We, ourselves, have grammar pet peeves: a Blog Off post
Every two weeks, the blogosphere comes alive while bloggers of each stripe weigh in at the same topic. The present day topic is "Grammar pet peeves." Here's my take:
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I have too many grammar pet peeves to list, so I'll pull out a few that work my nerves the most. As an intro, I pride myself on my knowledge of the English language. I'm not a grammar purist and I don't correct other people, not any more at least. I love English because it's so flexible and it allows its speakers to take all manner of liberties with its structures and norms. However, in order to break a rule of grammar, one has to know the rule he's breaking and do so intentionally in order to avoid looking like an illiterate clod.
My understanding of English grammar is a direct result of my studying different languages. I in no way "were given" my mother tongue until I learned the way to compare it to different languages. It's a piece of a paradox, however the nice way to recognize English grammar is to take a look at another language. A true grammar manual allows too.
I nevertheless have my reproduction of the Little, Brown Handbook from university and I say it's the best manual to English there is. Pick up a duplicate, it is worth the investment.
On to the pet-peeves. (Yes, I realize that is a sentence fragment.)
The first one out of the gate is the blatant misuse of reflexive pronouns. Modern English has eight reflexive pronouns. They are: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves and themselves. Reflexive pronouns refer the action of a verb back to the subject of a sentence. A few examples:
I saw myself inside the replicate.
You drove your self loopy.
He labored himself into a frenzy.
She grew that rhubarb herself.
You get the picture. The use of a reflexive pronoun is only accurate whilst it's utilized in similar approaches to the examples above. Reflexive pronouns should have a verb between them and their antecedents.
I pay attention reflexive pronouns being massacred all of the time and the only that gets beaten up more than the others is the first character singular reflexive pronoun, myself. It's typically misused consequently: "I, myself, assume that that is the high-quality rhubarb pie I've ever tasted." Wrong, wrong, wrong; and the use of a reflexive pronoun that manner makes the speaker sound like a boob. Don't do it. "I, myself..." does not add emphasis within the least; it's why English has adverbs and different elements of speech. "I assume this is the pleasant rhubarb pie I've ever tasted." is already creating a declaration. If you need to pressure your factor home even in addition, just upload some other clause to the stop of the sentence. "This is the nice rhubarb pie I've ever tasted and I've had a number of the excellent."
Next out of the gate is the misuse of the first person plural pronoun "we." We indicates that the speaker is including other people in the statement he or she is making. For example, "My family and I were on vacation, we went to Paris." See how the first clause of that sentence limited the scope of the second person pronoun in the clause that followed it? It's imperative that a speaker limit the scope of second person pronouns to avoid dragging in innocent bystanders.
Writers from unbiased blogs to the New York Times misuse that all the time and it is going thru me like a knife. When Sarah Palin's no longer placing her foot in her mouth, she's usually making statements like "We're unwell of President Obama." Who the hell is we? Please don't consist of me on your delusions.
If you have an opinion or a statement to make, stick to the first person singular and stand up for yourself. Say "I'm sick of President Obama." Use plural pronouns only with clearly defined groups. If you can't define a group clearly, then use an indefinite article and a noun. Here's an example, "Some people are sick of President Obama." Using an indefinite article in this way is not only correct, it's polite and it's a more accurate description of what's so.
The last one I'll get into here is a push aside to English's subjunctive temper. Modern English has four moods: indicative, vital, infinitive and subjunctive. I've you've got ever studied a Romance language, you recognize that those languages make adequate use of the subjunctive. English reserves it to a handful of uses.
A quick primer:
Indicative is the default mood in English and example is "The dogs are barking."
Imperative is a command, "Don't just stand there!"
Infinitive mood describes a state of being without referring to a subject directly. Infinitives always have the word "to" in front of them, so a statement such as "He came to see you." is using the infinitive mood.
Subjunctive is a whole other animal and it needs a bit more explanation because it requires a different conjugation.
A verb uses its subjunctive temper when it expresses a situation that is dubious or now not real. It is most usually found in a clause beginning with the phrase if. It's also observed in clauses following a verb that expresses a doubt, a wish, remorse, request, demand, or thought.
The most obvious example is whilst someone is expressing a concept that's contrary to truth. "If I had been a rich man, I would not must work hard." Collectively, needs which includes this one are referred to as "if clauses." By beginning the sentence with "if," the speaker is placing the stage for a assertion it truly is now not real.
The subjunctive comes into play in different instances too. If someone asks to you return into his or her workplace but doesn't specify a time, the best reaction would be "Is it vital that I be there at ten?"
Did you seize that? It's now not "Is it vital that I am there at ten?" Because there is an detail of doubt concerned inside the interaction, the sentence calls the subjunctive temper. In the subjunctive, "I am" will become "I be."
The subjunctive temper is a lonely factor in present day English and plenty of speakers are all to eager to disregard it. On behalf of the subjunctive temper, I will vouch for the fact that it likes enterprise and it misses the eye it deserves.
English is a remarkably nuanced and bendy language and all people who speaks it bends it to his or her personal will. That's an awesome aspect and I take liberties with it all of the time. However, English is a language it truly is able to exquisite precision. That precision's handiest possible with a thorough knowledge of the various, many rules of English's grammar and the tremendous settlement that its speakers abide by the same regulations.
I have been studying and trying to master my mom tongue for maximum of my life and it will continually a piece in progress. I'll in no way have it completely mastered and that is one of the matters that makes English so attractive to me. English has as many exceptions as it does regulations and I even have an extremely good admire for every person who research it as a 2nd language.
Native audio system haven't any excuse but. Grammar regulations and recommendations are smooth to discover and though it takes a bit of effort, a facility with English is not so tough. If you are a person who writes, speaks or thinks for a living; you owe it to your self to choose up a duplicate of the Little, Brown Handbook.
Your target audience will thanks.
These are my top 3 and relaxation assured, there are lots more. If you are now not participating today, what are a number of your puppy-peeves?
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As the day wears on, the opposite participants in trendy Blog Off will appear nowadays in a table. Click on their hyperlinks and go away a remark.