Barbara Venkataraman's Blog: A Trip on the Mobius Strip - Posts Tagged "grammar"
Mrs. Grammar Person
Fear not, Gentle Writer, for help has arrived. Rest assured that your grimaces and groans, your grinding of teeth have not gone unnoticed. And because Mrs. Grammar Person abhors the grinding of perfectly good teeth, she has agreed to impart her timely wisdom to those afflicted with self-doubt.
In a stage whisper, Mrs. Grammar Person explains that although she is your true friend, spell-check is not. Spell-check is fickle and delights in trickery. He will make you believe that it's morning when, in fact, you're in mourning, or that you should waver when you are seeking a waiver. He doesn't care if your simple please turns into multiple pleas, and he will most likely desert you if you ask for dessert.
Mrs. G.P. wishes to remind you for whom the bell tolls (if you must ask, it tolls for thee). When in doubt as to whether to use who or whom, simply substitute the word him. If him will do nicely, then the word you want is whom. Mrs. G.P. shudders to think that you would even consider writing "For he the bell tolls." She keeps her smelling salts handy, just in case.
Being an agreeable person, herself, Mrs. G.P. insists that all her nouns and verbs also agree; therefore, a swarm of bees searches for honey, but the two straggler bees search on their own. How sweet the sound of proper grammar!
While Mrs. G.P. has nothing but admiration for writers who seek perfection, she cautions that nobody is perfect (except for her, of course). To that end, she cautions you about using the pronoun "I" when the word you seek is "me". To write that "the teacher allows Joe and I to go to the playground" is tantamount to writing, "the teacher allows "I" to go to the playground." Whenever she sees this transgression, Mrs. G.P. slams the offending book shut, never to be opened again.
Now, it is time to bid farewell to Mrs. Grammar Person, but, before she takes her leave, she asks you to remember that: it is always darkest before the dawn, when the going gets tough, the tough get going, you should keep your chin up and, if you don't stop using clichés, Mrs. Grammar Person will march back here and rap your knuckles with a ruler!
Once she is satisfied that you have learned your lesson, Mrs. G.P. gently pats you on the head and heads off to the library, casually tossing out her final words of wisdom, words that shake your very foundation: "Remember, my dears, you can end a sentence with a preposition and you can split an infinitive!"
In a stage whisper, Mrs. Grammar Person explains that although she is your true friend, spell-check is not. Spell-check is fickle and delights in trickery. He will make you believe that it's morning when, in fact, you're in mourning, or that you should waver when you are seeking a waiver. He doesn't care if your simple please turns into multiple pleas, and he will most likely desert you if you ask for dessert.
Mrs. G.P. wishes to remind you for whom the bell tolls (if you must ask, it tolls for thee). When in doubt as to whether to use who or whom, simply substitute the word him. If him will do nicely, then the word you want is whom. Mrs. G.P. shudders to think that you would even consider writing "For he the bell tolls." She keeps her smelling salts handy, just in case.
Being an agreeable person, herself, Mrs. G.P. insists that all her nouns and verbs also agree; therefore, a swarm of bees searches for honey, but the two straggler bees search on their own. How sweet the sound of proper grammar!
While Mrs. G.P. has nothing but admiration for writers who seek perfection, she cautions that nobody is perfect (except for her, of course). To that end, she cautions you about using the pronoun "I" when the word you seek is "me". To write that "the teacher allows Joe and I to go to the playground" is tantamount to writing, "the teacher allows "I" to go to the playground." Whenever she sees this transgression, Mrs. G.P. slams the offending book shut, never to be opened again.
Now, it is time to bid farewell to Mrs. Grammar Person, but, before she takes her leave, she asks you to remember that: it is always darkest before the dawn, when the going gets tough, the tough get going, you should keep your chin up and, if you don't stop using clichés, Mrs. Grammar Person will march back here and rap your knuckles with a ruler!
Once she is satisfied that you have learned your lesson, Mrs. G.P. gently pats you on the head and heads off to the library, casually tossing out her final words of wisdom, words that shake your very foundation: "Remember, my dears, you can end a sentence with a preposition and you can split an infinitive!"
MRS. GRAMMAR PERSON WISHES YOU GOOD CHEER
Fear not, Gentle Writer, Mrs. Grammar Person would not abandon you to your own devices simply because the holidays are upon us. To the contrary, it is at this time of year that Mrs. G.P. frets the most about her devoted fans. During this, the gift-giving season, you must remember that, try as you might, you will never find the most unique gift for that special someone. Unique means one-of-a-kind; therefore, one gift cannot be more or less unique than any other. But, whichever gift you choose, Mrs. G.P. is sure that you will delight the recipient!
In addition to gifts, the holidays provide us with bountiful treats. Everybody loves these treats and nobody can pass them up. Mrs. G. P. finds it curious that the word everybody is followed by a singular verb despite that it refers to many people. Nevertheless, she diligently follows all of the rules of grammar, even the silly ones. Likewise, it is correct to say: all of them enjoyed their cookies, but each boy enjoyed his cookie. Our favorite grammarian is proud of her ability to home in on these grammatical mishaps, but she cannot hone in on them, since that makes no sense at all.
To clarify, Mrs. Grammar Person would not imply that you make such egregious errors and prays that you have not inferred as much from her writings. She is confident that you would never confuse the meanings of imply and infer. Mrs. G.P. knows that you follow her musings out of a mutual love for perfect grammar and that you lend her your attention willingly. Of course, you couldn't loan her your attention because loan is a noun and lend is a verb. But you already knew that. Like Mrs. Grammar Person, you are an expert grammarian who advises others of the logic (and sometimes illogic) of proper English. Whether they choose to take your advice is up to them. Isn't it a marvel how one letter can change the meaning of a word? An airplane hangar transforms into a simple clothes hanger, an apple peel becomes the peal of a bell, and the act of being stationary in one place becomes stationery for letter-writing. Mrs. G.P. cannot discuss the difference between naval and navel because it always gives her a fit of the giggles to compare the Navy to a belly button.
Once the holidays are over, we strengthen our resolve to eat properly and exercise after the over-indulgence we have all succumbed to. Mrs. G.P reminds us that we should also endeavor to strengthen our writing and eliminate the passive tense whenever possible. Thus, instead of saying, "The cookies were eaten by the boys" you should say, "The boys ate the cookies." Whose cookies are we discussing? The boys' cookies, of course. The apostrophe indicates the possessive (the cookies belong to the boys) and the apostrophe follows the 's' because the cookies belong to all of the them. Were Mrs. G.P. to speak of a single boy and his cookies, she would write, "the boy's cookies".
This leads Mrs. Grammar Person to answer a final question that she has been asked recently, to wit, "what gift would she like to receive?" Feeling humbled, our beloved grammarian hesitates, deep in thought. Finally, she responds that she would like a "grammar-repair kit", a toolbox filled with apostrophes, hyphens and an endless supply of white-out so that she may fix the mistakes she encounters daily. But the gift she wants most of all, she adds with a smile, is the gift of your continued friendship throughout next year and beyond. A happy holiday to all of you, my dear grammarians!
In addition to gifts, the holidays provide us with bountiful treats. Everybody loves these treats and nobody can pass them up. Mrs. G. P. finds it curious that the word everybody is followed by a singular verb despite that it refers to many people. Nevertheless, she diligently follows all of the rules of grammar, even the silly ones. Likewise, it is correct to say: all of them enjoyed their cookies, but each boy enjoyed his cookie. Our favorite grammarian is proud of her ability to home in on these grammatical mishaps, but she cannot hone in on them, since that makes no sense at all.
To clarify, Mrs. Grammar Person would not imply that you make such egregious errors and prays that you have not inferred as much from her writings. She is confident that you would never confuse the meanings of imply and infer. Mrs. G.P. knows that you follow her musings out of a mutual love for perfect grammar and that you lend her your attention willingly. Of course, you couldn't loan her your attention because loan is a noun and lend is a verb. But you already knew that. Like Mrs. Grammar Person, you are an expert grammarian who advises others of the logic (and sometimes illogic) of proper English. Whether they choose to take your advice is up to them. Isn't it a marvel how one letter can change the meaning of a word? An airplane hangar transforms into a simple clothes hanger, an apple peel becomes the peal of a bell, and the act of being stationary in one place becomes stationery for letter-writing. Mrs. G.P. cannot discuss the difference between naval and navel because it always gives her a fit of the giggles to compare the Navy to a belly button.
Once the holidays are over, we strengthen our resolve to eat properly and exercise after the over-indulgence we have all succumbed to. Mrs. G.P reminds us that we should also endeavor to strengthen our writing and eliminate the passive tense whenever possible. Thus, instead of saying, "The cookies were eaten by the boys" you should say, "The boys ate the cookies." Whose cookies are we discussing? The boys' cookies, of course. The apostrophe indicates the possessive (the cookies belong to the boys) and the apostrophe follows the 's' because the cookies belong to all of the them. Were Mrs. G.P. to speak of a single boy and his cookies, she would write, "the boy's cookies".
This leads Mrs. Grammar Person to answer a final question that she has been asked recently, to wit, "what gift would she like to receive?" Feeling humbled, our beloved grammarian hesitates, deep in thought. Finally, she responds that she would like a "grammar-repair kit", a toolbox filled with apostrophes, hyphens and an endless supply of white-out so that she may fix the mistakes she encounters daily. But the gift she wants most of all, she adds with a smile, is the gift of your continued friendship throughout next year and beyond. A happy holiday to all of you, my dear grammarians!
MRS. GRAMMAR PERSON IS MELANCHOLY
Fear not, Gentle Writer, Mrs. Grammar Person will not fill your head with verbs today for she is filled with melancholy. Having heard dreadful news of a dear friend's illness, Mrs. G.P. feels despondent. Not even a pot of tea and a visit from her favorite cat, Mr. Malaprop, has served to lift her from the doldrums. And so she turns to you, her admirers and, dare we say, friends, in her hour of need because chatting with you always makes her smile.
Why, yes, Mrs. G.P. would be glad to explain the origin of her cat's name--and she thanks you for the distraction. A malapropism is a funny thing, indeed, and is defined as a misused word or a verbal slip. An example is, "he put out the flames with a fire distinguisher". Mrs. G.P. recalls an amusing malapropism from a young child who, after seeing a commercial about lactose intolerance, declared that he, too, was "black toast intolerant". Another interesting word ending in -ism is solipsism, which means egotistical self-absorption. Mrs. Grammar Person shudders to think that this term would ever be used to describe her.
To lighten the mood and banish dark thoughts, our favorite grammarian would like to tell you about spoonerisms, words in which some of the parts are switched, either through error or wordplay, with humorous results. Named after the Reverend William Archibald Spooner, who was famous for these gaffes, an example of a spoonerism can be found in this question he once posed, "Is it kisstomary to cuss the bride?" Unlike other men of the cloth who focused on proselytism (converting others to your religion or way of thinking), this good reverend could not be taken seriously.
On the subject of being taken seriously, a true grammarian would do well to avoid anachronisms in his writing. From the Greek root word, khrono, an anachronism is something or someone that is out of chronological order. Thus, were you to write about Colonial times, you would not include a reference to television--unless, of course, your story involved time travel.
Another serious topic is plagiarism. When Mrs. G.P. was a girl, her mother warned her to never lie for she would always be caught. The same can be said about plagiarism. But do not despair, your beloved grammarian is sympathetic and understands that with so many ideas whirling about your brain, it is difficult to distinguish which are original and which are borrowed. Enter the internet, a 'place' where any phrase may be tested for originality. By using this safeguard, you may rest assured that your witticisms, symbolism, epigrammatism, and lyricism will always be your own creation and that you will never be accused of charlatanism. To express that in simpler terms, don't be a Luddite.
With a sense of absurdism, Mrs. G.P. reports that there are 887 words that end with -ism, including the word ism. But, unlike Don Quixote, your beloved grammarian will not fall prey to quixotism (being caught up in the romance of noble deeds and the pursuit of unreachable goals), and attempt to discuss all 887. That would be a terrible example of didacticism on her part! Instead, Mrs. Grammar Person will dispense with her defeatism and pessimism, at least for today, and focus on the spiritualism and humanism of her followers and friends, and thank them for their altruism in lifting her spirits. Until the next time, your favorite grammarian sends you gratitude and affection.
Why, yes, Mrs. G.P. would be glad to explain the origin of her cat's name--and she thanks you for the distraction. A malapropism is a funny thing, indeed, and is defined as a misused word or a verbal slip. An example is, "he put out the flames with a fire distinguisher". Mrs. G.P. recalls an amusing malapropism from a young child who, after seeing a commercial about lactose intolerance, declared that he, too, was "black toast intolerant". Another interesting word ending in -ism is solipsism, which means egotistical self-absorption. Mrs. Grammar Person shudders to think that this term would ever be used to describe her.
To lighten the mood and banish dark thoughts, our favorite grammarian would like to tell you about spoonerisms, words in which some of the parts are switched, either through error or wordplay, with humorous results. Named after the Reverend William Archibald Spooner, who was famous for these gaffes, an example of a spoonerism can be found in this question he once posed, "Is it kisstomary to cuss the bride?" Unlike other men of the cloth who focused on proselytism (converting others to your religion or way of thinking), this good reverend could not be taken seriously.
On the subject of being taken seriously, a true grammarian would do well to avoid anachronisms in his writing. From the Greek root word, khrono, an anachronism is something or someone that is out of chronological order. Thus, were you to write about Colonial times, you would not include a reference to television--unless, of course, your story involved time travel.
Another serious topic is plagiarism. When Mrs. G.P. was a girl, her mother warned her to never lie for she would always be caught. The same can be said about plagiarism. But do not despair, your beloved grammarian is sympathetic and understands that with so many ideas whirling about your brain, it is difficult to distinguish which are original and which are borrowed. Enter the internet, a 'place' where any phrase may be tested for originality. By using this safeguard, you may rest assured that your witticisms, symbolism, epigrammatism, and lyricism will always be your own creation and that you will never be accused of charlatanism. To express that in simpler terms, don't be a Luddite.
With a sense of absurdism, Mrs. G.P. reports that there are 887 words that end with -ism, including the word ism. But, unlike Don Quixote, your beloved grammarian will not fall prey to quixotism (being caught up in the romance of noble deeds and the pursuit of unreachable goals), and attempt to discuss all 887. That would be a terrible example of didacticism on her part! Instead, Mrs. Grammar Person will dispense with her defeatism and pessimism, at least for today, and focus on the spiritualism and humanism of her followers and friends, and thank them for their altruism in lifting her spirits. Until the next time, your favorite grammarian sends you gratitude and affection.
MRS. GRAMMAR PERSON IS AMUSED
Fear not, Gentle Writer, Mrs. Grammar Person is out of the doldrums and no longer feels dull, listless, or in low spirits. The word "doldrums", from the Old English word dol, means foolish or dull, but you may rest assured that Mrs. G.P. would never think you foolish for feeling dull. No, she would try to raise your spirits in the same way she raises her own--with the most delightfully entertaining words imaginable.
Mrs. G.P. is sensing a scintilla of sympathy and an iota of interest from you, her devoted admirers, so she will explain her method lickety-split. She will not shillyshally (procrastinate) or dilly-dally (delay) or lollygag (dawdle) another minute, although she does not wish to proceed in a way that's willy-nilly (disorganized) or pell mell (in a recklessly hurried manner). Nor does she wish to start a brouhaha (an uproar) or, worse, a hullaballoo (condition of noisy confusion). Mrs. G.P. fears that all of this jibber jabber (talk in a rapid and excited way that is difficult to understand) could give you a case of tintinnabulation (the sound of ringing), or worse, a headache. She would not want to leave you befuddled (confused) or flummoxed (bewildered) because of too much gobbledygook (meaningless or nonsensical language). On the other hand, Mrs. Grammar Person does not believe in mollycoddling anyone; she believes that would be feckless (irresponsible) of her and cause some scuttlebutt (gossip, rumors) among her fellow grammarians, some of whom (Mrs. G.P. hates to say it) tend to bloviate (speak pompously or brag).
Far be it from Mrs. Grammar Person to pull any shenanigans (foolish behavior) or engage in any form of skullduggery (deception or trickery). Au contraire! She simply wants you to enjoy the same mellifluous (sweet-sounding) words she does, laughing at how silly some of them sound.
As Mrs. Grammar Person sits by her pond pondering the pollywogs (which she refuses to call tadpoles), her mind drifts and she wonders whether a rose by any other name would truly smell as sweet. She leaves that to you to decide, for it is late and Mrs. G.P. must skedaddle (hurry off) as she has a dinner engagement with her new friend, Mr. Syntax. Until the next time, Mrs. Grammar Person bids you adieu!
Mrs. G.P. is sensing a scintilla of sympathy and an iota of interest from you, her devoted admirers, so she will explain her method lickety-split. She will not shillyshally (procrastinate) or dilly-dally (delay) or lollygag (dawdle) another minute, although she does not wish to proceed in a way that's willy-nilly (disorganized) or pell mell (in a recklessly hurried manner). Nor does she wish to start a brouhaha (an uproar) or, worse, a hullaballoo (condition of noisy confusion). Mrs. G.P. fears that all of this jibber jabber (talk in a rapid and excited way that is difficult to understand) could give you a case of tintinnabulation (the sound of ringing), or worse, a headache. She would not want to leave you befuddled (confused) or flummoxed (bewildered) because of too much gobbledygook (meaningless or nonsensical language). On the other hand, Mrs. Grammar Person does not believe in mollycoddling anyone; she believes that would be feckless (irresponsible) of her and cause some scuttlebutt (gossip, rumors) among her fellow grammarians, some of whom (Mrs. G.P. hates to say it) tend to bloviate (speak pompously or brag).
Far be it from Mrs. Grammar Person to pull any shenanigans (foolish behavior) or engage in any form of skullduggery (deception or trickery). Au contraire! She simply wants you to enjoy the same mellifluous (sweet-sounding) words she does, laughing at how silly some of them sound.
As Mrs. Grammar Person sits by her pond pondering the pollywogs (which she refuses to call tadpoles), her mind drifts and she wonders whether a rose by any other name would truly smell as sweet. She leaves that to you to decide, for it is late and Mrs. G.P. must skedaddle (hurry off) as she has a dinner engagement with her new friend, Mr. Syntax. Until the next time, Mrs. Grammar Person bids you adieu!
MRS. GRAMMAR PERSON WRITES IN VERSE
Fear not, Gentle Writer, for Mrs. Grammar Person, hearing your sighs and seeing your furrowed brows, is delighted to offer her assistance once again. She knows the source of your consternation, the impetus for your aggravation; more absurd than an irregular verb is the mixed-up sound of an irregular noun. When mouse becomes mice and louse becomes lice--it's truly enough to make you think twice. These three nouns are also offbeat: tooth becomes teeth, goose becomes geese and foot becomes feet.
But some nouns don’t change, and that is just fine, for no matter how many, a swine is a swine. Other animal nouns that are equally clear are moose, sheep and fish, bison, tuna and deer. Alas, Mrs. G.P. cannot grant all of your wishes, for sometimes fish can also be fishes.
Before spending time berating ourselves, we must figure out how elf became elves. Some nouns end with 'f' and change into 'v', so Henry VIII had six wives, don't you see? Each wife had a scarf, six scarves did they have, worn around their necks and not on their calves. I cut food with a knife, though I own many knives, a dog has one life, while a cat has nine lives. I buy bread by the loaf, I can't eat many loaves, but two or more oafs will never be oaves. Fluff and stuff never change, thank heavens for that, like a dog is a dog, but never a cat.
The next three nouns are really quite mild, and clearly address each man, woman, and child. Men, women, and children is the rule you must ken, to understand that the plural of ox is oxen.
The next three are tricky--stick with it, please--or you'll never understand appendices. With appendix, index, and matrix, you'd never guess, but the plural of each ends with "c-e-s".
The next nouns are Latin and make quite a fuss, and include such strange words as nucleus. Mrs. G.P. regrets very much that she might make you cry, but the plural of nucleus is nuclei. Please focus your mind and you'll learn by and by, that the plural of focus is always foci. A cactus can blind you if you're poked in the eye, for nothing hurts more than sharpened cacti. A mushroom's a fungus and healthy to try, but more than one type is known as fungi. Yes, your head hurts, we know--too much stimuli.
More Latin for you, these nouns are more rare, the plural's the form that gives them their flair. Mrs. G.P. prays she won’t make you feel dumb when she tells you that data are comprised of datum (media/medium, bacteria/bacterium). Likewise, criteria is more than one, but the singular form is criterion.
Our crisis averted, no more crises today, Mrs. G.P.'s diagnosis is that you'll be okay. Her analysis complete, she finishes up with a flourish, and hopes that her rhymes weren't too amateurish. Changing person to people is our final odd duck and now Mrs. Grammar Person has run out of luck. You're happy to leave her for nothing is worse, than listening to Mrs. G.P. composing in verse!
But some nouns don’t change, and that is just fine, for no matter how many, a swine is a swine. Other animal nouns that are equally clear are moose, sheep and fish, bison, tuna and deer. Alas, Mrs. G.P. cannot grant all of your wishes, for sometimes fish can also be fishes.
Before spending time berating ourselves, we must figure out how elf became elves. Some nouns end with 'f' and change into 'v', so Henry VIII had six wives, don't you see? Each wife had a scarf, six scarves did they have, worn around their necks and not on their calves. I cut food with a knife, though I own many knives, a dog has one life, while a cat has nine lives. I buy bread by the loaf, I can't eat many loaves, but two or more oafs will never be oaves. Fluff and stuff never change, thank heavens for that, like a dog is a dog, but never a cat.
The next three nouns are really quite mild, and clearly address each man, woman, and child. Men, women, and children is the rule you must ken, to understand that the plural of ox is oxen.
The next three are tricky--stick with it, please--or you'll never understand appendices. With appendix, index, and matrix, you'd never guess, but the plural of each ends with "c-e-s".
The next nouns are Latin and make quite a fuss, and include such strange words as nucleus. Mrs. G.P. regrets very much that she might make you cry, but the plural of nucleus is nuclei. Please focus your mind and you'll learn by and by, that the plural of focus is always foci. A cactus can blind you if you're poked in the eye, for nothing hurts more than sharpened cacti. A mushroom's a fungus and healthy to try, but more than one type is known as fungi. Yes, your head hurts, we know--too much stimuli.
More Latin for you, these nouns are more rare, the plural's the form that gives them their flair. Mrs. G.P. prays she won’t make you feel dumb when she tells you that data are comprised of datum (media/medium, bacteria/bacterium). Likewise, criteria is more than one, but the singular form is criterion.
Our crisis averted, no more crises today, Mrs. G.P.'s diagnosis is that you'll be okay. Her analysis complete, she finishes up with a flourish, and hopes that her rhymes weren't too amateurish. Changing person to people is our final odd duck and now Mrs. Grammar Person has run out of luck. You're happy to leave her for nothing is worse, than listening to Mrs. G.P. composing in verse!
MRS. GRAMMAR PERSON TELLS A STORY
Fear not, Gentle Writer, Mrs. Grammar Person knows you've been working hard and is sure that you deserve a break. To that end, she has invited you to join her for tea and, while you rest up, she will tell you a story. Mrs. G.P. reminds us that all writing should tell a story and have a proper beginning, middle, and end. But, what is the glue that holds it all together? Mrs. G. P. is glad you asked that--you talented grammarians! She will explain everything by and by, but, for now, she asks that you sit back, sip your Darjeeling and relax. Chocolate biscuit, anyone?
What kind of story would you like to hear? Our favorite grammarian has a wonderful idea, one that includes audience participation--a "build-your-own-story", if you like. Once she begins her tale, please pay attention and, whenever she pauses, you may fill in the blank from the choices she provides. Are you ready?
Once upon a time, there was a lonely monkey/orphan/misshapen potato making his way through the world as best he could. If anyone asked him, he would say that all he ever wanted in life was the chance to marry a stockbroker/judge a beauty contest/compete on Jeopardy, but he knew that this dream was out of reach, so he looked for a job instead. Nobody would to give him a chance; they all said he was too cantankerous/sleep-deprived/mountaineering. Frustrated, our hero turned to a life of crime and stole the king's favorite grilled cheese sandwich/talking parrot/thesaurus.
After that fateful day, our hero had to live on the run, or risk prison. In the beginning, he believed he needed only three things to survive. First, he needed his wits; second, his nerve; and finally, his silly string/pet ocelot/castanets. Also, he could have used a friend. In addition, finding a hot meal seemed fairly urgent. To be sure, he wasn't used to such a hard life. If only he could find his favorite food: figgy pudding/milk moustache/fried grasshoppers, he knew he would feel better. Equally important was a place to rest his head, preferably somewhere without bedbugs/fleas/a mint on the pillow. Finally, after searching everywhere, our hero found the perfect job, one that provided food and shelter, friendship and camaraderie. Above all, it gave him a reason to get up in the morning. In short, it was the best job ever, notwithstanding the fact that he was covered with dirt and mud all the time. In sum, he was deliriously happy working as a golf ball retriever/gopher tracker/dumpster diver and was quite good at it. As a result, he eventually earned the king's pardon. It also helped that he returned the king's grilled cheese sandwich/talking parrot/thesaurus. At last, our tale is done.
More tea, anyone? Now that you have enjoyed our little story, it's time to talk about that glue, the handy words and phrases that connect our disparate thoughts and make them flow like a gentle brook through a verdant meadow, like caramel syrup over creamy custard, like--well, you get the picture. What are these useful links called? Anyone? Yes! They are transition words and are in bold above. While all of them are connectors, they serve different functions.
Some transitional words are used to indicate similarity. A few examples are: in addition, likewise, furthermore, in the same way, and as well as.
Contrastingly, some transitional words are used to indicate dissimilarity or contradiction. A few examples are: in contrast, on the other hand, although, and yet, and however.
Other transitional words are used for emphasis. A few examples are: in fact, indeed, of course, truly, and even.
And some transitional words are used for place or position. A few examples are: above, adjacent to, beyond, below, and in front.
Yet other transitional words are used to indicate consequence. A few examples are: as a result, consequently, accordingly, thus, and therefore.
Still other transitional words are used to indicate sequence. A few examples are: after, during, earlier, to begin with, and next.
Other transitional words are used to indicate exemplifying. A few examples are: specifically, such as, namely, to illustrate, and for example.
In this next group, transitional words are used to show the priority of the writer's thoughts. A few examples are: above all, in the first place, of less/greater importance, moreover, and for one reason.
In the following group, transitional words are used to provide additional support or evidence. A few examples are: additionally, equally important, furthermore, in addition, and moreover.
In our final group, transitional words are used to show conclusion or summary, usually of an essay. A few examples are: in conclusion, in short, in summary, to conclude, and thus.
Congratulations! You have mastered the concept of transitions--and without even trying. Look at Mrs. Grammar Person beaming with pride. But, don't go yet, please have another biscuit as Mrs. G.P. has one more thing to tell you, and it is this: no matter what you write, be it a novel, a treatise, an essay, or a poem, you always have the same three goals: present the problem, work through the problem, resolve the problem. Once you've learned how to write a beginning, a middle and an end, you'll be able to tell your own stories. And what could be better than that? Nothing--except for tea with Mrs. Grammar Person, of course.
What kind of story would you like to hear? Our favorite grammarian has a wonderful idea, one that includes audience participation--a "build-your-own-story", if you like. Once she begins her tale, please pay attention and, whenever she pauses, you may fill in the blank from the choices she provides. Are you ready?
Once upon a time, there was a lonely monkey/orphan/misshapen potato making his way through the world as best he could. If anyone asked him, he would say that all he ever wanted in life was the chance to marry a stockbroker/judge a beauty contest/compete on Jeopardy, but he knew that this dream was out of reach, so he looked for a job instead. Nobody would to give him a chance; they all said he was too cantankerous/sleep-deprived/mountaineering. Frustrated, our hero turned to a life of crime and stole the king's favorite grilled cheese sandwich/talking parrot/thesaurus.
After that fateful day, our hero had to live on the run, or risk prison. In the beginning, he believed he needed only three things to survive. First, he needed his wits; second, his nerve; and finally, his silly string/pet ocelot/castanets. Also, he could have used a friend. In addition, finding a hot meal seemed fairly urgent. To be sure, he wasn't used to such a hard life. If only he could find his favorite food: figgy pudding/milk moustache/fried grasshoppers, he knew he would feel better. Equally important was a place to rest his head, preferably somewhere without bedbugs/fleas/a mint on the pillow. Finally, after searching everywhere, our hero found the perfect job, one that provided food and shelter, friendship and camaraderie. Above all, it gave him a reason to get up in the morning. In short, it was the best job ever, notwithstanding the fact that he was covered with dirt and mud all the time. In sum, he was deliriously happy working as a golf ball retriever/gopher tracker/dumpster diver and was quite good at it. As a result, he eventually earned the king's pardon. It also helped that he returned the king's grilled cheese sandwich/talking parrot/thesaurus. At last, our tale is done.
More tea, anyone? Now that you have enjoyed our little story, it's time to talk about that glue, the handy words and phrases that connect our disparate thoughts and make them flow like a gentle brook through a verdant meadow, like caramel syrup over creamy custard, like--well, you get the picture. What are these useful links called? Anyone? Yes! They are transition words and are in bold above. While all of them are connectors, they serve different functions.
Some transitional words are used to indicate similarity. A few examples are: in addition, likewise, furthermore, in the same way, and as well as.
Contrastingly, some transitional words are used to indicate dissimilarity or contradiction. A few examples are: in contrast, on the other hand, although, and yet, and however.
Other transitional words are used for emphasis. A few examples are: in fact, indeed, of course, truly, and even.
And some transitional words are used for place or position. A few examples are: above, adjacent to, beyond, below, and in front.
Yet other transitional words are used to indicate consequence. A few examples are: as a result, consequently, accordingly, thus, and therefore.
Still other transitional words are used to indicate sequence. A few examples are: after, during, earlier, to begin with, and next.
Other transitional words are used to indicate exemplifying. A few examples are: specifically, such as, namely, to illustrate, and for example.
In this next group, transitional words are used to show the priority of the writer's thoughts. A few examples are: above all, in the first place, of less/greater importance, moreover, and for one reason.
In the following group, transitional words are used to provide additional support or evidence. A few examples are: additionally, equally important, furthermore, in addition, and moreover.
In our final group, transitional words are used to show conclusion or summary, usually of an essay. A few examples are: in conclusion, in short, in summary, to conclude, and thus.
Congratulations! You have mastered the concept of transitions--and without even trying. Look at Mrs. Grammar Person beaming with pride. But, don't go yet, please have another biscuit as Mrs. G.P. has one more thing to tell you, and it is this: no matter what you write, be it a novel, a treatise, an essay, or a poem, you always have the same three goals: present the problem, work through the problem, resolve the problem. Once you've learned how to write a beginning, a middle and an end, you'll be able to tell your own stories. And what could be better than that? Nothing--except for tea with Mrs. Grammar Person, of course.
"Teatime with Mrs. Grammar Person"-on Kindle now!
Now available on Kindle, dear ones, your favorite grammarian, Mrs. Grammar Person, imparting her humor and wisdom for only 99 cents!
http://www.amazon.com/Teatime-Grammar...
http://www.amazon.com/Teatime-Grammar...
Free on Amazon through 4/12: "Teatime with Mrs. Grammar Person" :-)
Free on Amazon through 4/12: "Teatime with Mrs. Grammar Person" :-)
My new book, "Teatime with Mrs. Grammar Person" is free through 4/12 on Amazon Kindle, check it out!
Fear not, Gentle Writer, Mrs. Grammar Person is here and she has the answers to all of the questions you never thought to ask. As a dedicated and serious grammarian, she will do what it takes to be entertaining and enlightening, but never vulgar or coarse. Heavens, no! Where are her smelling salts? Warm and witty, Mrs. G.P. makes grammar interesting with rhyming, wishful thinking, story-telling and a champagne toast. You are cordially invited to join her for a spot of tea!
http://www.amazon.com/Teatime-Grammar...
My new book, "Teatime with Mrs. Grammar Person" is free through 4/12 on Amazon Kindle, check it out!
Fear not, Gentle Writer, Mrs. Grammar Person is here and she has the answers to all of the questions you never thought to ask. As a dedicated and serious grammarian, she will do what it takes to be entertaining and enlightening, but never vulgar or coarse. Heavens, no! Where are her smelling salts? Warm and witty, Mrs. G.P. makes grammar interesting with rhyming, wishful thinking, story-telling and a champagne toast. You are cordially invited to join her for a spot of tea!
http://www.amazon.com/Teatime-Grammar...
New audio-book is out!
Hooray! "Teatime with Mrs. Grammar Person" is finally out on audio-book and Carrie Lee Martz did a fantastic job of narrating. Maybe she really is Mrs. Grammar Person!
http://www.audible.com/pd/Self-Develo...
http://www.audible.com/pd/Self-Develo...
Free audio-book download codes!
I have download codes for my new audio-book, “Teatime with Mrs. Grammar Person”, narrated by Carrie Lee Martz. If that sounds like your cup of tea, let me know & I’ll send you a code. Mrs. Grammar Person would be so pleased if you could leave a review afterwards. :-)
http://www.amazon.com/Teatime-Grammar...
http://www.amazon.com/Teatime-Grammar...
A Trip on the Mobius Strip
Whenever I see something funny or weird that you can relate to, I will share it. Anything that will make you smile, or shake your head, or wiggle your ears. I'd like to see that, by the way...
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