• tigeruppercut@lemmy.zip
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    19 hours ago

    To anyone who has a problem with singular they:

    Roses are red, violets aren’t blue
    Singular they is older than singular you

  • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
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    21 hours ago

    Ending a sentence with a preposition has been standard in English for longer than the language has existed, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.

    • slackassassin@sh.itjust.works
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      18 hours ago

      Nothing about which to be ashamed. 🤓

      There’s a funny bit in “the last man on earth” where Kristen Schaal’s character always corrects people when they end their sentences with a preposition. It shows how much more ridiculous her correction sounds.

      … Not a great show, but that bit was pretty funny.

  • Stovetop@lemmy.world
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    17 hours ago

    By some standards, the Oxford comma is still incorrect grammar. I’ll die on the hill that it has utility, and I’m glad it’s becoming more of a commonly accepted convention.

      • Stovetop@lemmy.world
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        3 hours ago

        Can check style guides for publications and academic institutions in the UK, Australia, and the like. BBC, ABC, etc. Back in the day it was simply considered wrong, now most non-US publications and academic institutions simply advise not using it unless it helps avoid ambiguity. E.g. the excerpt below from the ABC style guide:

        Oxford comma, serial comma

        A comma placed before the last item in a list: she ate grapes, toast, and cheese. Avoid unless it aids the reader or prevents ambiguity.

        American style guides are generally more in favor of the Oxford comma. APA mandates it, MLA says do whatever makes sense, and Chicago says pick one and stick to it.

  • wolfeh@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    17 hours ago

    Using “they” as singular. Also, referring to animals besides humans as “he,” “she,” or “they” instead of “it.”

    I usually am a grammar nazi, but these are things I do very intentionally.

  • TriflingToad@sh.itjust.works
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    19 hours ago

    someone corrected me on spelling “at least” “atleast”
    like… alright? (wink wink nudge nudge)

    anyways I was in a bad mood and wrote a passive aggressive message I ended up not sending

    Words condense over time, it’s not a crime to not type a space.

    do you say “goodbye” or “God be with ye”? what about “gossip” or “farewell”?

    What about a purpose misspelling being turned to one of the most common words in conversation? “all correct” -> “oll korect” -> “ok”

    • MrScottyTay@sh.itjust.works
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      14 hours ago

      I’ve always argued for the side of “if your point comes across and is understood as intended, your grammar or lack thereof, does not matter in the slightest”

  • hperrin@lemmy.ca
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    23 hours ago

    I don’t care if people say “chomping at the bit”, because it basically means the same thing as “champing at the bit”, and nobody uses the word champing anymore anyway.

  • SLVRDRGN@lemmy.world
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    22 hours ago

    Nobody actually knows how to use “it begs the question” anyway. Even the ones who think they do.

  • hperrin@lemmy.ca
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    23 hours ago

    I’ve started using “used to could” instead of “used to be able to”, and I will not stop.

  • DJKJuicy@sh.itjust.works
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    1 day ago

    I’m really fond of using “I’mma” and “gonna”.

    I obviously wouldn’t use these words in a professional document, but everywhere else I’mma use “gonna” and “I’mma” whenever I feel like it.

  • halloween_spookster@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    Putting question marks or exclamation points after “quotation marks”! I’ve never understood the point of putting the punctuation inside the quotation unless it’s part of the quotation itself.

    • starlinguk@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      Quote is full sentence: inside. Quote is part of sentence or word: outside.

      Eg:

      “Oh no!” he gasped.

      And

      Apparently she’s “done with me”!

      Love, an editor.

    • Tar_Alcaran@sh.itjust.works
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      2 days ago

      This is how you’re supposed to do it in Dutch.

      The teacher said “silence!”.

      Vs

      The teacher said “silence”!

      Mean something completely different. Although a few large literature publishers do punctuation before bracket because of translation ease, and novels almost never contain partial quotes anyway AND they include the optional comma at all times, which causes

      “Silence!,” said the teacher.

      Shudder

    • wolfpack86@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      Especially also when you’re using them to be facetious.

      He’s “talented”.

      He’s “talented.”

    • reddig33@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      For me it depends on if you are quoting someone (punctuation inside quote) or just using a phrase like “woke” (punctuation outside).