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This is not a Hall of Shame thread.  Please do not copy posts with people's names.

This is a condensed thread to teach specific lessons to those who want to learn correct grammar and spelling.
We have many members whose mother tongue is not English.

Please title your post if you choose to add a lesson.  A font size of 12 pt in capitals will make that post easy to find.  The lesson posts will also be referenced in the wiki.

LESSONS

1.  there / their / they're
2.  a vs. an
3.  went vs. have gone
4. It's vs. Its
5. Affect vs. Effect
6.  Capital vs Capitol

  • Commas go before the space, like this, not like ,this.
  • Commas/periods go after the close parenthesis (like this), not before (like this.)   (Unless the entire sentence is enclosed.)
  • All punctuation goes inside the quotation, like "this." not like "this".

« Last edited by YitzyS on July 23, 2020, 12:12:43 PM »

Author Topic: Grammar and Spelling Lessons 101  (Read 54287 times)

Offline thaber

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Re: Grammar and Spelling Lessons 101
« Reply #140 on: January 18, 2018, 06:45:34 PM »
WE'RE / WERE

Were is the past tense of are. EG: "those donuts were delicious" (past tense of "these donuts are delicious")

We're is a contraction (a combination) of "we are". So for example, "If you're serving donuts, we're coming to visit!" - means the same thing as "we are coming".



YOUR / YOU'RE

Your means "something that belongs to you". For example, "If you finish all of your donuts, you may have another one".

You're is a contraction of "you are". So for example. "If you eat all of those donuts, you're going to get fat" means the same thing as "you are going to get fat".
Thank you!

Offline etech0

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Re: Grammar and Spelling Lessons 101
« Reply #141 on: January 18, 2018, 06:47:56 PM »
Thank you!
You're welcome :)

Someone had to step in while @srap is offline.
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Offline wayfe

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Re: Grammar and Spelling Lessons 101
« Reply #142 on: January 18, 2018, 07:54:35 PM »
True - a better sentence would be "I order so much stuff from Amazon, that they send me many packages every day."

No comma.

Commas are used after coordinating (FANBOYS) conjunctions.





"I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers which can't be questioned."
— Richard Feynman

Offline etech0

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Re: Grammar and Spelling Lessons 101
« Reply #143 on: January 18, 2018, 08:26:12 PM »
No comma.

Commas are used after coordinating (FANBOYS) conjunctions.
Good point, though I never heard of FANBOYS

GIMF
« Last Edit: January 18, 2018, 08:29:25 PM by etech0 »
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Offline wayfe

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Re: Grammar and Spelling Lessons 101
« Reply #144 on: January 18, 2018, 08:33:02 PM »
@etech0
Can you help me convert this to 'plain English'?
(Not my strength...)

Unfortunately, this is a very common mistake for ESL speakers.

Word Order for Questions = Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Main Verb.

Correct: "Where can my bag be?"
Incorrect: "Where can be my bag?"

Or

Correct: "What should the girl say to her friends?"
Incorrect: "What should say the girl to her friends?"
"I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers which can't be questioned."
— Richard Feynman

Offline etech0

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Re: Grammar and Spelling Lessons 101
« Reply #145 on: January 18, 2018, 09:09:33 PM »
@etech0
Can you help me convert this to 'plain English'?
(Not my strength...)

Unfortunately, this is a very common mistake for ESL speakers.

Word Order for Questions = Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Main Verb.

Correct: "Where can my bag be?"
Incorrect: "Where can be my bag?"

Or

Correct: "What should the girl say to her friends?"
Incorrect: "What should say the girl to her friends?"
Hmmm, this is a harder one to answer. What is the auxiliary verb? "where", or "where can"?
Workflowy. You won't know what you're missing until you try it.

Offline srap

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Re: Grammar and Spelling Lessons 101
« Reply #146 on: January 18, 2018, 09:10:06 PM »
are you accepting requests? I love the way you did this, and sent it to my whole office. If you could do the same for were /we're and your /you're that would be great.

You're welcome :)

Someone had to step in while @srap is offline.
:D You did a great job.  I'm going to add my .02.


YOUR / YOU'RE  and  WERE / WE'RE

The real question is when to use YOU'RE and WE'RE.  YOUR and WERE are generally used correctly.

The apostrophe stands for MISSING letter(s).  These are called contractions: 
you're = you+are            and             we're = we+are
If you can substitute two words for the one, then it needs an apostrophe to be a contraction.

Examples:
Correct:     You are going to get your car.
Correct:     You're going to get your car. 
Incorrect:   Your going to get your car.        (If 'you are' can be substituted, then it needs an apostrophe)
Try it:         You are going to get you are car.

Correct:     We are where we are supposed to be today, not where we were supposed to be yesterday.
Correct:     We're where we're supposed to be today, not where we were supposed to be yesterday.
Incorrect:   Were where were supposed to be today, not where we were supposed to be yesterday.   
                          (If 'we are' can be substituted, then it needs an apostrophe.)
Try it:         We are where we are supposed to be today, not where we we are supposed to be yesterday.
« Last Edit: January 18, 2018, 09:34:59 PM by srap »

Offline SSLPhD

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Re: Grammar and Spelling Lessons 101
« Reply #147 on: January 18, 2018, 10:32:02 PM »
DEFINITELY / DEFIANTLY

Definitely: in a definite way: in a way free of all ambiguity, uncertainty, or obscurity.  Example: I will definitely be there.

Defiantly: in a defiant manner: in a way that is full of or shows a disposition to challenge, resist, or fight.  Example: She spoke out defiantly against the proposed law.

(source: m-w.com)
44/50, 46/63

Offline etech0

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Re: Grammar and Spelling Lessons 101
« Reply #148 on: January 18, 2018, 10:32:41 PM »
DEFINITELY / DEFIANTLY

Definitely: in a definite way: in a way free of all ambiguity, uncertainty, or obscurity.  Example: I will definitely be there.

Defiantly: in a defiant manner: in a way that is full of or shows a disposition to challenge, resist, or fight.  Example: She spoke out defiantly against the proposed law.

(source: m-w.com)
Good one!
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Offline skyguy918

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Re: Grammar and Spelling Lessons 101
« Reply #149 on: January 25, 2018, 02:54:19 PM »
DEFINITELY / DEFIANTLY

Definitely: in a definite way: in a way free of all ambiguity, uncertainty, or obscurity.  Example: I will definitely be there.

Defiantly: in a defiant manner: in a way that is full of or shows a disposition to challenge, resist, or fight.  Example: She spoke out defiantly against the proposed law.

(source: m-w.com)
Good one!
Wait, what? This is something people actually mix up? I feel like maybe it's a Swype type of mistake, but not more than that.

Offline etech0

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Re: Grammar and Spelling Lessons 101
« Reply #150 on: January 25, 2018, 02:55:51 PM »
Wait, what? This is something people actually mix up? I feel like maybe it's a Swype type of mistake, but not more than that.
That's what I would think, but I've definitely seen it on DDF... maybe it starts out as an autocorrect mistake and then people don't notice to fix it.
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Offline shlonx

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Re: Grammar and Spelling Lessons 101
« Reply #151 on: January 25, 2018, 08:26:49 PM »
Wait, what? This is something people actually mix up? I feel like maybe it's a Swype type of mistake, but not more than that.

Lemaaseh, when someone is defiant, they are usually definite in their position, if you know what I mean.
Brevity may be the soul of wit, but floridity is its spirit.

Offline etech0

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Re: Grammar and Spelling Lessons 101
« Reply #152 on: January 25, 2018, 08:32:33 PM »
Lemaaseh, when someone is defiant, they are usually definite in their position, if you know what I mean.
Or they're trying to convince themselves that they are definite
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Offline shlonx

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Re: Grammar and Spelling Lessons 101
« Reply #153 on: January 25, 2018, 08:35:37 PM »
Or they're trying to convince themselves that they are definite

That's what I meant, from their perspective. So that's maybe why one could mix up the two.
Brevity may be the soul of wit, but floridity is its spirit.

Offline Definitions

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Re: Grammar and Spelling Lessons 101
« Reply #154 on: February 02, 2018, 12:00:26 PM »
Is this sentence correct grammatically? Where should I put a comma (if one is necessary)?

"What are those little orange lights on TLC registered car services and taxis for?"
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Offline aygart

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Re: Grammar and Spelling Lessons 101
« Reply #155 on: February 02, 2018, 12:17:06 PM »
Is this sentence correct grammatically? Where should I put a comma (if one is necessary)?

"What are those little orange lights on TLC registered car services and taxis for?"
Looks correct to me. No comma needed.
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Offline Yehuda57

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Re: Grammar and Spelling Lessons 101
« Reply #156 on: February 02, 2018, 12:19:35 PM »
Is this sentence correct grammatically? Where should I put a comma (if one is necessary)?

"What are those little orange lights on TLC registered car services and taxis for?"
Need help with your copyrighting I see.

Offline Definitions

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Re: Grammar and Spelling Lessons 101
« Reply #157 on: February 02, 2018, 12:42:56 PM »
Haha I just realized I was missing a comma.
Is this sentence correct grammatically?
Or it should have been flipped around.
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Offline good sam

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Re: Grammar and Spelling Lessons 101
« Reply #158 on: November 15, 2018, 08:04:43 AM »


Is this sentence correct grammatically? Where should I put a comma (if one is necessary)?

"What are those little orange lights on TLC registered car services and taxis for?"

It ends in a preposition, so, depending on the use, you might want to begin the sentence with "Why do."
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Offline good sam

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Re: Grammar and Spelling Lessons 101
« Reply #159 on: November 22, 2018, 11:27:37 AM »
In which manor will you eat your turkey?
Manner: a way in which a thing is done or happens.

Manor: a large country house with lands; the principal house of a landed estate.
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