Get it?
If you don’t understand the reference, check out this quote from Fight Club .
Writing Tips
Deflate those Inflated Phrases
Keep it simple! These are some great suggestions.
Double Negatives
A double negative refers to the use of two forms of negation in the same sentence.
Examples:
- I don’t have none.
- We aren’t never leaving.
Double negatives are not used in American Standard English, but are common in African American Vernacular English and in some regional dialects. Double negatives are also common in some foreign languages.
It is important to note that in most environments, but especially in business and formal settings, the use of double negatives is highly discouraged.
Reblog if you understand how NOT to use an apostrophe.
Good vs. Well
Adverbs are disappearing. One of the most neglected is “well.”
Good is an adjective. Adjectives are used to describe nouns—persons, places, things, or ideas. Good can also be a noun, meaning “that which is morally right; righteousness.”
Well is an adverb. Adverbs are used to describe verbs—action words.
So, are you doing good, well, or both?
Its = possessive form of “it”
It’s = contraction of “it is”
Cool Things We Do With Words: Vows, Oaths, and Promises
What is more special than a promise? As children (and let’s be honest, as adults, too) we valued promises highly among our friends and family. The act of promising and the act of being worth promising something to elevates our relationships. It’s a perfect example of how beautiful and powerful words can be.
There are a lot of amazing activities we do with words and language. Few are as sacred or important as the vows or oaths that we make throughout our lives. Whether vocalized or put into writing, these words are something more than words alone; they convey an emotion and intent that is exclusive to the act of promising, the act of commitment to values and action.
This weekend, the President of the United States will be taking the Oath of Office for his second term. It is a very important promise to the U.S., but as we found out last week there are other vows and oaths that people believe have a larger impact in one’s life.
Which vows, oaths, or promises do you think carry the most weight?
Which of these promises do you think are the most beautifully worded?
Reblog if you have done this!
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How Commas Are (Were) Made
Comma History
“In the 3rd century BC, Aristophanes of Byzantium invented a system of single dots (distinctiones) that separated verses (colometry), and indicated the amount of breath needed to complete each fragment of text, when reading aloud. (1) The different lengths were signified by a dot at the bottom, middle, or top of the line. For a short passage (akomma), a media distinctio dot was placed mid-level ( · ). This is the origin of the concept of a comma, although the name came to be used for the mark itself, instead of the clause it separated.
The mark used today is descended from a diagonal slash, or virgula suspensiva ( / ), used from the 13th to 17th centuries to represent a pause, and was first used by Aldus Manutius.” (2) (3)
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Found at Wikipedia.
Citing:
(1) Truss, Lynn (2004). Eats, Shoot & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. New York: Gotham Books. p. 72. ISBN 1-59240-087-6.
(2) Reading Before Punctuation – Introduction to Latin Literaturepamphlet, Haverford College
(3) Manuscript Studies, Medieval and Early Modern – Palaeography: Punctuation glossary
