Confessions of a Grammar Nazi
***Disclaimer*** I was a bit hesitant to call myself a grammar Nazi, since I am in no way affiliated with actual Nazis or the National Socialist party. But since the term has taken on a different connotation to mean someone who is stern, harsh, or rigid in their dealings(due to the Soup Nazi character from Seinfeld), I'll go ahead and use the term.
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Many years ago, when Xul was a young lass, she wasn't always so good in the subject of English. Not to say she was bad at it, as she managed to get B's and some A's, just not so good as to get straight A's. Then one year, she got an English teacher named Mrs. P who was a bit of an Anglophile. Now, Mrs. P was hardly Xul's favorite teacher, but she did have a special knack for teaching the subject, so young Xul finally started to not completely suck at it. Either that or Xul finally reached the developmental stage to finally understand just to what in the hell all these grammar terminologies were referring. (See, I didn't dangle any participles there! :P)
So now, because of Mrs. P's teaching skills and Xul's now fully functioning brain, all these grammatical rules were implanted deep within Xul's memory repository. Now Xul cannot read fan fictions without going into grammar Nazi mode!
Yes, that is the real confession! I got sucked into reading a fan fiction thanks to Lady Moiraine(an Evil Regal) over on the OUAT fan site. The writer of this particular one tells a good story except for the infernal grammatical errors. Now that sends me into full-on grammar Nazi mode.
For example: one of the things that really gets me going is when someone says "could of" or "should of." In what universe does that even make sense? Seriously? Pairing an auxiliary verb with a preposition? What you are looking for is "could've" (sounds similar) and is the contraction of "could" and "have." The other one that gets me going is misusing "your" and "you're." "Your" is a possessive pronoun and "you're" is the contraction of "you" and "are." Then, of course, there is "there, their, and they're."
Now as far as my own fan fiction is coming, I'm still waiting for this Sunday's new episode to see if I have to make any revisions. I also had the thought of "the silver skates" pop into my mind for some reason. I was thinking of a scene where a character was ice skating and that term popped into my head from somewhere deep within the memory repository. I was sure it was some sort of fairy tale but I couldn't find it in any of my fairy tale books. I ended up Googling it and lo and behold! There was a Disney movie based on the novel Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates.
I just so happen to have that particular novel in my vast book collection. It turns out that it's 300 pages long, so I'm in for a bit of reading. Ah well, anything to make my story good! I think it'll make a nice little detail for this particular character. I'm doing some of those special little nods like the OUAT writers are doing. Just as long as I don't bog myself down with too many details and just stick with telling a good story everything should turn out fine.
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*
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Many years ago, when Xul was a young lass, she wasn't always so good in the subject of English. Not to say she was bad at it, as she managed to get B's and some A's, just not so good as to get straight A's. Then one year, she got an English teacher named Mrs. P who was a bit of an Anglophile. Now, Mrs. P was hardly Xul's favorite teacher, but she did have a special knack for teaching the subject, so young Xul finally started to not completely suck at it. Either that or Xul finally reached the developmental stage to finally understand just to what in the hell all these grammar terminologies were referring. (See, I didn't dangle any participles there! :P)
So now, because of Mrs. P's teaching skills and Xul's now fully functioning brain, all these grammatical rules were implanted deep within Xul's memory repository. Now Xul cannot read fan fictions without going into grammar Nazi mode!
Yes, that is the real confession! I got sucked into reading a fan fiction thanks to Lady Moiraine(an Evil Regal) over on the OUAT fan site. The writer of this particular one tells a good story except for the infernal grammatical errors. Now that sends me into full-on grammar Nazi mode.
For example: one of the things that really gets me going is when someone says "could of" or "should of." In what universe does that even make sense? Seriously? Pairing an auxiliary verb with a preposition? What you are looking for is "could've" (sounds similar) and is the contraction of "could" and "have." The other one that gets me going is misusing "your" and "you're." "Your" is a possessive pronoun and "you're" is the contraction of "you" and "are." Then, of course, there is "there, their, and they're."
Now as far as my own fan fiction is coming, I'm still waiting for this Sunday's new episode to see if I have to make any revisions. I also had the thought of "the silver skates" pop into my mind for some reason. I was thinking of a scene where a character was ice skating and that term popped into my head from somewhere deep within the memory repository. I was sure it was some sort of fairy tale but I couldn't find it in any of my fairy tale books. I ended up Googling it and lo and behold! There was a Disney movie based on the novel Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates.
I just so happen to have that particular novel in my vast book collection. It turns out that it's 300 pages long, so I'm in for a bit of reading. Ah well, anything to make my story good! I think it'll make a nice little detail for this particular character. I'm doing some of those special little nods like the OUAT writers are doing. Just as long as I don't bog myself down with too many details and just stick with telling a good story everything should turn out fine.
posted by Xul at 11:30 PM
8 Comments:
"could of" or "should of." In what universe does that even make sense?
Isn't that British slang or something?
Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates.
It's kinda funny that that Hans Brinker character is a part of American folklore when most Dutch people have never even heard of him.
my vast book collection
How vast is that exactly?
Isn't that British slang or something? IDK, it's just bad grammar to me. "Could've" sounds like "could of" the way most people say it.
most Dutch people have never even heard of him. I think the stories came from some Dutch peeps who were neighbors of the author. I'm guessing that they were their own personal experiences, not something in Dutch folklore.
How vast is that exactly? Probably hundreds.
Probably hundreds.
Do you keep them in bookcases? I used to have a nice bookcase but now all my books are stored in my parents' attic.
Why do you have so many books? What type of books are they?
I think I have a little over a hundred science fiction novels, dozens of computer books, a few history books, some comic books.
Do you keep them in bookcases? I used to have a nice bookcase that I kept them in but my mother got a bug up her ass about it years ago and I had to take all my books off of it. Then she put the bookcase in the spare bedroom and now it is loaded with a bunch of crap. Now, all my books are in the basement, mostly in crates and some on another bookcase/baker's rack thing.
Why do you have so many books? Because I am a big nerd with lots of interests.
What type of books are they? All sorts. Most of the classic fictions, some sci-fi stuff, fairy tales and that genre, martial arts books, cook books, lots of different things.
Oh Arekino, I've done it now! I've gone full nerd and registered at the OUAT fan site. LOL
I've gone full nerd
It's okay. Just don't go full retard... :D :P
registered at the OUAT fan site
What's the advantage of registering?
full retard That'll never happen.
What's the advantage of registering? I can vote on the polls and respond to posts(argue with strangers and be a smart-ass). And most importantly, be nosy and look at people's profiles.
And what are you doing this fine day, Arekino? Is there still snow to frolic in?
That'll never happen.
I'm inclined to believe you.
Is there still snow to frolic in?
An additional centimetre. Haven't done much frolicking.
And what are you doing today?
And what are you doing today? I was stuck inside until early afternoon because of a light rain. Then it cleared up and I went to the post office. After that, it was kinda nice outside so I sat in the backyard while drinking my tea. Now, I'm going to watch the news(they say the string of hot weather is over) and surf the web.
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