Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] grammar chat
Kolleen
>Bridget wrote:I'm not familiar with Little Brown. Coming from a newspaper background I
>It's funny you should pick that one to single out! Our exchange
>student is a senior and he used a quote in an english term paper that
>included - - 1960's - - with the apostrophe. His teacher flagged it
>and said he should have use [sic]. Well, being the grammar nazi that
>I am, I had to go look it up. According to Little Brown 7th edition
>either way is correct when referring to a year or range of years.
used to use 'Styles of the Times' which was the LAST word on any grammar
rules for most newspaper editors.
I stand corrected. Or at least corrected by Little Brown 7th edition. Or
at least by whatever is the acceptable grammar law. Is there a grammar
law, like the last word on what is correct?
>AND then you have to take into account age of the writer too. RulesWhen I was young, we were taught to use commas when listing things until
>have changed in my lifetime. It is really hard to change thirty year
>old writing habits to meet the current MLA guidelines!
>
the last two. Then the word 'and' replaced the comma:
-I have a blue, red, yellow and green book.
Unless it was a combination such as:
-This morning I had coffee, ham and eggs, and toast.
Then I saw some grammar police on Oprah one day and he said its:
-I have a blue, red, yellow, and green book.
The core of my beleif system was shaken!!! I was outraged!!!!
Laughingly though, I guess things change so much eventually everyone will
have their own rules. And I'll still have my pet peeves.
thanks for the chat on non-substantial issues.
kolleen
Tia Leschke
>Funny. I was taught the second way, and recently heard (in an editing
>When I was young, we were taught to use commas when listing things until
>the last two. Then the word 'and' replaced the comma:
>-I have a blue, red, yellow and green book.
>
>Unless it was a combination such as:
>-This morning I had coffee, ham and eggs, and toast.
>
>Then I saw some grammar police on Oprah one day and he said its:
>-I have a blue, red, yellow, and green book.
class) that it was changing to the first way.
Tia
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
Eleanor Roosevelt
*********************************************
Tia Leschke
leschke@...
On Vancouver Island
[email protected]
Ooh, fun!
You guys would love the Grammar Lady. Go to the FAQ. She charges for specific
questions, but there is heaps of stuff I've forgotten since school days for
freeee. I have definite weaknesses, but I welcome the lesson when people call
my mistakes to my attention. So feel free. :) (For instance: "there is heaps
of stuff" or "there are heaps of stuff"?
http://www.grammarlady.com/index.html
From her site (FWIW):
Q: I am having an ongoing discussion with a friend regarding the use of a
comma before the word "and" in a list. An example: I like apples, peaches,
plums, and pears. My friend says that I should omit the comma and write: I
like apples, peaches, plums and pears. Most of the textbooks that I have seen
that it is optional unless the sentence can be misunderstood with the comma
left out - but go on to say that it is better to use the comma to avoid any
possibility of misunderstanding.
A: This has been discussed at length and on several occasions here. The
consensus is to use it--it takes so little effort, it is always correct, and
it may avoid confusion.
You guys would love the Grammar Lady. Go to the FAQ. She charges for specific
questions, but there is heaps of stuff I've forgotten since school days for
freeee. I have definite weaknesses, but I welcome the lesson when people call
my mistakes to my attention. So feel free. :) (For instance: "there is heaps
of stuff" or "there are heaps of stuff"?
http://www.grammarlady.com/index.html
From her site (FWIW):
Q: I am having an ongoing discussion with a friend regarding the use of a
comma before the word "and" in a list. An example: I like apples, peaches,
plums, and pears. My friend says that I should omit the comma and write: I
like apples, peaches, plums and pears. Most of the textbooks that I have seen
that it is optional unless the sentence can be misunderstood with the comma
left out - but go on to say that it is better to use the comma to avoid any
possibility of misunderstanding.
A: This has been discussed at length and on several occasions here. The
consensus is to use it--it takes so little effort, it is always correct, and
it may avoid confusion.
rumpleteasermom
--- In Unschooling-dotcom@y..., Kolleen <Kolleen@m...> wrote:
Did you know that there are TONS of differences between journalistic
standards and academic ones?
Actually, I am having fun watching for changes, the comma thing you
mentioned is a good one. My thing is using he and a third person
singular gender neutral pronoun. It's what I learned and it is not
going to change. He or she appears to be the current correct form.
I personally think we should go with shheit - say it out loud.
Bridget
> I'm not familiar with Little Brown. Coming from a newspaperbackground I
> used to use 'Styles of the Times' which was the LAST word on anygrammar
> rules for most newspaper editors.And the big lightbulb goes on over my head!
Did you know that there are TONS of differences between journalistic
standards and academic ones?
Actually, I am having fun watching for changes, the comma thing you
mentioned is a good one. My thing is using he and a third person
singular gender neutral pronoun. It's what I learned and it is not
going to change. He or she appears to be the current correct form.
I personally think we should go with shheit - say it out loud.
Bridget
Lynda
All formatting and grammar "laws" are applicable to set areas. If you are
doing "formatting" as in a typing class for credit at a jr/community college
for example, all sentences are followed by 2 spaces. If you are doing type
setting typing for journalism classes, all sentences are followed by one
space.
For Business English classes (and related classes), the "bibles" are Gregg
and HOW.
If you are taking higher English classes, a lot of the schools use "Little
Brown" or another one I can't find right now.
Journalism has a whole set of their own.
And we wonder why ESL folks say that English is the hardest language to
learn <g>
Lynda
doing "formatting" as in a typing class for credit at a jr/community college
for example, all sentences are followed by 2 spaces. If you are doing type
setting typing for journalism classes, all sentences are followed by one
space.
For Business English classes (and related classes), the "bibles" are Gregg
and HOW.
If you are taking higher English classes, a lot of the schools use "Little
Brown" or another one I can't find right now.
Journalism has a whole set of their own.
And we wonder why ESL folks say that English is the hardest language to
learn <g>
Lynda
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kolleen" <Kolleen@...>
To: "Unschooling.com" <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2002 3:58 PM
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] grammar chat
> >Bridget wrote:
> >It's funny you should pick that one to single out! Our exchange
> >student is a senior and he used a quote in an english term paper that
> >included - - 1960's - - with the apostrophe. His teacher flagged it
> >and said he should have use [sic]. Well, being the grammar nazi that
> >I am, I had to go look it up. According to Little Brown 7th edition
> >either way is correct when referring to a year or range of years.
>
> I'm not familiar with Little Brown. Coming from a newspaper background I
> used to use 'Styles of the Times' which was the LAST word on any grammar
> rules for most newspaper editors.
>
> I stand corrected. Or at least corrected by Little Brown 7th edition. Or
> at least by whatever is the acceptable grammar law. Is there a grammar
> law, like the last word on what is correct?
>
>
> >AND then you have to take into account age of the writer too. Rules
> >have changed in my lifetime. It is really hard to change thirty year
> >old writing habits to meet the current MLA guidelines!
> >
>
> When I was young, we were taught to use commas when listing things until
> the last two. Then the word 'and' replaced the comma:
> -I have a blue, red, yellow and green book.
>
> Unless it was a combination such as:
> -This morning I had coffee, ham and eggs, and toast.
>
> Then I saw some grammar police on Oprah one day and he said its:
> -I have a blue, red, yellow, and green book.
>
> The core of my beleif system was shaken!!! I was outraged!!!!
>
>
> Laughingly though, I guess things change so much eventually everyone will
> have their own rules. And I'll still have my pet peeves.
>
> thanks for the chat on non-substantial issues.
>
>
> kolleen
>
>
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brighteyesgreen35
I remember being taught that both were acceptable. <g>
Joy in NM
Joy in NM
> > When I was young, we were taught to use commas when listingthings until
> > the last two. Then the word 'and' replaced the comma:
> > -I have a blue, red, yellow and green book.
> >
> > Unless it was a combination such as:
> > -This morning I had coffee, ham and eggs, and toast.
> >
> > Then I saw some grammar police on Oprah one day and he said its:
> > -I have a blue, red, yellow, and green book.
> >
> > The core of my beleif system was shaken!!! I was outraged!!!!
>
Tia Leschke
>ROFL!
>
>Actually, I am having fun watching for changes, the comma thing you
>mentioned is a good one. My thing is using he and a third person
>singular gender neutral pronoun. It's what I learned and it is not
>going to change. He or she appears to be the current correct form.
>I personally think we should go with shheit - say it out loud.
Tia
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
Eleanor Roosevelt
*********************************************
Tia Leschke
leschke@...
On Vancouver Island