor grammar... that should be my progrative. After all, I'm a poet not an editor! We all come from different places. We all have different styles. If you have a problem with somebody's grammar... send them an IM... and have a private discussion. However, now you're coming off as high and mighty. You're coming off... like it's your way or the highway. That is something that I do have a problem with. Why should it be such a bother, anyways? If any of us ever get published... I'm quite certain that the editor will catch it anyhow! So I say, keep on coming with the grammar mistakes. Just as long as you keep coming with the poetry!!!
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I disagree with this statement '..but I happen to think SOME rules should not be bent or disregarded. '
All rules, in my belief should be broken. But, to the degree where it does it come off as cliche or just plain banter-ism.
Or even bland or empty, which I am sure is what 'you' mainly read. Tho, on the 'ur' for 'your' or 'u' for 'you' etc I do contend to agree with that, but, 'kids' will be 'kids'.
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Ha, so i am not alone in this, i have been badgering away at this for months, only to get called a boring old fashioned hag, well that must make you one too.
Can i add where & were (see mjkisjesus above) I would go so far as to say 3/4 of the people who write on here can't string a sentence in English.This might nor be a formal place but since when have we had an informal and a formal language? My god, i must be getting old!
Well said Stephanie
Barb -
A timely article. I was myself thinking of posting something on these lines for quite sometime. Poor grammar can't and shouldn't be carried off as poetic license
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ur post is 2 great! admire you're keen eye that you had for all of the mistakes that people where to lazy to fix on there own. thank you for opening and saying something. gtg! bye bye.
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The thing most important is that people are here, learning to write rather than watching TV. It will take a while but it is worth the effort. You done good!
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How about accept/except?
Accept "I can accept that fact"
Except "I would have gone, except she doesn't like me" -
Oooo I cannot stand when people use internet abbreviations in poetry. It annoys me, but the rest of what you said should be common knowledge. Unfortunately, as you've noticed, not too many people have noticed this.
But thank you for addressing an epidemic
Cheers! -
The way I remember whom/who is....if it's he/she, it is who......if it's him/her, it's whom..........(I
think, though I may be wrong)
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though i do agree fully...i'd say that most people on allpoetry dont care how it's written, so long as it's understandable..
.thats the way i see it anyways. not like this is a formal place
peace, and thanx for posting.
_--_-- Colle the Hobbit --_--_ -
whom/who is another. Some think whom is just the formal version, when it's not. But yeah, good idea, those are such common mistakes, even for me!
Abby -
thank you SO MUCH for pointing this out to people....poor grammar drives me CRAZY! none as much as "alot" IT IS TWO WORDS PEOPLE! A LOT.
thanks a lot (i know Aardvark32 already pointed that one out...but it is my BIGGEST pet peeve.)
Edited on Oct 06, 9:47 p.m. because ''. -
how can you get those complicated? simple to me and people are lazy with the U or UR or be4 and other internet abbreviations. Thanks for enlightening us!
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i can agree with you, but i am one of thouse writers who would send chiils down your spine cuz of my spelling and so on. But you do make a good point.
Thanxx for sticking it out in the open.
next time i might check it over
thanxx
me
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Hmm..this is interesting. I dunno, I guess spelling does bug me a little, and people should type out the real word, but it just doesnt get to me that bad lol. But some people should read this..like those who havent a clue..lol.
~*~blessings~*~
~rora -
excellent!
haha thank you. I hate when people use the wrong form of a word. Another thing that bothers me tremendously is when people spell "a lot" as one word. -
Thank you SO MUCH, oh my gosh it gets annoying reading mistakes like that, because they are so simple, so easy to avoid if you know what the differences are.. thank you for writing this column
Kelsie -
nicely done...i FULLY agree on all of this!!!! thank you for posting it!!!!
Mollz -
Needed to be said
It's about time someone posted this, these are grievances I myself have. Errors of the kind mentioned here smack of the grossest sloth, and can really hurt what could have been a richly rewarding read if the author only took just a few seconds to write a little more responsibly.
Thank you for having the courage to express what I could not.
- El Gio -
I'm glad you posted this! All of the words you (and others) have mentioned spoil an otherwise good poem for me. I used to comment on these errors but most of the time, no changes were made...so I stopped. I hope your column will make a difference! Thanks!
Maureen
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i found another one! breath/breathe. one is "I took a deep breath" and the other is "She could breathe freely again". That one really annoys me, because it totally changes the interpretation of the piece.
~shadowsong -
This is a subject that needed addressing. Just a half hour ago, I pulled up one of my older poems on this subject for future posting. It is not quite as detailed as yours but makes the point. It's called, All About Words: http://allpoetry.com/Poem/348736
Edited on Oct 06, 2:06 p.m. because ''. -
At least it's not only me that feels this way! When I'm not sure about a certain word...like it's or its....I say it as 'it is'...if it makes sense.....it's it's
(Than, and then are my biggest problem ones)
Chat speak.....oh, how I despise that! Pure laziness! It takes how much more time to type out two extra letters for U = you ??? (however, I do use certain ones in chat like BRB, HB, TY, YW, things like that, but NEVER in a poem....okay, once, but that was based on a chat room conversation )
This is a great column...I've noticed far too many poems that have incorrect grammar.
Might I add effect, and affect I've seen that a few times.
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Very well said...however, I would like to point out that some people might had rather eat a dog then a cat, for the cat could be dessert....lol just jesting...
I have used your when you're was correct
I have used to when too was the word.
Sometimes I catch them when I reread what I write, but sometimes it is others that tell me of my plight.
Thanks for the info...
Sam
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Add also whose \ who's. That one is a pain. Agree that txtmsgs are TDus. Trouble is, those who need to know this aren't going to read it. Always the way. Thanks very much all the same. These are not critical errors that kill poetry, but they do trip me up in reading, all the same.
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Yay, finally a column about this. I have thought about writing one myself on this topic but never felt qualified enough or just didn't have the time. I am glad you have done so.
I always make sure my poetry is free of errors before posting but sometimes a reader catches a mistake and I always want to be aware of them because I don't like mistakes in my writing.
I hate coming across poems that are written with '2' instead of 'two,' or 'too,' or 'to.' And 'luv,' other than 'love.'
Also people tend to use 'should OF,' rather than "should've," or "should have," that is one that annoys the heck out of me.
Great column.
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wow that was great. I never really cared before about my gramar and what not. but, that can really make a diff.
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Enlightening!
You might want to continue and add such goodies as elude/allude, elicit/illicit affect/effect and the like.
Tiny details. Little words. HUGE DIFFERENCES. I share your pet peeves, and often take the time to comment on people's poetry whenever I find some sort of error like these. To me, they honestly do detract from the power of the poem, overall.
It goes something like this: If you can't be assed to check your spelling and grammar, why should I bother reading something into which you've put no effort? If there's nothing there that you like, nothing that makes you feel proud enough to polish, then why would I waste my time on it? If you don't think it's worth enough to bother with such niceties as proper punctuation, grammar, spelling, etc... then why should I read it?
I could go on for hours, but your comment sums it up quite nicely. Thanks for writing it up! -
The thing is, that with poetry you CAN use punctuation far more freely than in conventional prose. You can also use wordplay (e.g. cannon/canon mean two different things but I deliberately used 'canon' in a poem because it was about words and text but also conflict). Freedom, however, comes with skill; just as you start to learn handwriting by copying over letters, then develop your own style later, your poetic style should come from having enough skill with English to be able to 'bend' the rules and then 'ping back' when required. Poetry is NOT an excuse to write badly because you can't punctuate prose.
Someone once said that us English English teachers (i.e. from the UK) 'stifle creativity' because we are more fussy (they thought from having seen one lesson in Barbados where they last taught according to UK rules in the 1950s) about form and structure. Actually, I find the poetry my students write to be better when they know WHY we have the rules (not just to follow them) e.g. short sentences can denote anger, or comma= breath, full stop = pause ... by USING these rules, they are able to express their feelings clearly. Grammar is not a pointless rigmarole, but a useful skill - whilst I don't 'lay down the law' (it isn't a "you can or you can't" test but a skill to be absorbed over years) I do advocate an understanding of language to help write good fiction and poetry. -
finally...someon
e speaks out!! lol nice right, i mean write ; ) -
I read both your column and the comments left by others and it would appear that most of us here are of a similar opinion. I dislike abbreviations in poetry -I much prefer to see the whole word,and it puts me off reading anything that looks similar to an SMS.
C U l8tr is fine on a mobile/SMS message but not in a poem. I too worry about the beautiful english language being lost to future generations - it's worth holding on to.
Good column - well done for going ahead and voicing your opinion.
Von -
Stephanie,
A welcome rant. If anyone on this site hopes to be taken seriously as a writer or poet, they do need to embrace the rules of the language.
One thing to add (if it hasn't already been): use a spell checker. Don't know how many times I've seen the same word spelled three different ways in the same piece, including the title. We didn't used to have spell checkers, but now we do. Put them to good use. I'd be lost without them. -
What I wonder when I watch people chat well my kids included is that whether all the literature of the past will be lost in say a decade from now simply because children will not have the knowledge to read or comprehend any of it, as due to chat, sms, etc the language is evolving so fast into abbreviations that soon we will forget what the full forms are. I personally confess to muddling up my its but for the rest I was not aware that things were so bad. Thanks for this write I think someone has to keep on saying this as language is our most important tool of communication and we cannot let it be destroyed besides which losing the language would be tantamount to burning all the books written so far because the knowledge, wisdom, imagination, all the richness of literature past, the history of the human race, in fact everything written would be lost to us forever. A very scary thought, so lets hold on to the language kids of today or the next generation will never forgive you.
Edited on Oct 06, 8:43 because 'typos'. -
woo! Finally someone said something!! Things like that have been driving me up the wall. Typos are one thing, but honestly, where did some of these people learn to write english?? If I see a poem with mistakes like these, I usually won't read it. I guess it's kind of a pet peeve of mine. THANKS!!!
~Shadwsong -
EXCELLENT
That's excellent! Or should I say, "This is EXCELLENT!!!" Its always been hard on me keeping all these straight even though I know it’s important to too. I guess I already began incorrectly because my word program has Its underlined to change. I can edit two times and still have your for you’re so please bear with me as this admission is very hard to bear. See I even paused to be certain bear was more than just a bare bear. If your English teachers knew you were writing this they’d say this isn’t anything knew so our work is never done. No, I don’t know why there are people with their grammar rules in a twist; I’ve heard they’re often unaware. Then there is we’re and were and the list continues on. I hope bringing this up isn’t more than you can stand. I will end with this, Please pray for us grammatical blunderers “Amen.”
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It's not enough to just write a column on it; the only people who will read it are people who already know and care.
What you really have to do is just correct problems as you come to them; point it out to the poet in your individual comment. I've gotten mixed responses to this approach, but for the most part, people were grateful to me for pointing it out.
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wow you're commenrs we're really to tru. i h8 having to bear theese mistooks. day in an day out. thanx 4 the inight
(No I'm not an asshole, I just was trying to amuse myself.) -
By the way, I raed smeohwrere taht it deos'nt mttar waht odrer wrdos are selpt so lnog as the frist and lsat ltetrs are palecd croretcly we are sltil albe to raed and cmpoernehd frlaiy qiculky,
Jsut aotnher peice of tllotay ulesess irofnamiton for you their... I maen there...
Kyla -
A very well written column and this needed to be said . But someone before wrote that there were a lot of young writers on here. I recently read an article that in some schools pupils are given an essay to write { the teacher discounts grammar and just grades on how well they followed the instructions } So how can we really expect anything else ?
Reenie
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A very well written column and this needed to be said . But someone before wrote that there were a lot of young writers on here. I recently read an article that in some schools pupils are given an essay to write { the teacher discounts grammar and just grades on how well they followed the instructions } So how can we really expect anything else ?
Reenie
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Great!
This is a good one, for sure. It seems that tearing down the English language is really noticable here, maybe that's because that's what we do as long as we're on line; read and write. I have read publications with the same problem, so it's as StarStruck said, people make mistakes, they are human. I encourage a correction in spelling because sometimes the spellcheck misses it. I also ask for grammer corrections because sometimes I'm writing so fast that I miss them. My pet pieve is words that offend, but I guess that's another subject matter all together. This is a good column, I think that it was very brave of you to list all the common errors. You did a great job. My only suggestion is, not to call people "idiots" or other names because they make mistakes. That's not diplomatic, nor is it encouraging. Help words are better than hurt words.
Peace
~poetryality~
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5 YaYs out of 5
You're absolutely correct. Inaccurate use of language is much different than poetic license! The simple problems you have pointed out are important and need to be understood in order to improve the delivery of the poem. These simple grammatical rules are great to know and understand. This is well presented..... and accurate.
Nice presentation.
Don -
I've one thing to say: finally.
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ya sum poeple justs do nots know hows to done write
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thanks so much .< I'm also a terrible speller....USE SPELLCHECK!
-JuLz -
what about
that bear ate my french fries LOL
thanks for this good post!
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good idea
Thank you ever so much for exposing this to us all. I think it's really something that needs to be said. I have huge grammitcal pet peeves of my own, and, sadly enough, usually pass right through poems containing them, simply because it makes the writer appear more unintelligent. I know it seems somewhat judgemental and perhaps even stupid of me, but I tend to find that many people do the same. It's just instinct, I suppose. It in no way means that the writer isn't talented... it just makes it appear that the writer didn't try as hard as they could have to make their poetry good. I also understand that all people make mistakes(including grammatical ones), as I do myself, and I very much appreciate you trying your best to help out. Thanks for taking the time to inform your fellow writers.
Stevie -
I agree that when you write poetry, you should at least make an effort to stand grammically correct.. (grammically the right word?) well, you should at least try to spell things correctly, and use the right words at the right times... And as for the chatspeak abbreviations, I can not stand those in poems. It IS horrible. Sometimes, writters on here are so young, that they don't care, or don't realize it.. They're just trying to express themselves. Either way, it is THEIR poetry, and they can write it the way they want. There isn't a "HAVE TO" basis on this site in submitting poetry.. I just do agree, people should at least try a little harder to make their poetry good
Edited on Oct 05, 10:24 p.m. because ''. -
Lol good point, this annoys me too. There are mistakes, poets are only human, but when they're everywhere it's horrible! With the chat abbreviations, it can add to the effect of the poem depending on the contest, and sometimes something like that is needed to fit the syllable count, but beyond that, LEARN ENGLISH PEOPLE!
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I have some things to add. The diference between "thus" and "therefore." Thus means "in this manner." Therefore means "due to this." They are not simply interchangeable!
Also, when a verb ends in "ie" like "die" does, then you drop the "ie" and change it to "y" when you put in an "ing." THEREFORE, die+ing = dying!
Hopefully does NOT mean "it is/was hoped." it describes that something or someone is full of hope. THEREFORE "Hopefully, i will get the job," is grammatically INCORRECT.
effect vs. affect. to affect is to influence. an effect is the result of said influence. also, effect can be used as a verb meaning to build something, often rustig and makeshift. For example, he effected his picket sign and marched around the double doors.
Whew. good column
-Zachary -
Thanks for a very good column, Stephanie. I for one, appreciate when anyone points out an error in my poetry. I proof read everything I write and still come up with an error now and then.... and edit to correct. I want my work to be as near perfect as I can make it when it comes to spelling, grammer, punctuation, etc.
While it's true that sometimes a different puctuation or slang may be appropriate, I feel that the poem itself will allow for this, make it understood.
I see a lot of what you've mentioned here and to me it detracts from the poem.
Good write... it's needed
Dee -
Thank you so much for writing this! It was needed.
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Yes--I agree. Even though I know I use grammatically incorrect words...But I try not to...Great column--
!~YS4e~!
Scarlett -
There's nothing that takes away from a poem than when it looks like it's written by an idiot. Very good column in that it brings up all-to-common errors. Hopefully people will read this and give a little more consideration to the finer considerations of the language. It can be a real turn off when someone makes these mistakes in their writing. But they are so easy to make. One word: Rewrite...rewrit
e...rewrite. -
one more worth mentioning...
but first.. let me just say that it's your poem, so write it the way you would like. I know I'm no poet, I don't know the rules, never was very good in school, so any help is always appreciated.
I think this can be a helpful tool to some out there that really don't know and WANT to. So for that purpose I will post another.
Hear and Here
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YES YES YES YES YES....DO PLEASE READ MY POEM THE ITS....IT GIVES A BIT OF A TONGUE IN CHEEK ON EXACTALY WHAT YOU ARE SAYING. IF ONE IS PUTTING THEIR NAME IN LIGHTS WHY THE HECK NOT SPELL YOUR NAME RIGHT, AFTER ALL...YOU'RE SIGNING YOUR NAME TO IT (WOW I EVEN GOT THE YOUR YOU'RE RIGHT) GOOD PIECE AND THE MORE THAT IT IS EMPHASIZED HOPEFULLY THE MORE IT IS TAKEN TO MIND.
WSD -
donno wat da big deal's about ya'll! so some homies'd like to kick in some slang 'nto dis joint?! s'dat a crime?
"l8ter" dawg, gotta run b4 u get all fired up bout dis' -
You're so right. I can't stand it when there is a
really good poem out there, and the person who wrote
it uses 'U for you' or 'UR for your, you're' very annoying!
hehe..
twizted bizkit -
warningdanger
I think you should be careful here. There is a big difference between errors and creative choices. Poets have the right to use local color, also known as slang.
For the most part what you have talked about here is error, not local color. But it could be argued 2 and B4 are a sort of internet local color, and are therefore fair game for poetry(especially on the internet). Also I hope you will stay away from words like aint and couldn'da, which may not be popular among schoolteachers(l ike myself) but which are very popular albeit controversial words in the English language.
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Thanks for writing this up. I have sometimes said that with the advent of "chat-speak", the English language is returning to two second-person pronouns - but rather than "thou" and "you", it will be "u" and "you".
Sadly, the people who use "chat-speak" in poems probably won't read this column. They tend to be the same people who whine about any comments other than "i luvd ur pmoe! u r, like, so taletned! keep riting!!!!!11" -
yeah, good for you I wrote a poem about punctuation too.
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Let us not forget about "a" and "an" -
always use "an" if the next word in your sentence starts with a vowel such as
I told Mr. Dinglebone that I had never had an ugly thought about him...opposed to "a" ugly thought.
OR
if you are spelling out with letters and the letter sounds like it would start with a vowel such as an "N" or an "O" i.e...Give me an N!
That's the faux pas that sounds the most unedumacated to me.
~M~ -
mmmmmmm. no comment! (i feel a sly grin coming on)
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Having said that, don't you (trying not to be the one to put the fly in the ointment) break the rules?
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I always appreciate when someone takes the time to correct my bad grammar. The English language, being what it is, is a tough nut to crack in grammatical terms. A lot of errors can certainly take away from the message of the poem- hell, even a few can. I would guess only about 20% of the writers on AP actually care about correct grammar- but then, they are probably the only 20% I read.
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Bravo! How about spelling? Words such as realize... so many folks have come to believe it has an "s" instead of "z". Books are starting to print it that way.
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yes yes yes! i totally agree with you! these are my bugbears too...but i have to admit, when it comes to PUNCTUATING poetry, i'm at a dead loss...thanx for taking the time to do this tho! (sic)
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Ten: Will and Shall
Oy
Cheers for posting this xx -
I no. Your so right. I can't bare too read bad grammar like this. This should be required reading for anyone who is knew to the site.
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Steph?
You forgot one.......
maybe a good idea to explain the uses of : their, they're , and there
Some don't know, some don't care... I make mistakes and overlook them. Spellcheck doesn't catch grammatical errors, and browsing through some of mine I've been shocked hehehehehe
Anyway, good job on the column.
Gypsy -
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SAYING THIS. I totally agree. Another one to include: then and than. Then is telling time "first he ate breakfast, THEN he got dressed." Than is a comparison "I like hot dogs better THAN hamburgers." Well, thanks again for posting this, you are not alone. They drive me crazy too.
~misltetoe~
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