Correct use of grammar and punctuation etc.

Quote from Robbie

I am the biggest culprit of the incorrect use of grammar and punctuation etc and I thought this could be a useful thread for members to come along and post their queries as to constructing sentences etc correctly.
With that comes my query when writing a sentence with a movie name in it what is the correct format? I usually write as follows:
Regarding 'The Searchers' I feel this movie.............
However I'm not quite sure this is correct and any enlightenment would be greatly appreciated and feel free to post your own queries.

Hi Robbie -
Hey, you're close. The quotations are alright, but more acceptable are the double dash quotation marks. Also there should be a comma right after the name, but before the close quotation. So it should look like this - "The Searchers,".
Cheers - Jay

Robbie,

I usually bold the titles of movies because I want those who read my thread know the subject of what I am writing. Your 'title' is appropriate, but most people just list a title or "quotation" mark is also acceptable. I am not a grammar expert, so I am sure that there is someone here that would correct me as well (like Mrs. C). Hope this helps.

Cheers

Hi Robbie

The quotations mark are normally the correct way to go although I admit like you I use the apostrophe but that is laziness on my part. Some people prefer to put the name of the film in italics showing that the name is a reference point
but I think that is a matter of choice.



Regards

Arthur

When I first joined this board about four years ago, your grammar and punctuation left a lot to be desired. There's been a vast improvement so apparently your university schooling has accomplished its' purpose, Rob. My compliments.

Quote from Robbie

Thanks for those flattering words, you may have enjoyed some of my old school reports that were less than favourable towards my reading and writing skills. I hope that if in the future my writing skills deteriorate you will point this out to me as I would much prefer this than to wallow in ignorance.

Incidentally having read some of my earlier posts the grammar was terrible so I agree with your comments, although at the time I did not realise that my writing skills were so poor or that they have indeed improved over time.

Your use of the English language has improved tremendously, Rob. Not only grammatically but especially in spelling. When I first came on the board, your spelling was terrible but I haven't detected a single misspelled word in many months.

As someone rather vain about their own use of the language, I salute you.

Rob,
I've shown a bit of hypocrisy in criticizing your mistakes in language because I quite often substitute colloquialisms for proper English. For instance, I invariably use "kinda" instead of "kind of" and "sorta" instead of "sort of". I'm sure there are other words and phrases I unconsciously use that are not proper English but that I've adopted bad habits by writing or saying them a certain way. So if you ever want to call me on them, please feel free to do so.

Hey Stumpy, its called the age of text messaging. I substitute urself instead of yourself all the time.

Quote from SXViper

Hey Stumpy, its called the age of text messaging. I substitute urself instead of yourself all the time.

Whatever it's called, Todd, it's not proper English.

I know, but since my work uses text messaging for alot of our communications I get used to it and save myself alittle time. Not defending it, just explaining it.

Quote from SXViper

Hey Stumpy, its called the age of text messaging. I substitute urself instead of yourself all the time.

Quote from Stumpy

Whatever it's called, Todd, it's not proper English.

It may not be proper English, but I guess it would be today's equivalent of shorthand, and much more readable to the average Joe.

Chester

Robbie,

I wanted to (lovingly ) point out an error that you make fairly often . . .

Quote from Robbie

The movie focuses on three outlaws whom rob a bank . . .

It is the incorrect use of the word "whom." In the case above, you should use the word "who."

Here is the easiest explanation, which comes directly from my son's grammar book -

Quote

Who and Whom
Who and whoever have three different forms depending upon their function in the sentence: subject, object or possessive. However, this discussion will deal with use of the words as subject and object.

There is often a great deal of confusion over whether to use who or whom. If it functions as the subject, use who; if it functions as the object, use whom. The difficulty often lies in deciding whether you need a subject or object.

Subject: Who is coming for dinner?
Object: Whom are we waiting for?**

The easiest way to decide whether to use who or whom (or whoever or whomever) is to mentally drop who/whom and the words preceding it and make a sentence with the words that are left by adding he or him. If you would use he, then the sentence needs a subject, and you should use who. If you would use him, then the sentence needs an object, and you should use whom.

Example 1:
Sentence: Do you know who/whom will be attending the meeting?
Remove who/whom: will be attending the meeting
Add he or him: He will be attending the meeting.
Correct sentence: Do you know who will be attending the meeting?

Example 2:
Sentence: Who/whom is the party for?**
Remove who/whom: is the party for
Add he or him: Is the party for him?
Correct: Whom is the party for?**

Display More

Now you are probably wondering about the **, which I added. There is a beef I have with the grammar book, and I will probably contact the publisher about it, and that is ending a sentence with a preposition, which is considered poor English.

The correct sentence should really be "For whom is the party?"

Since whom is used as an object, it is usually preceded by the word for or to if it is used properly.

Instead of saying something like, "He is the man whom the award was given to," one should correctly say, "He is the man to whom the award was given."

Putting prepositions at the end of sentences is a VERY common mistake, and certainly not a mountain on which I am willing to die (neither is it a mountain I am willing to die on ).

So anyway . . . you have received your grammar lesson for the day ( or week . . . or month . . . ).

I have been home-teaching my children since 1986, so that is one reason I am more well-versed on these things than your average man (or woman) on the street (and in my experience, more than the average classroom teacher these days).

Mrs. C

Quote from chester7777

-
Now you are probably wondering about the **, which I added. There is a beef I have with the grammar book, and I will probably contact the publisher about it, and that is ending a sentence with a preposition, which is considered poor English.

Very good explanation, Sue.
I notice that the use of a preposition at the end of a sentence is become prevalent more and more.
Part of the reason may be that the correct usage sounds so high-falutin' and condescending. Another one of those cases where the "poor English" sounds and reads better than the correct way.
Cheers - Jay

Sue,

I have a problem with ending a sentence with "it." This is a prepostion as well, and have been corrected since I was a teenager, but I seem to not figure a way to not correct this in my speaking. I'm not making excuses, I'm just saying I have a lot of trouble doing that.

So I am very much aware of not ending a sentence with a prepostion.

Cheers Hondo

Quote from chester7777

in my experience, more than the average classroom teacher these days).

Mrs. C

Sure won't contradict you on that, Sue. My youngest son and his wife home-school their two youngsters and IMO, that's a very smart decision. I think today's public school system is a joke.

Quote from Stumpy

Sure won't contradict you on that, Sue. My youngest son and his wife home-school their two youngsters and IMO, that's a very smart decision. I think today's public school system is a joke.

It sure is in Texas, Stumpy, as you well know. They've been jawing about this in Austin for 5 to 7 years and still cannot come up with a logical plan.
Cheers - Jay

being that english was my worst subject at school there is no way i could home school my son so he goes to school and because he is doing poorly at english he goes to a tutor once a week, she is a school teacher from the old school of teaching and she is working really with him. in fact she has improved his work to the point that he is up to his grade at school but we are still working on his spelling. and besides that the rings you have to leap through to home school is enough to put me off.
cheers smokey

ps hope my grammer was right hey

Quote from smokey

being that english was my worst subject at school there is no way i could home school my son so he goes to school and because he is doing poorly at english he goes to a tutor once a week, she is a school teacher from the old school of teaching and she is working really with him. in fact she has improved his work to the point that he is up to his grade at school but we are still working on his spelling. and besides that the rings you have to leap through to home school is enough to put me off.
cheers smokey

ps hope my grammer was right hey

smokey, some people are just not strong in spelling. I had a friend in high school who was in the top 20 of our class of over 600, but she couldn't spell worth a darn. As far as the rings one has to leap through to home school, I am very fortunate to live in a place where those hoops are relatively few, but I can understand being put off by them, as they are often numerous and intimidating.

Quote from Hondo Duke Lane

I have a problem with ending a sentence with "it." This is a prepostion as well, and have been corrected since I was a teenager, but I seem to not figure a way to not correct this in my speaking.

Hondo, did you mean "it" or "in"? "It" is a pronoun, but "in" is a preposition. Can you give me an example of a sentence on which someone has corrected you?

I love you all, and I promise you I don't spend my time perusing posts for grammar! I just like chatting with y'all, whether in real time (in the chat room) or over time (in the threads).

Mrs. C

So speaking of correct grammer; whenever someone asks, "Do that mean what I think it do?", instead of saying "it do", I just say, "Yep".

Is that wrong?