UVU Writing
Garrett Winn's Writing Classes for UVU
Reading for Sept. 15 (Grammar)
September 11th, 2009 by Garrett in Grammar, Reading ||

The reading for Tuesday is all about grammar. I don’t expect you to read ALL of it, just the parts that you feel you need to work on or learn more about.

However, you should read the first several pages in AB and DK very carefully in case there is a quiz (hint!).

Also, comment here with one or two examples of poor grammar. Be sure to give an explanation about what is wrong with it (so we know you know, and to teach those who may not yet know).

This is an assignment. To get credit, you must post before class starts. You must give at least one example of poor grammar and then explain why it is not good.

The examples can be from anywhere or anyone (you may want to hide or obscure identifying information to protect the grammatically ignorant), including yourself.

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25 Comments »

Comment by ashleyjolley
2009-09-14 14:32:43

ok, so my friends and I are way O.C.D. about people say “Me and her” when it should really be “She and I”. For example, if someone said, “Me and Kajsia went to the mall” it would be wrong. The correct way woul be “Kajsia and I went to the mall”.

 
Comment by Danica
2009-09-14 18:07:05

Some of the DVD`s that I own are The Ten Commandments Karate Kid Doctor Who Sherlock Holmes National Treasure My Fair Lady The Addams Family and Star Wars. Coma’s are a wonderful invention. The sentence should have a coma after the name of each movie. It shows that they are separate DVD`s.

Comment by Codys
2009-09-14 18:25:36

I think you mean comma, but good example.

 
 
Comment by Codys
2009-09-14 18:13:56

It always bothers me when people use double negatives without realizing it. this makes them say the opposite of what they are trying to say. example, there isn’t nobody that can do that. It was silent and nobody said nothing.

 
Comment by Bronson
2009-09-14 19:04:20

Something that has bothered me for a long time is the misuse of “your” and “you’re” in writing. Because of the prolific use of texting and instant messaging, many people will use “your” in place of the conjuction “you’re” because it is simply shorter. It should be “your” for the possessive and “you’re” for “you are.” Yeah, I know I’m a little O.C.D about that. Anybody else feel that way?

Comment by Garrett
2009-10-07 13:23:29

I do ;-)

 
 
Comment by bschauerhamer
2009-09-14 20:40:39

2day I was thinking bout wot 2 write about and couldnt think of nthing 2 write about. so I 8 dnr b4 writing this. if u cant c nthing wrong with this or have an ez time reading it then u send 2 mny txt msg.

For those that had a hard time understanding that here is is in regular writing.

“Today I was thinking about what to write about and couldn’t think of anything to write about. So I ate dinner before writing this. If you can’t see anything wrong with this or have an easy time reading it then you send to many text messages.”

I really hope that I don’t have to explain what is wrong with the grammar in the sentence above. But for those of you who might be wondering you really shouldn’t use shortcuts in writing whether it be in email or on your phone. Soon everything will appear like this and then you will be speaking like you type.

Comment by brandondavis
2009-09-15 10:08:16
2day I was thinking bout wot 2 write about and couldnt think of nthing 2 write about. so I 8 dnr b4 writing this. if u cant c nthing wrong with this or have an ez time reading it then u send 2 mny txt msg.

This makes my head hurt.

 
 
Comment by Z Subscribed to comments via email
2009-09-15 09:19:11

My biggest pet peeve in grammar is when people use the abbreviations like OMG, BRB, TTYL, in actual writing. As ridiculous as that sounds, I’ve seen it happen. Another form of poor grammar that I have found to be a problem for many people is using the proper Homonyms. Such as: band-banned, to-too, billed-build, slay-sleigh. Again it sounds completely ridiculous but it happens a lot more than it should. My family has owned various small companies over the years, through this you would honestly be shocked with how many people fail to use proper grammar on resumes. Just goes to show, spell check does not always do the job for you.

 
Comment by Lori
2009-09-15 09:55:32

A lot of people use were and was incorrectly. For example, “If I was rich, I would buy lots and lots of clothes.” It really should be “If I were rich, I would buy lots and lots of clothes.”
Spelling a lot as one word instead of two seems to always get me. Something else I have trouble with is remembering which way to put the i and e in certain words like receive and their.

 
Comment by brandondavis
2009-09-15 10:30:11

“Have you been to there new home?”

There should be their.

 
Comment by jokemu47
2009-09-15 10:37:02

Up till this moment, i still have a big struggle with when to use being and been, if you have an idea that will save me out of this problem, please dont hesitate to let me Know.
1)Were are you going? This is wrong because it should be Where not WERE, this is one that I mistake often.
2)When my grandmom is alive she used to take good care of me. This is not correct because the is, is used in present terms. It should say When my grandmom WAS alive she took good care of me.

Comment by Garrett
2009-10-07 13:26:14

Being is for something in the present.

Been is for something in the past.

 
 
Comment by alinford
2009-09-15 15:17:17

Incorrect verb tense can cause a lot of confusion when reading something or trying to follow a story someone is telling. Here is an example:

Wrong: I told him that he could drop by any time and I will be happy to help him.

Correct: I told him that he could drop by any time and I would be happy to help him.

 
Comment by Claflin
2009-09-15 15:21:48

Well, sometimes restaurants and news papers will write some pretty stupid things, like this ad I found which says, “IT TAKES MANY INGREDIENTS TO MAKE BURGER KING GREAT BUT… the secret ingredient is our people”. No wonder it makes me sick.

Comment by Garrett
2009-10-07 13:27:22

ha ha. Though, this is not really grammar.

 
 
Comment by Chris Rockey
2009-09-15 15:49:46

Growing up in the south a word we commonly use is yall. We should say we all or everyone but instead we use lazy english and use yall. Alot of the time we use fixin. Such as we are fixin to go to dinner. It should be are getting ready to go or we are about to go.

Comment by Garrett
2009-10-07 13:28:49

You also (unintentionally) give a good example of a misplaced modifier.

The way it is worded now seems to indicate that “a word” was “growing up in the south” when you really meant that you grew up in the south.

 
 
Comment by n8christensen
2009-09-15 16:19:54

Something that really gets me as far as bad grammar is when people use “should of’” and “could of’”, when it should actually be “could have” and “should have”.

 
Comment by Nbeck
2009-09-15 16:25:04

I lived in the south for two years and I heard many examples of bad grammar. One that comes to mind, that has a funny story is, “Where you stay at?” The correct way to ask that question would be, “where are you staying at”.

 
Comment by ajbird
2009-09-15 16:47:55

Last sunday is my roomates birthday. We had ate many much junk food and drank to more much alcohol for tomorrow being a weekday. I wake up with the wost hangover and had to go work a full day. It was a pretty rough day.

Last sunday was my roomates birthday. We ate to much junk food, and drank to much alcohol for the next day being a weekday. I woke up with the worst hangover, and had to work a full day. It was a pretty rough day.

Comment by Garrett
2009-10-07 13:33:50

You’re supposed to explain what is wrong.

You also corrected some things, but left lots of poor spelling and punctuation.

Better:
Last Sunday was my roommate’s birthday. We ate too much junk food and drank too much alcohol for a week night. I woke up with the worst hangover, and had to work a full day. It was a pretty rough day.

 
 
Comment by Light M.
2009-09-15 17:47:47

Take a look at there house. It looks so small over their on that hill. One day i will take you’re house and make it my own. I just hope your not to mad about it.

I have thie biggest weakness of using the proper there’s and their and were’s and where’s etc… I do live chat tech support all day grammar is not a priority simply speed.

Take a look at their house. It looks so small over there on that hill. One day I will take your house and make it my own. I just hoep you’re not too mad about it.

 
Comment by Ethan
2009-09-15 20:22:12

awww man! i fergot to right sumthing four this grammer post befour class. better late than never i supposed. i wo’nt forget to send my peer revewe drafts before i go to bed for sure cuz i needs to do em or ben mite puch me in teh face.

Comment by Garrett
2009-10-07 13:35:06

Funny. But you were supposed to say what was wrong with it too.

 
 
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