conundrum!
I am normally what one would call a grammar nazi, were the term even remotely politically correct. I don't slaughter people over incorrect grammar or spelling, but I have many a friend who will testify that I have jumped down their throat over their minor tweaking of the English language. I value correct pronunciation, punctuation, and spelling. This may be a good portion of why I so dearly love Rebekah in all her linguistics major glory. This is also why I just LOVE to edit people's papers - if you are ever in need of a peer review, please come to me!
However, as I'm sure you've noticed, I tend to stretch those rules to their limits - and often break them. I definitely overuse the hyphen, and the comma...and the ellipse. It galls me at times. But! (Oh yeah, and the whole starting sentences with 'but' and 'and,' and having sentences that don't end, aren't enough words, or run on and on, or lack an actual verb...or subject...). Sigh. Why would I do these things if they bother me deep down, you ask?
Inflection. When I write (for blogging, and texting, etc, not for papers or school), my main goal is not technical accuracy but the transmission of my thoughts. And believe you me, my thoughts are quite colorful. I want you to hear me, not just read the words I've typed. Playing around with my punctuation, capitalization, and sentence structure (to the point where some of them have no structure) allows me to feel like I've put my own voice into the piece.
As a side note, I hope my posts aren't usually quite as full of errors as this one is, but I suppose it's all going in for emphasis/dramatic effect.
I'm sure there are people that this bothers. Every time I write, I stumble over it. The OCD side of me says NO, that's not right, fix it! The writing part of me says, but it gets the point across the way I want them to read it! How often does a simple text message convey the totally wrong idea because of how someone reads it in their head differently from how the writer intended? Ah, the confusion of internet communication! Since you can't actually hear me speaking and thus cannot hear my vocal inflection, I attempt as best I can to pass it along through my many strange mutilations of grammar. Sometimes it works, sometimes I'm sure it just makes me look strange. I'm okay with strange. This way, the blog is very me.
Anyways, consider this my apology to all those of you who really are sticklers for the Correctly Punctuated Queen's English. I promise I'm normally one of your number! And an unnecessary explanation for all you who did not notice. And there I go again. And again. (that cycle is self-replicating...sorry. I should stop now.)
Long winded. Apologies. Goodnight, poor readers!
However, as I'm sure you've noticed, I tend to stretch those rules to their limits - and often break them. I definitely overuse the hyphen, and the comma...and the ellipse. It galls me at times. But! (Oh yeah, and the whole starting sentences with 'but' and 'and,' and having sentences that don't end, aren't enough words, or run on and on, or lack an actual verb...or subject...). Sigh. Why would I do these things if they bother me deep down, you ask?
Inflection. When I write (for blogging, and texting, etc, not for papers or school), my main goal is not technical accuracy but the transmission of my thoughts. And believe you me, my thoughts are quite colorful. I want you to hear me, not just read the words I've typed. Playing around with my punctuation, capitalization, and sentence structure (to the point where some of them have no structure) allows me to feel like I've put my own voice into the piece.
As a side note, I hope my posts aren't usually quite as full of errors as this one is, but I suppose it's all going in for emphasis/dramatic effect.
I'm sure there are people that this bothers. Every time I write, I stumble over it. The OCD side of me says NO, that's not right, fix it! The writing part of me says, but it gets the point across the way I want them to read it! How often does a simple text message convey the totally wrong idea because of how someone reads it in their head differently from how the writer intended? Ah, the confusion of internet communication! Since you can't actually hear me speaking and thus cannot hear my vocal inflection, I attempt as best I can to pass it along through my many strange mutilations of grammar. Sometimes it works, sometimes I'm sure it just makes me look strange. I'm okay with strange. This way, the blog is very me.
Anyways, consider this my apology to all those of you who really are sticklers for the Correctly Punctuated Queen's English. I promise I'm normally one of your number! And an unnecessary explanation for all you who did not notice. And there I go again. And again. (that cycle is self-replicating...sorry. I should stop now.)
Long winded. Apologies. Goodnight, poor readers!
English is a very formal language. One should in no way alter it, play with it or be lazy with... hermernermernermerner....
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