User:Bill/Grammar Guide

From Homestar Runner Wiki

Below are some of the demons that I try to exorcise from the wiki.

This is a work in progress. You can request additions here.

• alot — This should be two words. Always.

• everyday — Many people mistakenly type this as one word when it's supposed to be two. As a single word, it is an adjective, as in "let's use the everyday china". If you're not using it as an adjective, chances are you need to make it two words. One diagnostic trick is to replace "day" with "week" and see if what you wrote still makes sense.

• is comprised of — Comprise is a synonym for include, but some people misuse it as a synonym for compose (the most common offense being "is comprised of"). A book comprises the chapters. The chapters do not "comprise" the book, and the book is not "comprised of" its chapters. If you want that sentence structure, use is composed of, is made of, includes, etc.

• its vs. it's — Anybody who still isn't sure about this one should watch local news again and memorize "Strong Bad's Rhythm 'n' Grammar":

Ohhhhh... If you want it to be possessive,
It's just "I-T-S."
But if it's supposed to be a contraction,
Then it's "I-T-apostrophe-S,"
Scalawag.

If you insist on using it's as a possessive, then please have the decency to also use her's, him's, you's, me's, them's, and us's.

• only (dangling modifier) — A modifying word should be as close as possible to the thing it modifies. Usually, the "only" is occurring too early in the sentence.

Wrong: I only bought her the present because I wanted to say I was sorry.

Right: I bought her the present only because I wanted to say I was sorry.

The word only isn't restricting the number of things you bought; it is restricting the reason for the purchase.

• serial comma — Someday I will write the argument for why serial commas are the way to go, and those of you with a newspaper background will tar and feather me.

• should of — This is a common corruption of should've or should have, and comes from what Bernstein calls "a bad ear". Homestar provides a deliberate example of this in dullard.

• somewhat of a — This phrase is never correct; use "something of a" instead. Examples of correct usage:

He took a somewhat biased approach.

Mom is somewhat perturbed.

Bobby is something of a showoff.

• till and 'till — Use 'til or until. Don't use till unless you're flippin' dirt or operatin' a cash register. Never use 'till under any circumstances.

• weather — If you mean the conjunction whether, then type "whether".

• which vs. that — I need to remember to write something here about restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses.