Some topics people disagree on and why different opinions are valid
In a previous post, I brought up a topic (oxford commas) and disagreed with it although it is a commonly accepted idea when it comes to grammar. Check it out if you haven’t already!
In said post, I mentioned that there are different opinions on language and grammar that may contest one another but are still valid.
Before I go on, I just want to say that this post may irritate some people. I’ve made some people very, very angry in the past by talking about this very topic! And, while I operate with the hope that everyone has open minds and open hearts, I know this isn’t always the case. So please, don’t continue to read this if you have very dogmatic views on how language and grammar work because it might just make you angry and I don’t want that uwu
Moving on!
Before I get into my personal views, I want to state that a lot of my views on language and grammar come from deconstruction and deconstructive criticism, which was pioneered by the philosopher, Jacques Derrida. Other big names in deconstruction include: Luce Irigaray and Geoffrey Hartman.
I’m not going to explain deconstruction today, I may in the future, but this post isn’t strictly about deconstruction and it is kind of a hefty topic.
So, I believe that language, and therefore grammar, is fluid and subject to change. The reason I believe this, and not just because I studied deconstruction, is because we, humans, made up language and therefore can do whatever we want with it. That right there is the opinion that irritates people.
But it’s true! Take, for example, slang. There are a lot of words we use today, that used to mean something else: such as, names for animals that are now used as curse words.
One such animal, is the snake. We can use the word not only to refer to the animal, but to refer to a person that is duplicitous; in other words, a person that can, will or has betrayed us. This is also where the phrase “snake in the grass” comes from, because oftentimes, like a snake in the grass, we don’t always notice the presence a bad person until they’ve already bitten us.
But slang isn’t the only way in which we do whatever we want with language, regardless of what others (such as our elders) think.
For instance, some people (for example: Robert Lowth) decided that English should function more like Latin and thus forced Latin rules onto a language that is largely Germanic. Many of his rules are still used in schools today! The most common of which is: that stranding, hanging or dangling prepositions is incorrect or, more accurately, improper.
I did not even know that this was a rule until one professor pointed it out to me, none of my other professors had a problem with it.
Unfortunately, I’m not going to explain what a preposition is, nor shall I explain what preposition stranding is. Not today!
However, I will say this, despite Lowth, and many people still adhering to this rule, since English is Germanic, this rule is unnecessary. In Lowth’s defense though, I do agree that it makes English sound more formal, and therefore I do sometimes follow this rule in my own writing.
Another way in which some people force English to sound more Latin, is in the plural of some words. Unfortunately, I do not know who pioneered this so I cannot point the finger at them.
Some examples of “Lantinizing” plural words are: cacti, octopi and antennae. I won’t argue with antennae but I, personally, argue with octopi all the time. Because English is not a Latin language, it has some Latin influence, but is still, for the most part, a Germanic language. I kid you not, if you look up octopus in the dictionary, most dictionaries have “octopi” and “octopuses” both listed as the plural form because they are both technically correct. The difference being that “octopi” is Latin and “octopuses” is Germanic.
With writing, the key is consistency, so if you’re going to use one plural form, you should stick to that form in that particular item of writing. However, if you want, you can use Latin and Germanic plurals interchangeably in your own life.
Me, personally, I do use Latin plurals fairly often but I like the way “octopuses” sounds better and use it exclusively, no “octopi” for me!
Lastly, I’m going to mention a few different words that are not just words but titles of social issues. I’m not going to discuss the social issues because this is a writing blog but I want to bring them up because I believe that it is important to realize that many, many words have different meanings for different people, even when the meanings are as vast and important as social issues.
The three words in particular that I want to mention are gay, feminist and racist.
First up, gay. To some people, this word means “homosexual,” but for other people, it is a blanket term, meaning “not straight,” furthermore and however, to some people it still retains vestiges of it’s old meaning, “happy,” and therefore can be used to describe something that evokes strong, positive, emotional feelings.
Next up, feminist. Feminist can mean that someone or something is, well, feminist. But what does that mean? Is it in support of women? If it’s a thing, does it contain mostly or solely women or is somehow about women? Or does the person or thing believe in or contain the deconstruction of gender roles and stereotypes and believes in or advocates for the destruction of the patriarchy for the sake of all sexes? The answer is, all of the above. They may not always be true all the time or especially at the same time. But, at the end of the day, they are all descriptions of feminist.
And, lastly, racist. First of all, it can be an adjective for a person that is, well, a racist. It can also be used to describe a thing that is racist. But, like the previous words, it can have different connotations. Does racist describe a person or thing that engages in discriminatory and/or hateful behavior and/or discourse based on differences in race? Yes. However, does racist also refer to a system in which one race is dominant and therefore all other races are at a disadvantage? Yes.
It might be risky to bring up such hot topics on a writing blog but many people are very decided in the definition of these words, to the point where they will literally fight if someone uses them in an alternate way. And I believe that this illustrates the fluidity of language, as well as the possibility of differing views among contemporaries.
I didn’t bring up BTS at all today, sadly, but before I go, I want to remind everyone to love themselves and to love others. And, in loving yourself and others, please don’t respond to this post with hate. I certainly will not respond to any hate.
However, as always, if you have any questions, I will be more than happy to answer them!
Now, you might be thinking, “what are you talking about, isn’t the most common punctuation the period?”
But, by my logic, you may potentially use a comma many, many, many, many times in a sentence, whereas you only use the period once per sentence!
Moving on, there are so many different ways to use a comma, that today I’m only going to focus on the main three, which are the most common. The other ways in which to use a comma have their own subcategories and therefore will receive their own post in the future.
The first way, I kid you not, I struggle with myself. And that is, using a comma before a coordinating conjunction (sometimes I try to use them after, but that isn’t correct uwu).
There are many conjunctions, but in English, we only have seven coordinating conjunctions: and, but, or, nor, for, so and yet (btw my favorite coordinating conjunction is nor).
Now, you don’t have to use a comma before every coordinating conjunction, but only when coordinating conjunctions are joining independent clauses (this sentence is an example).
And, furthermore, you don’t follow this rule when the clauses are short enough and there is no danger of the reader misunderstanding if you don’t use a comma.
I’m going to use the same subject in two different ways in order to show how to use a comma with a coordinating conjunction and when you don’t need to use a comma with a coordinating conjunction.
BTS had a great time performing at the AMAs in the USA, but now they’re heading back to Korea.
BTS had a great time in the USA but now they’re returning to Korea.
Moving on!
This is my favorite way to use a comma, I kid you not, and that is, after an introduction (either a phrase, word or a clause).
Basically, sometimes you will use a phrase, word or clause to introduce a sentence.
I just did it! “Basically,” in that sentence, introduced the sentence.
And I just did it again! “In that sentence,” is a phrase and it introduced the sentence.
And a phrase is a combination of words that does not make up a clause, such as, well “such as.”
Please allow me to provide an example of introducing a sentence with a clause.
BTS won their first “Artist of the Year” award in 2016, at the MAMAs in Hong Kong.
One of these days, I’ll explain what a clause and what a phrase is, I promise.
Moving on to the most common and least fun way to use a comma! And that is, in-between items in a list. I’m going to make a quick list as an example.
My favorite members of BTS are: Kim Namjoon, Kim Seokjin, Min Yoongi, Jung Hoseok, Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung and Jeon Jungkook!
That’s it for today! As always, feel free to hmu with any questions! And, if you need more help than I can provide, check out my favorite punctuation guide!
http://www.thepunctuationguide.com/index.html
Furthermore, I am not a grammar machine. If you notice me making any mistakes, especially in my examples, please feel free to let me know!
Today, I struggled with whether or not I was actually making a proper phrase, so I used the link provided below to help me out.
Semicolons can be fairly confusing punctuation but since they’re so rare (except for separating lists within lists), when most people ask me about them, I tell them not to use them. Chances are, you’re going to need to use a semicolon about 0.01 times in your lifetime so it’s a pretty safe bet not to use them at all. And if one is needed, whomever is proofreading your work will let you know or, more likely, no one will even notice.
That being said, semicolons can be really fun! And I’m going to explain the three ways to use a semicolon as simply as possible so that, even if you don’t love them as much as I do, it’ll be easier for you to recognize if you ever need to use one.
We’re going to start with the most fun way (also the most rare and possibly the most confusing way) to use a semicolon and work our way down to the not-so-fun.
So, the most fun way to use a semicolon is as a period’s little sister and as a comma’s big sister.
What does that mean?
Well, sometimes you use a semicolon to separate two independent clauses, too independent for a comma but not independent enough for a period. Explaining it like that is oversimplifying it a lot but the real reason we do this is way too complicated for me to explain in my own words.
Let’s go to an example!
BTS debuted with their first EP, O!RUL8,2? in 2013; in 2014, they released their first full-length album, Dark&Wild.
Ignore the commas in that example! The commas have absolutely nothing to do with the use of the semicolon. The reason we use a semicolon in this way is because we have two independent clauses but they’re not independent enough to be their own sentences.
Furthermore, they contain related subjects and do not need a conjunction (such as and or but) for the reader to understand that they’re related. Also, I should maybe mention that using a comma, and not a semicolon, here would create a type run-on sentence called a “comma splice,” and thus would be improper grammar. But I’m not going to explain comma splices here.
Moving on! In the second way to use a semicolon, I’m going to begin with an example before explaining.
Seokjin’s voice is very suited to ballads; this does not mean, however, that his voice is not suited to other genres, like hip hop.
So, in this way, it’s easier to know when to use a semicolon but the explanation is a tad more complicated so hold on tight!
Okay, so, you use semicolons in-between independent clauses that are too independent for a comma or a regular coordinating conjunction (like: and or but). Instead, what these clauses use to separate them are transitional expressions: transitional expressions can be either conjunctive adverbs (like: however) or transitional phrases (like: after all or for example).
Furthermore, like in our example here, you may use a conjunctive adverb or a transitional phrase later on in the second clause, which may make it a tiny bit confusing on where to put the semicolon. However, “this does not mean,” begins the second clause and therefore, you place the semicolon before that, because the semicolon is there to separate the two clauses!
Onto the third and final way to use a semicolon! This way is more common and, in my opinion, the least fun way in which to use a semicolon. Another way to use the semicolon is to separate lists within a list.
What does that mean? Let’s use an example!
Over the years, BTS has released many albums, including, Wings, with songs like Blood, Sweat and Tears, Am I Wrong, and 21st Century Girls; The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 1, with songs like I Need U, Dope and Converse High; and Love Yourself: Her, with songs like Serendipity, Pied Piper and GoGo.
I think it’s pretty self-explanatory but, basically, in our example, we have a list that contains lists within itself and, since we use a comma to separate the “mini lists,” we use a semicolon in order to separate the items of the main list.
That’s it on semicolons!
If you’d like some further reading, I strongly recommend the link I’m about to provide, it is my favorite punctuation resource!
http://www.thepunctuationguide.com/index.html
And if you ever have any questions, feel free to ask!
This is about constructive criticism and learning how to graciously accept it and use it to make you into a better you!
Constructive criticism is how we learn and grow as people, not only artists. So, my advice is to go through life with an open mind and open heart and never stop learning!
After all, even the most beautiful plants need regular pruning or they will wilt. They don't suddenly reach an age where they don't need pruning anymore. And I think the same goes for people and learning new things. So please, don't let the beautiful flower that is you wilt from lack of regular learning and improvement.
As BTS says, "love myself" and "love yourself!" I strongly believe that part of loving yourself is understanding that constructive criticism is not meant to hurt but is meant to be a tool to help you grow. Self love is to never stop learning and growing!
Now, I understand that constructive criticism is hard to take. Any criticism is. And the ability to receive it is definitely a learned one. When I was studying writing we had to sit through entire workshops where everyone would critique the writing and the author was not allowed to say a word.
I once had to sit through a guy spend five minutes trying to make sense of one of my sentences over a simple typo and I wasn't allowed to correct him. It was excruciating!
But, like all skills, it gets easier with practice and experience.
And I'm not saying you should take anyone's crap either. But if someone says "hey, I think you need a comma here," please please please understand that they're just trying to help, even if you disagree because you have very strong and educated opinions about comma placement. But it would definitely be a valuable learning experience to find out why they think a comma belongs there.
Anyway, so let's discuss grammar!
Proper grammar is for the reader, not the writer. I strongly urge and plead with you to care about proper structure.
You, the writer, know what you're trying to convey but the reader might not always pick up what you're putting down.
You can't please everyone. Even professional novelists can write some pretty confusing paragraphs.
But if you care about your readers, I hope you care about grammar.
Please don't say "it's not technical writing, why does it matter?" It matters because, without proper grammar, your readers won't be able to understand you. And your beautiful writing deserves to be understood as much as possible.
Just kidding, my favorite punctuation is actually the semi-colon. ㅋㅋ
Anyway, I'm not going to talk about commas in general today but the "Oxford comma," although I will leave a link to my all time favorite punctuation guide at the bottom.
Fist off, I want to say, I am not a supporter of the Oxford comma. I'll get into differing opinions on language and grammar and why they're valid in another post. But, I will say that, although I disapprove of the Oxford comma, I do recognize it as a valid use of grammar and don't begrudge its supporters or anyone who uses it.
Later, I'll explain why I disagree with the Oxford comma.
But first, let's explain what the Oxford comma is!
So, you know how we end a list with "and" (or, or, or another conjunction I suppose), before stating the final item? The Oxford comma is when you add a comma before said conjunction.
For example: Kim Namjoon, Kim Seokjin, Min Yoongi, Jung Hoseok, Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung, and Jeon Jungkook.
Now, is the fanchant grammatically incorrect for not using an "and?" Absolutely not. The whole point of using a conjunction at the end of a list is to signal to the reader or listener that the list is ending. Especially when speaking, not using a conjunction can confuse the listener and make them anticipate more items on the list. It doesn't feel final without that conjunction. However, especially in creative writing or informal speech, one might forgo the conjunction for effect and that is perfectly acceptable! It's okay to bend the rules every now and again :3
So, back to the Oxford comma; why do people use it?
Because, some writers believe that the reader needs that extra comma to let the reader know that the final item is its own item and not included as a pair with the second to last item.
Allow me to provide an example: tonight's vlive features Yoongi, Hoseok, Jin, Jungkook and Jimin.
In the above example, without the Oxford comma, the reader might think that Jungkook and Jimin are their own unit, while every other member is their own individual. Like if say, Yoongi, Hoseok and Jin are going to appear separately but Jungkook and Jimin are going to appear together.
Now, I'm going to provide a link to my favorite punctuatuon guide before ranting. Please don't continue if you are a dogmatic user and supporter of the Oxford comma and are just going to get angry. It is not my intention to upset anyone but to explain the function of grammar and how to use it :3
http://www.thepunctuationguide.com/index.html
So, why do I not believe in the Oxford comma and think it's pointless and absolutely refuse to use it in my own writing? Well, remember when I said that the reason we use a conjunction at the end of a list is to signal to the reader or listener that the list is ending? Yeah, that's why. Because the whole point of a conjunction at the end of a list is to signal that the list is ending, not to connect the final two items on the list.
Allow me to use an example to explain. Let's say I'm ordering food and I want chicken, french fries, a side of gravy, rice and beans. Some people might see that and say, "oh, you want the rice and beans mixed together?" But no, if I wanted rice and beans as a single item I would have said; chicken, french fries, a side of gravy and rice and beans.
And this is where defenses for the Oxford comma drive me batty. Because, in a spoken sentence, people would understand what I mean (except, why would anyone NOT want beans and rice as its own dish). Besides literal pauses, there are no commas in spoken language so why, why I ask, would someone expect a reader not to understand just because it's written down?
I believe that as writers we need to do our best to be understood by our readers but I also think we should give our readers credit and that, if they use something in their everyday speech, they'll understand it when they see it written.
Furthermore, the point of commas is to reduce the amount of conjunctions that we use in a sentence. And, as you saw earlier with "or," sometimes you do need to use the same conjunction right next to itself and of course, in that instance, I believe you should use a comma so that the reader understands that it was intentional and not a typo. But, in my opinion, the end of a list is rarely, rarely a place where you would use the same conjunction next to itself.
What I mean is, say you're using "and" to end a list; what that means is that every preceding comma was meant to take the place of "and" so that you're not using it a million times. So, in that sentence a comma = and, and you wouldn't end a list with "and and," so why is it necessary to end a list with an extra comma?
I just disagree with it, SO HARD. But enough people accept it as correct, which means it's correct, that's how language works (unfortunately sometimes). So, as I said, I don't begrudge its users or supporters.
Our school made its own MLA guidebook ❤
I’m not going to use its explanations because plagiarism but I will definitely use it to help me think of topics!
Paragraphs need to be their own entity! You can't shove a whole bunch of ideas and quotes into one paragraph!
Different subjects get their own paragraphs. So if you're beginning a new subject or new idea or someone new is speaking, you need to begin a new paragraph!
Sometimes you need to start a paragraph right in the middle of one person's dialogue. It's rare but it happens! Check out Lord of the Rings if you don't believe me.
Starting a new paragraph in the middle of dialogue has it's own special rules so I'll save it for another post.
Here are some resources on beginning a new paragraph:
Also, MLA is the end all be all in making decisions for how writing should be done. So if you can get MLA resources, use them! But make sure they're up to date! The rules may not change every year but MLA does update every year!
MLA stands for "modern language association"
They are the big boss and literally make the rules
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