I thought, perhaps, I was a little critical in my last post. I recently saw a post regarding grammar and spelling on the internet, and I thought I would shed some light on what to do and what not to do, seeing as how all I did was complain and gave absolutely no constructive criticism. So, here it is, a little insight on how to improve what you post on the internet.
- (Here goes.)
PUNCTUATION. At the end of a sentence, remember to use some form of punctuation to indicate the end of a thought. You can use periods, exclamation points, or questions marks. Use colons only when referring to something specific and use semicolons in place of a period when two sentences are related. Examples:
She had to focus on just one thing: her schoolwork.
I loved that blog; it inspired me to write my own.
Don't abuse punctuation and don't overuse it. Place end punctuation where it belongs, and don't place it where it doesn't. Remember that periods are meant to imply that the sentence is merely a statement, exclamation points show emotion, and question marks pose a question to the reader. Place the correct punctuation where it belongs, and never put more of one than necessary. (For example, don't use fifty exclamation points when you only need one.)
There is a huge problem about placement when it comes to apostrophes as well; they are used to show contractions and possession, but be careful! There are exceptions, like the word "its," which shows possession and doesn't contain an apostrophe. Examples:
She drove my mom's new car.
Can't we all just get along?
Its beauty put me in awe.
Avoid using apostrophes with plural nouns. Instead, simply add an "s" or an "es," depending on the word you're using.
Commas are used when you're listing things or when you've got two ideas (sort of like two separate sentences) to place together into one. They're placed where you would pause if you were reading a sentence out loud; that's what my English teachers always taught me.
PARAGRAPHS. It's awfully hard to read a blog (or anything, really) when everything is put together into one big paragraph. The best way to separate things is to just press the "Enter" key twice on your keyboard each time you want to go to a new paragraph; that way, when people go to read your blog, everything is orderly and easy to read. I can't speak for everyone, but when I click on a blog and all I see is a bunch of words put together in a single paragraph, I don't read it. (Sorry.)
Also, when going to a new paragraph, begin talking about a new thing or a new idea. This way, things are logically in order and you flow from one thing to the next. (Since I can't really show you an example, you can always look around at some of the featured blogs or even my own.)
GRAMMAR. Really, this is a skill you learn on your own. You can use a word processor to correct little grammar mistakes, but those aren't always reliable. If you grammar is absolutely atrocious, I would recommend trying a word processor. Worst case scenario? You might end up using "affect" for "effect" or something like that; not a huge deal, just slightly annoying at times. Also watch out for noun/verb agreement.
SPELLING. This is another skill you have to learn on your own, but when all else fails, type your things up in word and use the spellcheck before you post. There is nothing more insulting to the English language than spelling a word wrong -- and please use words correctly! Words like "to," "too," and "two" are mixed up frequently, as are "they're," "there," "their," and "you're" and "your." Examples of sentences:
I'm going to the store.
He's coming with me, too.
There are only two cars in the lot.
They're my best friends.
The plate is over there.
Their dog is so annoying!
I think you're amazing.
There's no reason your mom would disagree.
In addition, when you're using the word "yours," refrain from putting an apostrophe before the "s." It's grammatically incorrect to do so and will result in making me want to pull my hair out!
I suppose that's it for now. I know my last blog regarding grammar was more of a rant, and I thought maybe I'd offer up something constructive. I'm hoping a few people find this useful, and if anyone things I forgot a category, let me know and I'll update this!
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