Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Commas Save Lives!!!

“Let’s eat, Grandpa!”
“Let’s eat Grandpa!”


Commas are something I always have problems with. My teachers in school were horrible and taught me to just put a comma in when I paused to take a breath. Shame on them. It wasn’t until my senior year in high school, in my AP English class, that a teacher finally taught my correctly. By then, however, it was so ingrained in me that I continue to get it wrong! Now I work feverishly to correct that bad writing habit.

Does anyone else have bad habits they are trying to break in their writing? If so, how are you doing it?

13 comments:

  1. LOL. Okay, it took me a minute, but then it sunk in. Very funny opener. I probably have lots of bad writing habits. I know I use the word just a lot. Just a hard habit to break, just jumps on the page, just like that. *sigh*

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  2. I used to use "just" a lot. I'm doing better with that. I have comma issues, too.

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  3. I adore the dash mark- and tend to improperly include it constantly!

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  4. LOL I feel you with those words that jump on the page, I have my own that I love and use frequently.

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  5. Sugoi, you're so cute! Your post made me smile!

    I was also taught to put a comma where you pause to take a breath. I know how you feel. My grammar mistakes are so intertwined with purple prose.

    My first love was poetry. Poetry is very expressive and symbolical and purple. Well, you can guess that that has bled (still does) to my current works of writing. To me, that's who I am--how I express myself. I feel cheated out of it when rules say to get rid of it. But what can I do other than change that if I want to get published?

    O-hum.

    But remember this: With the Lord's help, everything is possible. ;)

    Thanks for the wonderful post! <3

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  6. Commas hate me! Just when I think I have them licked, one pops right in where it shouldn't. I also have problems with repeated words. I use "bit" and "just" a lot and suck at those darn "ly" words. Although, I, am, getting, better . . . just a bit. LOL

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  7. I love your title and little intro. I may have to put that on a T-shirt.

    [And you don't need an apostrophe in commas...tee hee. I know...apostrophes are another issue entirely.] :D

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  8. I agree with Valarie, that should so be a t-shirt!! I'd wear it! You crack me up, Sugoi! (did I use my comma properly? LOL!)

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  9. That is hilarious!

    For the first time EVER I actually enjoyed a grammar lesson.

    Thanks!

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  10. Okay, I want to order the t-shirt!

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  11. I agree with the others. The title and intro had me cracking up. I was taught the same comma rule when I was young. I haven't gotten great at always remembering when I should use commas.

    I guess what I am saying is that I don't have any advice, but I did enjoy the post. :)

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  12. Yes, commas, and the word "just", my people "smile" too much and I have a love of the word "weird" these are the little things that show up in my writing WAY too often.
    I too, want the t-shirt.

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  13. What about the misplaced apostrophe in "Comma's"? Has it cost any lives?

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