The rules of punctuation thread

I can write a sentence with the word "had" repeated eleven time in a row.
Want to see it?

 

Irregardless.....enough said
Karen

 

One thing that bugs me about myself is that I know I end a sentence with a preposition too often. I don't usually realize I am doing it at the time, but when I re-read what I've written I kick myself.

Karen thanks for the explanation about effect and affect. The only time I know that I am using it correctly is when it pertains to psychology, which was my major in college. I should go write a bunch of sentences over and over using both of them correctly so I get it drilled into my brain.

 

Yes, please.

 

Unthawed. I'd rather have a pencil shoved in my ear than here that non-word.

 

ooh good one.

Here are more of mine

youz/yous..... it is like nails on a chalkboard to me.

orientated.... it just sounds completely wrong (and yes I know there are cases and countries where it is appropriate but mine isn't one of them )

Karen

 

My pleasure
I have no easy way to remember that. I was trying to come up with one for my son who was questioning it the other day. The best I could do was Affect is an Action (verb).

Karen

 

James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher.

Now, you add the punctuation so it makes sense!

 

Dave,
That sentence makes absolutely no sense to me whatsoever.

 

When I address an envelope to "The Smiths" I always want to put in an apostrophe. Also, when I say something happened "in the 1900s" I want to stick an apostrophe in there.

Favorite English version of a word -- grey instead of gray. My computer is putting a little red line under the spelling I love right now. I'm ignoring it.


I know the difference between affect and effect, but EVERY TIME I have to go through this memory device -- special effects is spelled with an e, it is a noun, therefore effect is a noun and affect is a verb. Got to be a better way.

Biggest pet peeve seen in writing from highly educated people -- a lot written as alot. Drives me bats.

 

For some reason, I am DYING of laughter reading this thread! You guys are great!

I had an example I wanted to ask you all, but now I forget. I'll think of it again here in a minute.

 

oh we say that all the time. we say things like "what are yous doing?" I can't STAND the word y'all. it drives me crazy. I really hate that word!

 

While I'm thinking, (and it has something to do with quotation marks that I always seem to get wrong--I'm trying to find an example), I'll post my biggest pet peeves, gramatically-speaking:

The mix-up of there, their and there.

There is a place.
Their shows possession.
They're is a contraction meaning they are.

Your and You're

Your shows possession.
You're is a contraction meaning you are.

It's not "Your welcome", it's "You're welcome!"

But I know I make frequent mistakes. I am not good at commas and tend to place way too many of them. I also end sentences with prepositions way too often.


OK!! Here's my question: In my sentence above that's highlighted blue, where does the exclamation mark go? Inside or outside the quotation marks? It seems to me that it would go outside, but I don't think that's correct.

 

Inside. Punctuation goes inside quotation marks.

 

Is that true ALWAYS? Is there even an exception?

 

I mocked that word as well until DH got stationed in Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma. I was shocked at how quickly it became a part of our everyday vocabulary! I almost felt snobby NOT using it!

What's funny is using the phrase, "All y'all." It's plural possessive as far as I can tell. LOL!!!

 

Got a C on a college paper once because the TA claimed contractions can never be used in a formal paper.

 

Think it depends on what style you are using, AP style says always, others don't. That's according to my once copy editor husband. . . .

 

I am LOVING this thread!!! I can tell you from experience - I have worked for some extremely intelligent attorneys over the years and NONE of them could spell or put a sentence together properly!

I think it's like math -- you either got it or you don't! (And yes, I realize that last sentence wasn't gramatically correct! )

 

I hate it when people capitalize words that are not proper nouns. "Doctor" by itself is not a proper noun, and therefore doesn't require capitalization. However, "Doctor Smith" is a proper noun and does.