GPS
Hello, Internet!
Today we shall be discussing the amazing wonders of grammar, punctuation and spelling—or as I like to call it…
GPS!
(And don't you DARE tell me that punctuation and spelling are just branches of grammar, or I'll stick you in a sack and beat you with a wooden spoon.)
Because I'm feeling random today, I'm going to list a bunch of MAJOR problems this website is facing in the general direction of GPS in no particular order.
Let's get started!
First, your and you're.
(PS, I have a list of what I need to discuss right here next to me, and I'm just going to pull ahead in the order that it's in.)
YOUR = something someone else has (used when one person is using direct speech to address the object in possession of someone else)
YOU'RE = abbreviation of "you are"
Examples:
"YOUR giant warship." (Because the ship belongs to whoever is being spoken to [obviously Leo].)
"YOU'RE giving me a wedgie." (Because you can also replace "you're" with "you are".)
Next, blond and blonde.
Blond = Male or female (it's a unisex word)
Blonde = Just female
Examples:
Annabeth is BLONDE. (Because she's a girl, she has an E on the end of 'blond'.)
Jason is BLOND. (Because Jason's a guy, he doesn't.)
Hazel is not BLOND. (Because 'blond' is a unisex word, Hazel can be [or not be] 'blond' or 'blonde'.)
So basically if it's a guy, he's 'blond'.
If it's a girl, she can be either 'blond' or 'blonde'. (Just stay consistent throughout your text.)
If you're using the word as a noun instead of an adjective, it's definitely gender specific—"a blonde" for female, "a blond" for male.
Next, '…' sometimes has to be '….'
They both symbolize the running off of a thought. The only difference is that you have to add a period to the end of the dot dot dot if it's the end of a sentence.
Example:
"I just came in here… thinking… uh… never mind… I'll leave now."
Leo dashed out of the room, muttering to himself, "Oh my gods, could they for one second not…."
Now, one that has become apparent to me as ONE OF THE BIGGEST PUNCTUATION PROBLEMS THIS FANFICTION SOCIETY HAS AND IT DRIVES ME INSANE!
USING A COMMA IN DIRECT SPEECH—NOT A PERIOD—WHEN THE TALKING STOPS.
ALSO USING A CAPITAL LETTER AFTERWARDS.
DON'T USE A CAPTIAL LETTER AFTER THE SENTENCE FINISHES.
THEY ARE NOT SEPARATE SENTENCES THEY ARE THE SAME SO MANY WRITERS ON THIS WEBSITE DO THIS *RRRRAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGEE!*
BAD example:
"This sucks." She said.
She said. "This sucks."
GOOD example:
"This sucks," she said.
She said, "This sucks."
BAD example:
"What the heck?" He asked.
GOOD example:
"What the heck?" he asked.
BAD example:
"Look out!" Screamed Annabeth.
GOOD example:
"Look out!" screamed Annabeth.
BAD example:
"Whew. That was close," she wiped sweat from her brow.
GOOD example:
"Whew. That was close." She wiped sweat from her brow.
(Because the part after the speech isn't referring to what had just been said, but to something entirely different. Basically, they're different sentences, so there's a period to divide them.)
BAD examples:
Piper said. "That was close."
Piper said, "that was close."
Piper said. "that was close."
GOOD example:
Piper said, "That was close."
BAD example:
"We need to get out," she shouted, and paused, "Now!"
GOOD example:
"We need to get out," she shouted, and paused. "Now!"
(Because "We need to get out." and "Now!" are two different sentences, a period seperates them.)
BAD example:
"Well," said Frank. "I guess we'll be going now."
GOOD example:
"Well," said Frank, "I guess we'll be going now."
(Because "Well, I guess we'll be going now." is a sentence with NO PERIODS IN BETWEEN. [Unless, of course, it isn't.])
I hope I made this simple enough to understand.
I wish never to see this mistake being used again.
And if you do, I will find you in your homes and draw moustaches on your face while you sleep.
Commas are excellent and necessary tools in writing.
One of the golden rules of commas: IF YOU REFER TO SOMEONE IN TEXT, PUT A COMMA BEFORE AND AFTER THE PERSON'S NAME. Seclude the name in a tiny island of solitude formed by commas.
Example:
GOOD: "Pay attention, Leo, this is important."
BAD: "Pay attention Leo this is important."
In this past example it's pretty evident that 'Leo' is a referred to name. But in these next two examples, you will see just how important commas are.
"Let's eat Grandma!"
Or…
"Let's eat, Grandma!"
COMMAS SAVE INNOCENT GRANDMOTHER LIVES FROM CANNIBALISM.
DO NOT FORGET THE COMMAS.
Now, the semicolon!
Uses:
Connect two independent clauses THAT RELATE and COULD be separated by a period, but then would be short and not really writing-smart.
Connect sentences that already contain punctuation.
Lists with commas in it already.
When do I know if it's okay to use a semicolon?
If the two sentences you're trying to connect are independent—meaning, they could be their own separate sentence.
Example:
Leo has a tool belt; he thinks it's awesome.
See?
[Leo has a toolbelt. He thinks it's awesome.] Each section can be its own separate sentence if you want it to be.
But how do I know WHEN to use a semicolon?
If the two sentences in question relate to each other and you want to strengthen their bond, this is a perfect time to use a semicolon.
If the two sentences are UNRELATED, DON'T use a semicolon; use a period.
Example:
Percy and Annabeth are dating. Also, Nico is going to die in the Blood of Olympus.
See?
The fact that Percabeth exists has nothing to do with Nico's inevitable death, so we use a period to separate the two ideas—not a semicolon.
(This next one is a bit confusing—I had to read my reference page a few times to get it.)
Maybe one of the sentences you're trying to connect already has punctuation—a comma, most likely. You can use semicolons to avoid a run-on sentence or a comma splice.
Example:
When the Stoll brothers get away with something, they'll often high-five each other; they're all about high fives.
Now, the final way to use a semicolon that I'll be explaining is the list-with-commas thing. Say you're listing something and describing it as well—you need commas. But usually when you list something you use commas to separate the items/people/unicorns being listed.
So who ya gonna call?
Semicolon!
Example:
There are seven demigods from the new great prophecy, which includes Percy Jackson, everyone's favourite because he has his own separate series; Annabeth Chase, his trusty (please don't tell her I called her this) sidekick/girlfriend; Jason Grace, son of the king of gods, which makes him technically the most powerful of the Seven but no one dares to say it because they're all on Team Percy; Piper McLean, who has wicked persuasive powers that can make anyone do anything she wants; Hazel Levesque, the only black person on the ship who is also from the 40s who is also the youngest at thirteen and who is also pretty dang awesome with Mist and cursed-jewel control; Frank Zhang, the Canadian dude who can freaking shape-shift because he's awesome enough to do so (probably because he's Canadian and we Canadians are epic); and Leo Valdez, the only single person on the ship but we're all rooting to get together with a three thousand-year-old goddess trapped on an island to whom he promised on the River Styx to return to.
…Our fandom is in immediate need of help.
-o-O-o-
Just remember this final rule of the semicolon: don't use it with conjunctions. If you use conjunctions, use a comma instead of a semicolon. But first figure out of the two which should be used.
Example:
Frank could turn into animals; Hazel thought that was awesome.
OR…
Frank could turn into animals, and Hazel thought that was awesome.
DEFINITELY NOT…
Frank could turn into animals; and Hazel thought that was awesome.
Now, like the semicolon that preceded it, we shall now discus colons.
In writing, it's used for legit lists (like, step one step two step three instructions), and yeah. Basically, that's it.
Example:
The note read, Please retrieve the following items: a daisy, a mountain goat, a unicorn, three strands of Zeus's hair, a leprechaun exactly two feet in height, and a lug wrench.
NOTE: Don't use a capital letter after a colon, unless it's in a bulleted form. If it's in bullets, you have the say on capitalization and punctuation afterward.
Examples:
Beware of:
(1) Spiders that can eat your face.
(2) Dinosaurs the size of cheese graters.
(3) Purple hippopotamuses.
OR
Beware of:
(1) two-headed dogs named Fluffy,
(2) giraffes on steroids, and
(3) wizards driven insane by Voldemort.
OR
Beware of:
(1) Pirates in search of the golden petunia
(2) Evil knights that seek to murder the world's fattest pig
(3) Daleks
There are a ton of ways that you can do it (in bulleted form), just stay consistent.
Which and That.
You may be wondering, what is 'which and that'?
Not complicated.
That = no comma
Which = comma
Example:
Leo reached for the toolbelt that he always wore around his waist.
Leo reached for his toolbelt, which he always wore around his waist.
But how do I know when to use which?
Just figure out, in your sentence, which one sounds better. That's what I do.
Let's and Lets
Let's = "let us"
Lets = allows
Examples:
-"Let's do this!" Hedge shouted. [Because you can replace "Let's" with "Let us".]
-"The only reason you seven are alive is because the mistress lets you be," the giant told the battered demigods. [Because Gaea is allowing the demigods to live. (Pshh. As if.)]
Who's and Whose
Who's = "who is"
Whose = possessed by which person/thing
Examples:
"Who's polluting?" Grover shouted angrily. "I'm gonna hit him in the groin." [Because you can replace "Who's" with "Who is".]
"Whose rainbow kitty is that?" Frank asked. [Because he's asking who possesses the rainbow kitty.]
His or Her vs. Their
When using a singular noun, use a singular pronoun.
When using a plural noun, use a plural pronoun.
Thus,
His or her = singular
Their = plural
Examples:
-Everyone on the ship has his or her partner (except Leo, who is forever alone [UNTIL HE RETURNS TO CALYPSO]). [Because "partner" is singular, we use "his or her", which is also singular.]
-Everyone on the ship has their favourite TV shows. [Because "shows" is plural, we use "their" because "their" is also plural.]
Fewer vs. Less
Fewer = a countable quantity
Less = an uncountable quantity
Example:
-If we get rid of Jason, there would be one fewer demigod on the quest to kill Dirt Face. [Because we can count up to seven. Duh.]
-This, however, would make the quest less magical. [Because we actually can't count how much magic the quest has. (Unless, of course, we went to Leo's secret bottled-magic storage room in the base of the ship.)]
"" in several paragraphs.
If you have a really long dialogue, don't keep it all in one giant blob. Separate it into paragraphs, and this is how:
Every paragraph starts with a " but doesn't end in one, until the last paragraph.
Example:
"Words words words words words words words. Words words words words words words words words, words words words words words words; words words words words words words words. Words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words.
"Words words words words words words words words words words pineapple words, words. Words words words words, words words words words words words words words. Words words words words words words words words.
"Words words words words."
DASHES! (well, the em one)
It either cuts someone off while they speak, or replaces other punctuation. When replacing other punctuation, it's probably for emphasis.
Example of interruption:
"What the—?" Leo managed before the engine blew up in his face.
Examples of replacing punctuation:
The girl—Reyna—looked up with murder in her eyes. [The dash replaces commas, as a comma would have been used to seclude the word "Reyna".]
"I need those three items on the worktable—the blow torch, the screwdriver, and the lug wrench." [The dash replaces what would have been a colon in this example.]
She did the work—I played Monopoly. [A semicolon was replaced by the dash.]
"If questions are still left unanswered after reading this chapter, call 555-1756—Bookworm1756's phone number—for answers." [The dashes replaced what could have been commas.]
S and apostrophe.
Percy's awesome powers. (The powers of Percy.)
The crews' undefeatable ship. (The crew is plural, so the apostrophe goes after the S.)
Samuels's chair. (Because Samuels already finishes in an S, you add an apostrophe and another S, since it's still singular.)
Leo's and Piper's powers. (Because Leo and Piper have separate powers, they each get their own apostrophe-S.)
Leo and Piper's project. (Because they have the same project, the apostrophe-S goes to the last subject.)
To who, or not to whom?
That is the misunderstanding.
The easiest way to find out when to use 'who' or 'whom' in a question is by answering it. If the answer uses 'he' or 'she', use 'who'. If the answer uses 'him' or 'her', use 'whom'.
Who = he/she
Whom = him/her
Example #1:
Who/whom blew up Athens and took over the world?
Answer: Gaea = 'She' blew up Athens and took over the world.
Thus: WHO blew up Athens and took over the world?
Example #2:
To who/whom did Hazel give a gift to?
Answer: Frank = Hazel gave a gift to 'him'.
Thus: To WHOM did Hazel give a gift to?
It's actually REALLY easy.
Now, here's one that's REALLY tricky:
Lay vs. Lie.
Lay = transitive (direct subject and one or more objects)
The past tense of 'lay' is 'laid'.
Example:
Present tense: "She lays her laptop on the desk and sighs."
Past tense: "I laid myself down on the bed and tried to get to sleep."
(Because there's an actual thing/person being laid down.)
Lie = intransitive (does not require an object)
The past tense of 'lie' is 'lay'.
Example:
Present tense: "I need to lie down."
Past tense: "Piper lay down when she realized struggling was fruitless and she was about to die in a horrible, probably excruciatingly painful way."
(Don't worry if you don't get this whole concept—I haven't gotten it fully either.)
And, last but not least, definitely.
Please spell this properly.
I used to mess this word up a lot, but here's a trick:
DE : FINIT : ELY
Also: no As
I actually had a lot more than these (like when to use a comma and when to use 'nor' over 'or') but those are obvious and easy. So I hoped this helped!
-The Worm Who Reads Books And Has A Name That Ends In One-Seven-Five-Six
PS: If you're looking for more clear-ups on grammar mistakes, one of my videos of reference for this chapter was an episode of MentalFloss called 38 Common Spelling and Grammar Errors - mental_floss on YouTube (Ep.9), hosted by John Green. Check it out!