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icykalisartblog · 3 years

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Basic How-to for Dialogue Punctuation

Often when I’m betaing a fic/editing other prose I notice that the dialogue and dialogue tags aren’t punctuated in a clear manner. I also think a lot of comp classes don’t teach this skill, so I figured it might be useful for writers if I wrote a casual little guide. I’m going to be writing about American English for this guide, since that’s what I use.

Of course, I believe in the freedom to mess with punctuation, but I also think it’s really helpful to know the rules before choosing to break them!

A Floating Quote

Something I often see is a quote with no dialogue tag after it and no punctuation to speak of, like this:

“Hello”

But all quotations should be punctuated like the rest of the sentences in your prose, even when they have no dialogue tags attached to them! Otherwise things can be unclear!

“Hello.”

If the initial quote is not a character speaking but say, the text of a sign or something, the same thing applies:

The sign read, “No skating.”

In American English, periods and commas nearly always go inside of quotation marks, even if they’re just ending a sentence and not actually part of the quoted dialogue itself. The sign might have just had the two words on it and no period after them, but because this is American English, a period should be after them to indicate to your readers that you’re ending a sentence.

Talking About Talking

When it comes to dialogue tags, if an action described in them results in the words being spoken/conveyed, you should use a comma at the end of the quote in order to indicate that, like this:

“Hello, nice to meet you,” Alice said.

Even when the quote would be a full sentence on its own, you don’t end the quote with a period. That’s because the actual full sentence is the whole thing, including the character speaking those words. So this would be incorrect:

“Hello, nice to meet you.” Alice said.

When the action described in a dialogue tag doesn’t result in the words being spoken, then it should be two separate sentences, like this:

“Hello, nice to meet you.” Alice waved.

Waving doesn’t cause the speech to happen, unlike saying, so the dialogue ends with a period. The speech and Alice waving are two separate sentences.

Can You Really Scoff All That?

An issue I often see come up is a dialogue tag that is presented as if it’s resulting in the words quoted before it, but it would be impossible! Here are a few examples:

“As if I’d ever go out with you,” she scoffed.

“I can’t believe you did that,” he chuckled.

“I don’t believe this,” he grimaced.

Because all of these quotations end in a comma, the reader has to imagine that scoffing/chuckling/grimacing results in the dialogue. But it’s really not possible to scoff/chuckle entire sentences (at least, not without sounding very strange) and grimacing is just making an expression and presumably wouldn’t result in sound at all. Lines like these should be revised so that the actions and dialogue are separate sentences and one is taking place before the other. For example:

She scoffed. “As if I’d ever go out with you.”

The Broken Quote

When a sentence of quoted dialogue has a dialogue tag in the middle of it and also includes other actions, all kinds of things can go wrong:

“The world.” He said, doing jazz hands. “Is your oyster.”

Here’s how this should be rendered:

“The world,” he said, doing jazz hands, “is your oyster.”

As you can see, even though if the quoted dialogue was all on its own it wouldn’t have a comma after “world,” you should put a comma before “he said” so the reader knows he is speaking those words. “Doing jazz hands” is just a clause modifying “said” and isn’t a separate action, so put another comma after it—and finally, keep “is” lowercase because that shows it’s part of the same sentence as “the world.”

What if the action between the different parts of the quote can’t result in the speech? Then, you have to use a punctuation mark that indicates that the sentences are separate. Generally I use em-dashes for this task, since the em-dash is very versatile and can indicate an interruption, or an ellipses, because an ellipses indicates that something is absent from a sentence. For the sentence describing the action, it should begin with a capital letter, but the dialogue itself should still be rendered as its own sentence. It’s like ships passing in the night over here!

“The world—” He did jazz hands. “—is your oyster.”

Exclamations and Questions

In one of these lines, the question mark is inside the quotation marks, but in the other, it’s outside. So why are both of these correct?

“Is the pasta good?” he asked.

Who said, “Hello, nice to meet you”?

The reason for this apparent discrepancy is this rule: when a quote is in and of itself a question/exclamation, the question/exclamation mark goes inside the quotation marks. But if it isn’t, and instead the quotation is just embedded within a larger question/exclamation, the respective mark needs to go outside.

Final Thoughts

I know I just wrote a whole guide to punctuating dialogue, but it’s important to note that every writer is different! Although these guidelines are what you’ll usually see being followed in literary writing published in American English, there’s always some variation. For example, some people are adamant that em-dashes always have to go outside of quotation marks, whereas others (like yours truly) think that if they indicate an interruption in speech, it’s totally fine to have them in there. Just aim for consistency!

I may add to this post if I think of any other frequent stumbling blocks. Anyway, I hope this was helpful! ^_^

#writing tips #writing resources #I need an analysis/meta tag #IcyKali's Writing

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sportyclown · 4 years

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how sawamura, miyuki, yuki, and kuramochi text (friends + s/os)

will most likely do a part 2 with more boys at a later date! these got freakishly long because i am, at my core, a very mad. also might revisit as i get re-familiar with the characters, i just had this idea floating around in my head. also the way these got pro

sawamura eijun

no matter who he texts, it’s always extremely extra. not only does he always give more information than you asked for – ex. if you text him wya? he will give you a play by play of his entire route or something

he also uses tons of emoticons. and yes I do mean emoticons, baby boy has a flip phone. ifhe does eventually get a smart phone, then this boy overuses tf out of emojis. he’s the sort of person that sees someone use a combination of emojis he likes and then tries to copy them, but uses it completely incorrectly, but its v cute.

if you send him a meme, he will respond with an unnecessary amount of hahas.

when he’s texting his lil bae, they’re always on his mind so he ofc texts them every thought that comes to his mind! when he sees something that reminds him of you, he won’t hesitate to share it with you.

if you have been together for a long time, then we will definitely text you words of affirmation and be very honest/blunt about how he feels about you. he’s also always sure to ask you about your day - and he seriously cares. but i still i feel like with a s/o he would prefer facetime to texting just because he likes to see you :)

overall, a very adorable texter and his enthusiasm is just as contagious when texting as it is in person. he’s kind of clueless so he doesn’t pick up on subtext. so be blunt, just like he will be with you~

kuromochi youichi

my bias might be showing here, but I feel like he is one of the most well-adjusted boys in terms of being ready for a serious relationship tbh (at least post-high school). i mean we all saw that he regularly corresponded with wakana wish that were me lmao

i think he would most often use proper capitalization, but not to the point where he uses a period after every text

would send his friends news articles about his favorite fighting games where u like gaming or not

a meme fiend in general. the sort of person who uses reaction images of people he knows. (if you’re dating, he would still have a stash of funny pics/screenshots of you on ft, but he’d ofc only use them with you <3). his convos with his friends are rarely serious

i don’t think he’d be the type to text haha out loud, but he does use LOL on occasion. with close friends/his lil bae he might send a voice memo of him laughing hysterically if you send him something REALLY funny. ugh my annoying king <3

unlike eijun he’s the king of being perceptive / picking up subtext.

similarly, i do think he’s pretty reliable, but for friends i feel like he might make a lil bit of a stink lmao. like lets say a friend wants him to pick something up for them, he might play like he won’t do it then miraculously shows up with the requested item. its giving tsundere vibes on the low.

with his partner: i feel like he would use emojis when he’s trying to be ~cute~. i think with a established partner he’d be pretty flirty still but he’s v much whipped for his partner so its way more mushy than it would be early in the relationship.

yes your name has hearts/stars in his phone. mans is a SAP for you

his love language is more quality time imo, so I think he values time spent with you over texting time. so a lot of your texts might be asking you to come over to hang out / get a meal or vice versa

like eijun he wants to hear about YOU, and is very supportive and good at advice when he wants to be. he can be goofy but this is how he shows you he cares/sees you as more than a friend

he’s a blushy/shy boy with his s/o esp early in the relationship, so he might be hesitant or nervous to say “i love you” or anything like that outright, but you know anyway, which just makes the times when he does outright say it that much sweeter.

miyuki kazuya

i mean it goes without saying that this man is snarky. he’s not a meme king himself but he enjoys when people send them to him and will usually play off the meme to make his own jokes.

i feel like he also likes deep-fried memes or the very abstract, post-modern memes. miyuki is good at making other people laugh, but he has a generally very-off brand humor and the things that make him cackle hardest are either at someone else’s expense (very similar to kuramochi, so they bond a lot over that) or just indiscernible without access to a huge layer of context/background

saves the reaction photos kuramochi sends him, but doesn’t usually use them. but seeing an ugly pic of eijun yelling never fails to make him grin LMAO

i think he also texts A LOT about baseball, even more so than these other baseball dummies. texts his teammates a lot of articles he reads or clips from games/cool plays. this is mostly about texts, but in terms of social media I think miyuki uses twitter/instagram the most especially for baseball related reasons, while kuramochi uses snapchat the most.

he probably texts a lot about baseball as well, both seriously and playfully

i can see him using hahas and LOLs in equal measure, but he would also utilize the haha reaction if he had an iphone. this boy does value his wit so he would definitely have commentary about any memes or jokes he’s sent

you won’t win a joke war against him, he will definitely one-up whatever you send him with either a one-liner or another joke. how tf does he do it?

definitely ignores people/conversations if he really wants to - but ofc he never does that to his BAE

if miyuki give you a dry one-line response...he’s not interested at all or he’s feeling frustrated about something else. but when he’s really happy? he will text his friends all the time and spam them! i see him as someone who enjoys texting when he has the attention span/state of mind for it. and when he’s texting his s/o his texting gets even more ~flavorful~

wit his lil bae: i don’t think miyuki would switch it up much w his s/o. is probably even more teasing with you over text than he is with his friends, which is saying something.

like talking with you just by nature of you being his partner. prob prefers texts to facetime because text kinda allows for maximum snark

he LIVES for you guys’ witty back and forth

if he’s traveling for work or something, will definitely relish in you guys binge texting a tv show or something but just making funny commentary (or he’ll just send you funny commentary to get a reaction)

he can dish it and he’s also not a super sensitive guy so he can take it tenfold from you as well. nothing y’all wouldn’t be used to when talking in person!

sometimes when texting him you’ll want to beat his a*s because he can be so cheeky but its endearing in a way. he definitely adds emojis to the end of his more annoying messages to give it that loveable vibe (and it works ofc, we love u miyuki)

he’s kinda clingy on the low so i think he’d prefer a partner that’s more open with their affection via text than he is. he would live for your random ilys or whatver throughout the day. also would not mind at all if you updated him on your actions throughout the day or sent him snaps - might not be able to respond to everything, but will react and appreciate it. very likely to make jokes about whatever you’re doing.

would also apologize over text. he’s not always used to apologizing can be awkward about it, so text makes it easier for him.

he would use emojis w you in a joking/ironic way. would absolute use those dumb but genius emoji combinations

yuki tetsuya

i’m literally cracking up thinking about texting him. he is one of my ultimate baes but im sorry i just know he texts dry asf. but its part of his charm!

has a flip phone. either never upgrades or gets the chunkiest most basic android if he is forced to

the thing is this man thinks that he is infusing all his texts with, like, tajin level seasoning, when in reality its pepper

uses punctuation. always. exclamation marks are used sparingly to express excitement.

but i can’t get the image out of my head of an upset tetsuya texting you a simple angry emoji (or the angry emoticon >:( LOL) if he’s reeeeeeally mad. but its v cute i can’t take him seriously. i just want to give him a hug <3

but you know what he is so PASSIONATE about whatever he’s talking about that his passion bleeds into his text through sheer quantity of words and depth of thought. ultimately, all his conversations end up being extremely flavorful in terms of content. he is surprisingly good at having deep conversations over text.

he’s better at holding conversations with more extroverted personalities, truthfully.

he’s another one who sends random things to people when he thinks about them. miyuki of course gets so many texts/thoughts about shogi. if you get a random haiku, poem, or quote from testu, that means you’re blessed enough to be in his inner circle! he definitely thought of you when he read it and and wants you to respond!

with bae: he doesn’t really change up his texting style tbh, but he has a stronger outward reaction to what YOU text in response.

definitely the type to smile almost imperceptibly at his phone as he texts you, even if you send him something like “hey i’m at the store, want anything?”

he’s not great as verbal affection early in the relationship, so you’ll have to discern his love/affection. however baby boy is NOT afraid to just straight up say he loves you, he does it all the time and early.

he’s KNOWN for being reliable and responsible, so he will be at your beck and call when he’s able to for anything you need, but his heart is also warmed by the thought of you reciprocating that care. if your texts show him you’re thinking of him just like he does too. he’s very gentle and sweet, and checks up on you when he’s able to see if you need anything at all.

he might be reliable, but that doesn’t mean that he’s the quickest guy to respond to texts. he’s a busy guy, and he doesn’t think about his phone all the time, but he will always get back to you (bae does not play when it comes to completing things).

if they came up with a shogi game for gamepidgeon and tetsu had an iphone, your phone probably would be spammed with requests for games lol.

this is my first time doing headcanons like this so please let me know what you think or give me tips on how to improve! I really enjoying thinking about it so I hope to do more in the future <3

#daiya no ace #daiya no ace headcanons #sawamura eijun #miyuki kazuya #kuramochi youichi #yuki tetsuya #sawamura eijun x reader #miyuki kazuya x reader #kuramochi youichi x reader #yuki tetsuya x reader #dna headcanons #miyuki x reader #kuramochi x reader #ace of diamond #headcanons #texting headcanons #my writing #diamond no ace

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iamthenightcolormeblack · 3 years

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Pride and Prejudice 1940: "When Pretty Girls T-E-A-S-E-D Men Into Marriage"

Made during the Great Depression, this classic black and white film is loosely based on Austen's novel and is set in what is likely the 1830s rather than the Regency Era (late 18th century to early 19th century). It is an escapist piece which capitalizes on nostalgia for a simpler time by transporting its viewers to a chocolate-box vision of the past, while paying homage to Austen's social satire by delivering plenty of laughs along the way.

Overall Thoughts on the Film:

The first time I watched this movie, I was confused because the plot as well as the setting was revised significantly (the events after Darcy's first proposal are changed to hasten the happy ending; Darcy's letter and Elizabeth's visit to Pemberley are not included in this movie). This changing of plot points makes the 2005 movie a much more faithful adaptation in comparison with this version, in spite of the creative liberties both take with the novel.

Production Design:

The movie is a typical example of Golden Age Hollywood productions, with beautiful actresses and melodramatic flourishes added to increase the drama. Some of the lines are delivered very quickly, in keeping with the comedic style of the time.

The music: definitely not historically accurate. A lot of sentimental, "ye olde timey" string arrangements that emphasize emotions or fast-paced waltz music for balls/parties.

The 1830s costumes are beautiful; it seems as if no expense (or quantity of fabric) was spared in making them. The bonnets are way taller and have more decorations than typical 1830s bonnets. Some of the patterns/fabric choices are very 1930s, and the costumes are exaggerated in such as way as to make the wearers look like fancy turkeys.

Hair and Makeup: very 1930s, with finger/sausage curls, plucked eyebrows, lipstick/lip makeup, and long lashes.

The sets: the dollhouse-like interiors are lavishly gilded and made to look as opulent as possible. Outdoors scenes are lush, with lots of flowers and bushes; the garden in which the second proposal takes place is gorgeous. The set design transports the viewer into an idyllic vision of the bucolic English countryside.

The Lead Actors:

With the exception of Laurence Olivier, the majority of the actors are American, since this is a Hollywood production. Many of the characters in the film's imaginary vision of pastoral Britain speak American or make clumsy attempts to imitate British English.

Greer Garson: while she is definitely too old for the part, she perfectly conveys Elizabeth's intelligence, outspokenness, and sarcasm. Her facial expressions are killer as well; with the arch of an eyebrow along with a snarky side eye, she captivates us all. All in all, Garson effectively shows off Elizabeth's impertinence through her nonverbal acting (this reminds me strongly of Jennifer Ehle's Elizabeth Bennet).

Laurence Olivier: he effectively conveys Darcy's pride while hinting at his deeper feelings beneath the surface (I can see why Colin Firth spoke so highly of Olivier's portrayal of Darcy). Most importantly, the film emphasizes Darcy's intelligence; he is certainly Elizabeth's intellectual equal. While this portrayal of Darcy is very accurate to the book, Darcy's pride does go away pretty quickly (he and Elizabeth form a tentative friendship early on) and his social awkwardness isn't immediately obvious thanks to his charm. Also the unflattering hairstyle with the greasy hair and painted on sideburns makes me sad.

Key Scenes:

Opening scene: The title card appeals directly to the audience's nostalgia for a sentimental, romanticized past: “It happened in OLD ENGLAND (this was actually capitalized), in the village of Meryton…” The Bennet women are at a fabric shop, where they gossip with aunt Phillips about the rich people moving into Netherfield Park.

The carriage race: this scene, which isn’t in the original novel, represents the rivalry between the Bennets and Lucases. The mothers both want their daughters to be the first to snag the rich bachelors.

The first ball: There is a historical anachronism as the music is a waltz by Strauss, who became popular in late 19th century, specifically the Gilded Age; far too early for the Regency Era or 1830s England. Other changes from the original novel include Elizabeth meeting Wickham before Darcy; other events from Aunt Phillips’ ball (which isn’t included in this movie) and Wickham and Darcy’s confrontation are included in this scene.

Elizabeth’s impression of Darcy at the ball: she puts on airs and mocks his casual dismissal of her as tolerable (definitely a parallel with the 1995 version, where Jennifer Ehle does the same, but privately with Jane).

Great comedic change: Darcy introduces himself to Elizabeth after calling her tolerable and asks if she will dance with him (this originally takes place at Mr. Lucas' ball). Right after rejecting Darcy, she instantly agrees to dance with Wickham; in a humorous moment, Darcy evacuates to a corner of the room to sulk while seeing Wickham dance with Elizabeth.

The “Accomplished woman” scene: the dialogue lifted directly from the book for the most part. Darcy, in a departure from his trademark seriousness, shows off his playful side when reacting to Caroline Bingley's "turn about the room." I particularly like this added repartee from Elizabeth Bennet to Darcy, which is clever but also foreshadows her prejudice: “If my departure is any punishment, you are quite right. My character reading is not too brilliant.”

Elizabeth can't stand Mr. Collins: After twirling about his monocle, he pronounces that: “It might interest you to know my taste was formed by lady Catherine de Bourgh.” The best part of this scene is when Elizabeth plucks a wrong note on her harp when Collins gets really annoying.

The Netherfield ball (which is now a garden party):

Elizabeth running away from Mr. Collins: She looks rather ridiculous, almost like an overdressed turkey, in a white dress with puffy sleeves as she runs away from an overeager Collins. Then she hides in the bushes while Darcy helps her to hide, telling Collins he doesn't know where she is. It's fun but most likely not something a proper lady and gentleman would do (two people of the opposite gender out alone, shock!).

The archery scene: Darcy attempts to teach Elizabeth how to shoot a bow and arrow, even though he doesn’t hit the bullseye. She goes on to impress him by perfectly hitting the bullseye every time; Darcy learns his lesson: "Next time I talk to a young lady about archery I won't be so patronizing." Caroline Bingley, very passive aggressive as usual, shows up for her archery lesson right after and it's absolutely perfect.

Mr. Collins attempts to introduce himself to Mr. Darcy: Laurence Olivier captures Darcy so perfectly in this scene (really set the precedent for Colin Firth). When Mr. Collins starts talking (inviting Elizabeth to dance with him) Darcy tries to keep himself well-composed but has a pained expression on his face as if he’s about to pass out. Olivier masters the way Darcy can look so miserable but also disgusted and proud at the same time.

Mr. Collin's proposal to Elizabeth: I like the added touch of Mrs. Bennet pulling Elizabeth back by her skirt when she tries to run out of the room. The dialogue is taken directly from the book, and the scene is made even funnier when Collins holds on to Elizabeth's hand desperately and doesn’t let her get away. My only quibble is that Elizabeth isn’t indignant enough when Mr. Collins doesn't take no for an answer.

Elizabeth and Darcy at Rosings: I like that Olivier subtly indicates that Darcy is clearly affected upon seeing Elizabeth at Rosing, hinting at deeper feelings beneath the surface. I also like how the scriptwriter emphasizes that Darcy indirectly praises Elizabeth and enjoys their conversations, while she remains convinced that he hates her. Sadly, the original dialogue of the piano scene is not included, which is unfortunate as it allows Darcy to reveal his introvert tendencies, calling into question Elizabeth's assertion that he is unpardonably proud.

First proposal: The famous opening lines are mutilated with awkward punctuation: “It’s no use. I’ve struggled in vain. I must tell you how much I admire and love you." While the rest of the dialogue matches up closely with what happens in Austen's novel, both of the actors aren’t emotional enough; instead Elizabeth cries very daintily, and Darcy remains serene, which conflicts with the book's description of both of them being very angry and defensive at each other.

THE SCRIPT:

The first half of the film up to Darcy's first proposal follows the events of the original book closely, though certain blocks of dialogue are moved elsewhere and other events such as Mrs. Phillips' party are skipped over. The most significant changes, besides updating the setting to the 1830s, are made to the second half of the book to squeeze the key events of the story into the movie before delivering the inevitable happy ending.

Brilliant Quotes:

Mr. Bennet's reaction to Mrs. Bennet's despair over the situation of their 5 unmarried daughters: “Perhaps we should have drowned some of them at birth.”

Darcy insists Elizabeth cannot tempt him: “Ugh. Provincial young lady with a lively wit. And there’s that mother of hers.”

Darcy is an arrogant snob: “I’m in no humor tonight to give consequence to the middle classes at play.” (Technically the Bennets are part of the gentry; they just are less wealthy than Darcy).

Elizabeth's reaction to Darcy pronouncing her to be tolerable at best: “What a charming man!”

Elizabeth rebuffs Darcy's offer to dance after overhearing his insult: “I am afraid that the honor of standing up with you is more than I can bear, Mr Darcy.”

Elizabeth favors Wickham after witnessing the bad blood between him and Darcy: “Without knowing anything about it I am on your side.”

Mrs. Bennet's comment after she sends Jane to Netherfield under stormy skies: “There isn’t anything like wet weather for engagements. Your dear father and I became engaged in a thunderstorm.”

Mr. Bennet's reaction to Jane's fever: “Jane must have all the credit for having caught the cold…we’re hoping Elizabeth will catch a cold and stay long enough to get engaged to Mr. Darcy. And if a good snowstorm could be arranged we’d send Kitty over!”

The sisters' description of Mr. Collins: “Oh heavens! what a pudding face.”

Caroline Bingley at the Netherfield garden party: “Entertaining the rustics is not as difficult as I feared. Any simple childish game seems to amuse them excessively.”

Darcy reassuring Elizabeth after helping her escape Mr. Collins: “If the dragon returns St. George will know how to deal with it.”

Darcy learns his lesson after Elizabeth beats him at archery: “The next time I talk to a young lady about archery I won’t be so patronizing.”

Elizabeth comments about a curtain: “Oh that’s pretty. It’s a pity you didn’t make it bigger. You could have put it around Mr. Collins when he becomes a bore.”

Elizabeth on Kitty and Lydia: “2 daughters out of 5, that represents 40% of the noise.”

Elizabeth sees Lady Catherine for the first time: “So that’s the great lady Catherine. Now I see where he learned his manners.”

Lady Catherine's attitude towards philanthropy: “You must learn to draw a firm line between the deserving poor and the undeserving poor.”

Darcy takes Elizabeth's advice: “I’ve thought a great deal about what you said at Netherfield, about laughing more...but it only makes me feel worse."

Elizabeth and Darcy have a conversation with Colonel Fitzwilliam: “He likes the landscape well enough, but the natives, the natives, what boors, what savages … Isn’t that what you think, Mr. Darcy?” With a smile: “It evidently amuses you to think so, Miss Bennet."

CHANGES FROM THE BOOK:

The first half of the film up to Darcy's first proposal follow the events of the original book closely, though certain blocks of dialogue are moved elsewhere and other events such as Mrs. Phillips' party are skipped over. The most significant changes, besides updating the setting to the 1830s, are made to the second half of the book to squeeze the key events of the story into the movie before delivering the inevitable happy ending.

With the exception of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, the portrayals of the characters are (generally) true to the book.

As I said earlier, the film neglects any sort of historical accuracy when setting the story in romanticized "Old England," where genteel people pass simple lives that revolve around dresses, tea parties, social gossip, and marriages. A lot of Austen adaptations present an idealized vision of Regency life, where people are dressed immaculately, flawlessly adhere to "chivalry," and find love in the ballroom. This contributes to the misconception that Austen's novels are shallow chick-lit books with flat characters who live for lavish parties and hot men, instead of stories of unique, complicated women who happen to be well-off but aspire towards love, respect, or independence instead of being content to make economically advantageous marriages. Austen's novels are character novels and she doesn't waste time writing about dresses or tea parties; balls, while exciting, are just another part of daily life for her characters rather than some Extremely Big Special Once In a Blue Moon Event.

Austen's multifaceted view on marriage turns into a game of matchmaking. She recognizes it as necessary for women to survive in the patriarchy, since they cannot provide for themselves unless they marry well, but at the same time, presents marriage as a means for freedom if it is a loving partnership between two people that respect each other. In contrast, marriage is a game of manipulating the partners into wanting to marry (ex. Lady Catherine and Darcy's trickery). Also, it seems to be a given that Elizabeth will marry for love, unlike in the book where it is uncertain whether she will achieve this.

Kitty and Lydia's antics are viewed much more sympathetically as those of young people having fun; in the book, their behavior harms the family's social reputation, reducing the chances the Bennet daughters have of making good marriages.

Louisa Hurst, Georgiana Darcy, and Aunt and Uncle Gardiner are not in the movie.

Wickham is introduced much earlier than in the book; he is friends with Lydia from the very beginning. Interestingly, he doesn't begin to trash-talk Darcy until Bingley leaves; in the book he does so much earlier, before the Netherfield ball.

Darcy is more considerate towards Elizabeth at the Netherfield party (ex. rescuing her from Collins), until he overhears Mrs. Bennet scheming to get the daughters married. Elizabeth forms a tentative friendship with him until finding out that he separated Jane from Bingley.

Jane is more obviously heartbroken over Bingley's departure than in the book, where she keeps her pain to herself. In the movie, she runs away to cry, which is uncharacteristic of her.

Collins is a librarian instead of a clergyman. I dislike this change because some Austen scholars/fans think that Collins being a clergyman is a deliberate choice as part of Austen's social criticism. Collins is representative of how hypocritical the Church is, since he worships Lady Catherine's wealth instead of God, and preaches moral lessons instead of actually using religion to help people. My theory is that the change was made because of the Hays Code, which led to the censorship of movies for "unwholesome" or "indecent" things; the religious criticism could have been offensive.

Elizabeth reacts rather too kindly to Charlotte marrying Collins by showing concern for the loveless marriage. While she does worry about the lack of love in the marriage, initially she is extremely surprised, outright shocked, and confused.

The scene where Darcy tries and fails to talk to Elizabeth (the "charming house" scene in the 2005 movie) just before the proposal is removed.

Darcy's letter is skipped over and Elizabeth overcomes her prejudice of Darcy very quickly, as shown when she tells Jane she regrets rejecting his proposal. This is contrary to the book, where overcoming her prejudice is an emotionally exhausting and slow process that continues all the way up until the second proposal.

The Pemberley visit is removed; instead, Elizabeth returns home to the news that Lydia has eloped. Visiting Pemberley is very important as part of Elizabeth's re-evaluation of Darcy's character and provides an opportunity for Darcy to show Elizabeth that he has changed for her. The visit is key in increasing Elizabeth's love for Darcy, and removing it means that the characters have less personal growth (also wouldn't it have been great for the audience to be treated to another gorgeous estate of "Old England?"). Instead, Darcy visits Longbourn on his own and offers his help in finding Lydia. When the news comes that Wickham accepts very little money in exchange for marrying Lydia, it isn't as shocking as it is in the book because Darcy had already expressed his intentions of helping Elizabeth earlier.

Here's the change that bugs me the most: Lady Catherine becomes good; though she is a busybody, her main priority is Darcy's happiness. Her confrontation of Elizabeth is a scheme hatched between her and Darcy as a test to be certain of Elizabeth's love. This does not make sense on so many levels: first, Darcy insists that "disguise of every sort is my abhorrence," so why would he resort to trickery, however well-intentioned, to find out if Elizabeth still loves him? Second, Lady Catherine is a social snob and objects to Elizabeth's low connections; also she has an arranged marriage planned for Darcy. Third, in the book, because Elizabeth likes Pemberley and gets along really well with his sister Georgiana, Darcy would have had some evidence that Elizabeth, in the very least, cared for him. And the added claim that Lady Catherine approves of Elizabeth because she likes rudeness and thinks Darcy needs a humorous wife irritates me further because the marriage of Elizabeth and Darcy is revolutionary since it was made in defiance of societal rules!!! Why, why, why in the name of comedy did they have to do this?!

Darcy kisses Elizabeth (in a stagey and melodramatic way) after she accepts his second proposal. Seems a bit uncharacteristic of him.

All the sisters get married at the end. Happily ever after.

CONCLUSION

This movie certainly was not aiming for faithfulness to Austen's novel; it ignores her detailed portrait of Regency era society and its attitudes and focuses on the "light, bright, and sparkling" aspect of Pride and Prejudice that gives the story its timeless appeal.

All in all, this comedy of manners is definitely a classic thanks to the clever dialogue and jokes within the script, along with some great acting.

@appleinducedsleep @dahlia-coccinea @princesssarisa @colonelfitzwilliams @austengivesmeserotonin

#pride and prejudice 1940 #pride and prejudice #pride and predjudice #jane austen #movies #movie review #laurence olivier #classic movies #we stan p&p 1940

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lexmagnum · 4 years

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Many people are involved in diligent research concerning the use of all capital letters for proper names, e.g., JOHN PAUL JONES as a substitute for John Paul Jones in all court documents, driver's licenses, bank accounts, birth certificates, etc.. Is the use of all capital letters to designate a name some special English grammar rule or style? Is it a contemporary American style of English? Is the use of this form of capitalization recognized by educational authorities? Is this an official judicial or U.S. government rule and/or style of grammar? Why do attorneys, court clerks, prosecutors judges, insurance companies, banks, credit card companies, utility companies, etc. always use all capital letters when writing a proper name?

What English grammar experts say

One of the foremost authorities on American English grammar, style, composition, and rules is The Chicago Manual of Style. The latest (14th) Edition, published by the University of Chicago Press, is internationally known and respected as a major contribution to maintaining and improving the standards of written or printed text. Since we can find no reference in their manual concerning the use of all capitalized letters with a proper name or any other usage, we wrote to the editors and asked this question:

"Is it acceptable, or is there any rule of English grammar, to allow a proper name to be written in all capital letters? For example, if my name was John Paul Jones, can it be written as JOHN PAUL JONES? Is there any rule covering this?"

The Editorial Staff of the University of Chicago answered:

"Writing names in all caps is not conventional; it is not Chicago style to put anything in all caps. For instance, even if 'GONE WITH THE WIND' appears on the title page all in caps, we would properly render it 'Gone with the Wind' in a bibliography. The only reason we can think of to do so is if you are quoting some material where it is important to the narrative to preserve the casing of the letters.

“We're not sure in what context you would like your proper name to appear in all caps, but it is likely to be seen as a bit odd."

Law is extremely precise. Every letter, capitalization, punctuation mark, etc., in a legal document is utilized for a specific reason and has legal (i.e. deadly force) consequences. If, for instance, one attempts to file articles of incorporation in the office of a Secretary of State of a State, if the exact title of the corporation — down to every jot and tittle — is not exactly the same each and every time the corporation is referenced in the documents to be filed, the Secretary of State will refuse to file the papers. This is because each time the name of the corporation is referenced it must be set forth identically in order to express the same legal entity. The tiniest difference in the name of the corporation identifies an entirely different legal person.

It is therefore an eminently valid, and possibly crucial, question as to why governments, governmental courts, and agencies purporting to exist (in some undefined, unproved manner) within the jurisdiction of “this state” insist on always capitalizing every letter in a proper name.

Mary Newton Bruder, Ph.D., also known as The Grammar Lady, who established the Grammar Hotline in the late 1980's for the "Coalition of Adult Literacy," was asked the following question:

"Why do federal and state government agencies and departments, judicial and administrative courts, insurance companies, etc., spell a person's proper name in all capital letters? For example, if my name is John Paul Jones, is it proper at any time to write my name as JOHN PAUL JONES?"

Dr. Bruder's reply was short and to the point: "It must be some kind of internal style. There is no grammar rule about it."

It seemed that these particular grammatical experts had no idea why proper names were written in all caps, so we began to assemble an extensive collection of reference books authored by various publishers, governments, and legal authorities to find the answer.

What English grammar reference books say

Manual on Usage & Style

One of the reference books obtained was the "Manual on Usage & Style," Eighth Edition, ISBN I-878674-51-X, published by the Texas Law Review in 1995. Section D, CAPITALIZATION, paragraph D: 1:1 states:

"Always capitalize proper nouns... [Proper nouns], independent of the context in which they are used, refer to specific persons, places, or things (e.g., Dan, Austin, Rolls Royce)."

Paragraph D: 3:2 of Section D states:

"Capitalize People, State, and any other terms used to refer to the government as a litigant (e.g., the People's case, the State's argument), but do not capitalize other words used to refer to litigants (e.g., the plaintiff, defendant Manson)."

Either no attorney, judge, or law clerk in Texas has ever read the recognized law style manual that purports to pertain to them, or the act is a deliberate violation of the rules for undisclosed reasons. In either ignorance (“ignorance of the law is no excuse”) or violation (one violating the law he enforces on others is acting under title of nobility and abrogating the principle of equality under the law) of law, they continue to write "Plaintiff,” "Defendant," "THE STATE OF TEXAS" and proper names of parties in all capital letters on every court document.

The Elements of Style

Another well-recognized reference book is "The Elements of Style," Fourth Edition, ISBN 0-205-30902-X, written by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White, published by Allyn & Bacon in 1999. Within this renowned English grammar and style reference book, is found only one reference to capitalization, located within the Glossary at "proper noun," page 94, where it states:

"The name of a particular person (Frank Sinatra), place (Boston), or thing (Moby Dick). Proper nouns are capitalized."

There's an obvious and legally evident difference between capitalizing the first letter of a proper name as compared to capitalizing every letter used to portray the name.

The American Heritage Book of English Usage

The American Heritage Book of English Usage, A Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English, published in 1996, at Chapter 9, E-Mail, Conventions and Quirks, Informality, states:

"To give a message special emphasis, an E-mailer may write entirely in capital letters, a device E-mailers refer to as screaming. Some of these visual conventions have emerged as away of getting around the constraints on data transmission that now limit many networks".

Here is a reference source, within contemporary — modern — English, that states it is of an informal manner to write every word of — specifically — an electronic message, a.k.a. e-mail, in capital letters. They say it's "screaming" to do so. By standard definition, we presume that is the same as shouting or yelling. Are all judges, as well as their court clerks and attorneys, shouting at us when they corrupt our proper names in this manner? (If so, what happened to the decorum of a court if everyone is yelling?) Is the insurance company screaming at us for paying the increased premium on our Policy? This is doubtful as to any standard generalization, even though specific individual instances may indicate this to be true. It is safe to conclude, however, that it would also be informal to write a proper name in the same way.

Does this also imply that those in the legal profession are writing our Christian names informally on court documents? Are not attorneys and the courts supposed to be specific, formally writing all legal documents to the "letter of the law?" If the law is at once both precise and not precise, what is its significance, credibility, and force and effect?

New Oxford Dictionary of English

"The New Oxford Dictionary of English" is published by the Oxford University Press. Besides being considered the foremost authority on the British English language, this dictionary is also designed to reflect the way language is used today through example sentences and phrases. We submit the following definitions from the 1998 edition:

Proper noun (also proper name). Noun. A name used for an individual person, place, ororganization, spelled with an initial capital letter, e.g. Jane, London, and Oxfam.

Name. Noun 1 A word or set of words by which a person, animal, place, or thing is known,addressed, or referred to: my name is Parsons, John Parsons. Kalkwasser is the German name for limewater. Verb 2 Identify by name; give the correct name for: the dead man has been named as John Mackintosh. Phrases. 3 In the name of. Bearing or using the name of aspecified person or organization: a driving license in the name of William Sanders.

From the "Newbury House Dictionary of American English," published by Monroe Allen Publishers, Inc., (1999):

name n. I [C] a word by which a person, place, or thing is known: Her name is Diane Daniel.

We can find absolutely no example in any recognized reference book that specifies or allows the use of all capitalized names, proper or common. There is no doubt that a proper name, to be grammatically correct, must be written with only the first letter capitalized, with the remainder of the word in a name spelled with lower case letters.

US Government Style Manual

Is the spelling and usage of a proper name defined officially by US Government? Yes. The United States Government Printing Office in their "Style Manual," March 1984 edition (the most recent edition published as of March 2000), provides comprehensive grammar, style and usage for all government publications, including court and legal writing.

Chapter 3, "Capitalization," at § 3.2, prescribes rules for proper names:

"Proper names are capitalized. [Examples given are] Rome, Brussels, John Macadam, Macadam family, Italy, Anglo-Saxon."

At Chapter 17, "Courtwork, the rules of capitalization," as mentioned in Chapter 3, are further reiterated:

"17.1. Courtwork differs in style from other work only as set forth in this section; otherwise the style prescribed in the preceding sections will be followed."

After reading §17 in entirety, I found no other references that would change the grammatical rules and styles specified in Chapter 3 pertaining to capitalization.

At § 17.9, this same official US Government manual states:

"In the titles of cases the first letter of all principal words are capitalized, but not such terms as defendant and appellee."

This wholly agrees with Texas Law Review's Manual on "Usage & Style" as referenced above.

Examples shown in § 17.12 are also consistent with the aforementioned §17.9 specification: that is, all proper names are to be spelled with capital first letters; the balance of each spelled with lower case letters.

Grammar, Punctuation, and Capitalization

"The National Aeronautics and Space Administration" (NASA) has publish one of the most concise US Government resources on capitalization. NASA publication SP‑7084, "Grammar, Punctuation, and Capitalization." A Handbook for Technical Writers and Editors, was compiled and written by the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. At Chapter 4, "Capitalization," they state in 4.1 "Introduction:"

"First we should define terms used when discussing capitalization:

• All caps means that every letter in an expression is capital, LIKE THIS.

• Caps & lc means that the principal words of an expression are capitalized.

• Caps and small caps refer to a particular font of type containing small

capital letters instead of lowercase letters.

Elements in a document such as headings, titles, and captions may be capitalized in either sentence style or headline style:

• Sentence style calls for capitalization of the first letter, and proper nouns of course.

• Headline style calls for capitalization of all principal words (also called caps & lc).

Modern publishers tend toward a down style of capitalization, that is, toward use of fewer capitals, rather than an up style."

Here we see that in headlines, titles, captions, and in sentences, there is no authorized usage of all caps. At 4.4.1. "Capitalization With Acronyms," we find the first authoritative use for all caps:

"Acronyms are always formed with capital letters. Acronyms are often coined for a particular program or study and therefore require definition. The letters of the acronym are not capitalized in the definition unless the acronym stands for a proper name:

Wrong - The best electronic publishing systems combine What You See Is What

You Get (WYSIWYG) features...

Correct - The best electronic publishing systems combine what you see is what

you get (WYSIWYG) features...

But Langley is involved with the National Aero-Space Plane (NASP) Program.”

This cites, by example, that using all caps is allowable in an acronym. "Acronyms" are words formed from the initial letters of successive parts of a term. They never contain periods and are often not standard, so that definition is required. Could this apply to lawful proper Christian names? If that were true, then JOHN SMITH would have to follow a definition of some sort, which it does not. For example, only if JOHN SMITH were defined as 'John Orley Holistic Nutrition of the Smith Medical Institute To Holistics (JOHN SMITH)' would this apply.

The most significant section appears at 4.5., "Administrative Names":

"Official designations of political divisions and of other organized bodies are capitalized:

• Names of political divisions;

• Canada, New York State;

• United States Northwest Territories;

• Virgin Islands, Ontario Province;

• Names of governmental units, US Government Executive Department, US Congress, US Army;

• US Navy.”

According to this official US Government publication, the States are never to be spelled in all caps such as “NEW YORK STATE.” The proper English grammar — and legal — style is “New York State.” This agrees, once again, with Texas Law.

Review's Manual on Usage & Style.

The Use of a Legal Fiction

The Real Life Dictionary of the Law

The authors of "The Real Life Dictionary of the Law," Gerald and Kathleen Hill, are accomplished scholars and writers. Gerald Hill is an experienced attorney, judge, and law instructor. Here is how the term legal fiction is described:

"Legal fiction. n. A presumption of fact assumed by a court for convenience, consistency orto achieve justice. There is an old adage: Fictions arise from the law, and not law from fictions.'

Oran's Dictionary of the Law

From Oran's "Dictionary of the Law," published by the West Group 1999, within the definition of "Fiction" is found:

"A legal fiction is an assumption that something that is (or may be) false or nonexistent is true or real. Legal fictions are assumed or invented to help do justice. For example, bringing a lawsuit to throw a nonexistent ‘John Doe’ off your property used to be the only way to establish a clear right to the property when legal title was uncertain."

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law

"Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law" 1996 states:

"legal fiction: something assumed in law to be fact irrespective of the truth or accuracy of that assumption. Example: the legal fiction that a day has no fractions — Fields V. Fairbanks North Star Borough, 818 P.2d 658 (1991)."

This is the reason behind the use of all caps when writing a proper name. The US and State Governments are deliberately using a legal fiction to "address" the lawful, real, flesh-and-blood man or woman. We say this is deliberate because their own official publications state that proper names are not to be written in all caps. They are deliberately not following their own recognized authorities.

In the same respect, by identifying their own government entity in all caps, they are legally stating that it is also intended to be a legal fiction. As stated by Dr. Mary Newton Bruder in the beginning of this memorandum, the use of all caps for writing a proper name is an "internal style" for what is apparently a pre-determined usage and, at this point, unknown jurisdiction.

The main key to a legal fiction is assumption as noted in each definition above.

Conclusion: There are no official or unofficial English grammar style manuals or reference publications that recognize the use of all caps when writing a proper name. To do so is by fiat, within and out of an undisclosed jurisdiction by unknown people for unrevealed reasons, by juristic license of arbitrary presumption not based on fact. The authors of the process unilaterally create legal fictions for their own reasons and set about to get us to take the bait, fall for the deceit.

Assumption of a Legal Fiction

An important issue concerning this entire matter is whether or not a proper name, perverted into an all caps assemblage of letters, can be substituted for a lawful Christian name or any proper name, such as the State of Florida. Is the assertion of all-capital-letter names "legal?" If so, from where does this practice originate and what enforces it?

A legal fiction may be employed when the name of a “person” is not known, and therefore using the fictitious name “John Doe” as a tentative, or interim artifice to surmount the absence of true knowledge until the true name is known. Upon discovering the identity of the fictitious name, the true name replaces it.

In all cases, a legal fiction is an assumption of purported fact without having shown the fact to be true or valid. It is an acceptance with no proof. Simply, to assume is to pretend. Oran's "Dictionary of the Law" says that the word “assume” means:

1. To take up or take responsibility for; to receive; to undertake. See "assumption."

2. To pretend.

3. To accept without proof.

These same basic definitions are used by nearly all of the modern law dictionaries. It should be noted that there is a difference between the meanings of the second and third definitions with that of the first. Pretending and accepting without proof are of the same understanding and meaning. However, to take responsibility for and receive, or assumption, does not have the same meaning. Oran's defines “assumption” as:

"Formally transforming someone else's debt into your own debt. Compare with guaranty. The assumption of a mortgage usually involves taking over the seller's 'mortgage debt' when buying a property (often a house)."

Now, what happens if all the meanings for the word "assume" are combined? In a literal and definitive sense, the meaning of assume would be: The pretended acceptance, without proof, that someone has taken responsibility for, has guaranteed, or has received a debt.

Therefore, if we apply all this in defining a legal fiction, the use of a legal fiction is an assumption or pretension that the legal fiction named has received and is responsible for a debt of some sort.

Use of the legal fiction “JOHN P JONES” in place of the proper name “John Paul Jones” implies an assumed debt guarantee without any offer of proof. The danger behind this is that if such an unproven assumption is made, unless the assumption is proven wrong it is considered valid.

An assumed debt is valid unless proven otherwise. (“An unrebutted affidavit, claim, or charge stands as the truth in commerce.”) This is in accord with the Uniform Commercial Code, valid in every State and made a part of the Statutes of each State. A name written in all caps — resembling a proper name but grammatically not a proper name — is being held as a debtor for an assumed debt. Did the parties to the Complaint incur that debt? If so, how and when?

Where is the contract of indebtedness that was signed and the proof of default thereon? What happens if the proper name, i.e. “John Paul Jones,” answers for or assumes the fabricated name, i.e. “JOHN P JONES?” The two become one and the same. This is the crux for the use of the all caps names by the US Government and the States. It is the way that they can bring someone into the "de facto" venue and jurisdiction that they have created. By implication of definition, this also is for the purpose of some manner of assumed debt.

Why won't they use "The State of Texas" or "John Doe" in their courts or on Driver's Licenses? What stops them from doing this? Obviously, there is a reason for using the all-caps names since they are very capable of writing proper names just as their own official style manual states. The reason behind "legal fictions" is found within the definitions as cited above.

The Legalities of All-Capital-Letters Names

We could go on for hundreds of pages citing the legal basis behind the creation and use of all-capital-letters names. In a nutshell, fabricated legal persons such as “STATE OF TEXAS” can be used to fabricate additional legal persons. "Fictions" arise from the law, not the law from fictions. Bastard legal persons originate from any judicial/governmental actor that whishes to create them, regardless of whether he/she/it is empowered by law to do so. However, a law can never originate from a fictional foundation that doesn't exist.

The generic and original US Constitution was validated by treaty between individual nation states (all of which are artificial, corporate entities since they exist in abstract idea and construct). Contained within it is the required due process of law for all the participating nation states of that treaty. Representatives of the people in each nation state agreed upon and signed it. The federal government is not only created by it, but is also bound to operate within the guidelines of Constitutional due process. Any purported law that does not originate from Constitutional due process is a fictional law without validity. Thus, the true test of any American law is its basis of due process according to the organic US Constitution. Was it created according to the lawful process or created outside of lawful process?

Executive Orders and Directives

For years many have researched the lawful basis for creating all-caps juristic persons and have concluded that there is no such foundation according to valid laws and due process. But what about those purported "laws" that are not valid and have not originated from constitutional due process? There's a very simple answer to the creation of such purported laws that are really not laws at all: "Executive Orders" and "Directives." They are "color of law" without being valid laws of due process. These "Executive Orders" and "Directives" have the appearance of law and look as if they are laws, but according to due process, they are not laws. Rather, they are "laws" based on fictional beginnings and are the inherently defective basis for additional fictional "laws" and other legal fictions. They are "regulated" and "promulgated" by Administrative Code, rules and procedures, not due process. Currently, Executive Orders are enforced through the charade known as the Federal Administrative Procedures Act. Each State has also adopted the same fatally flawed administrative "laws."

Lincoln Establishes Executive Orders

Eighty-five years after the Independence of the united States, seven southern nation States of America walked out of the Second Session of the thirty-sixth Congress on March 27, 1861. In so doing, the Constitutional due process quorum necessary for Congress to vote was lost and Congress was adjourned sine die, or "without day." This meant that there was no lawful quorum to set a specific day and time to reconvene which, according to Robert's Rules of Order, dissolved Congress. This dissolution automatically took place because there are no provisions within the Constitution allowing the passage of any Congressional vote without a quorum of the States.

Lincoln's second Executive Order of April 1861 called Congress back into session days later, but not under the lawful authority, or lawful due process, of the Constitution. Solely in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the US Military, Lincoln called Congress into session under authority of Martial Law. Since April of 1861, "Congress" has not met based on lawful due process. The current "Congress" is a legal fiction based on nothing more meritorious than “Yeah, so what are you going to do about it?” Having a monopoly on the currency, “law,” and what passes for “government,” and most of the world’s firepower, the motto of the Powers That Be is: “We’ve got what it takes to take what you’ve got.”

Legal-fiction "laws," such as the Reconstruction Acts and the implementation of the Lieber Code, were instituted by Lincoln soon thereafter and became the basis for the current "laws" in the US. Every purported "Act" in effect today is "de facto," based on colorable fictitious entities created arbitrarily, out of nothing, without verification, lawful foundation, or lawful due process. All of such “laws” are not law, but rules of rulership by force/conquest, originating from and existing in military, martial law jurisdiction. Military, martial law jurisdiction

= jurisdiction of war

= win/lose interactions consisting of eating or being eaten, living or dying

= food chain

= law of necessity

= suspension of all law other than complete freedom to act in any manner to eat,

kill, or destroy or avoid being eaten, killed, or destroyed

= no law

= lawlessness

= complete absence of all lawful basis to create any valid law.

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wordsnstuff · 6 years

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Dialogue Puntuation

-- Here’s a quick guide to punctuating dialogue in your story, since quite a few of you have expressed confusion surrounding the subject. A question about this subject was asked by @sakurahiwatari and I decided to make it into its very own post. Happy grammar-ing!

New Speaker ~ When there is someone new speaking, start a new paragraph. Always.

Multiple Paragraphs Of Dialogue From One Speaker ~ Sometimes there are multiple paragraphs of dialogue without a pause from a single speaker, so to punctuate these paragraphs, end each one with a terminal mark before continuing onto the next. Start the next paragraph of continuing dialogue with a new quotation mark, but don’t add one to the end of the last to let the reader know the speaker isn’t finished, or they’ll assume it’s somebody else and get confused.

Paragraph With Multiple Lines Of Dialogue ~ Insert your dialogue tag of choice or description of action following the first sentence, then continue with what the current speaker is saying. There are exceptions, but this helps the reader keep track of who is saying what.

Names In Dialogue ~ If there is a name in a piece of dialogue, or a nickname for that matter, enclose it with punctuation. If it is at the beginning or end of a sentence, put a comma between it and the rest of the line. If it is in the middle, put a comma before and after it.

Elipses ~ Use this when a character trails off. Don’t overuse this though. It truly shouldn’t show up very often and get’s quite distracting to the reader’s own narration when it keeps popping up.

When The Speaker Is Interrupted ~ Use an em dash where the speaker is interrupted, then where they continue their line.

When The Speaker Is Cut Off ~ Use an em dash, then close the quotation. This is mostly used when the speaker is cut off right in the middle of a word, such as “help m—” or “enou—”.

Quote Inside Dialogue ~ When a speaker is quoting someone or something else, the part they’re quoting should be enclosed in single quotation marks (”He is weak. ’Stop it son, stop it!’ Right, not doing that.”). When the single quotation marks end or begin next to the double quotation marks, put a space between them.

Dialogue Stopped By Action Or Thought Instead Of Dialogue Tag ~ When dialogue is interrupted to describe what a character is doing or narrate what a character is thinking, you pause the dialogue without a terminal mark, enclose the action or thought between two em dashes, then continue. For instance: “You wanted a ring”—she played with the little loop on her finger—”but you never cared enough to ask for one.” This rule applies to narration interrupted by action or thought as well.

Questions In Dialogue With A Dialogue Tag ~ The question mark is enclosed in the quotation, the dialogue tag is not capitalized because it is part of the same sentence.

Dialogue Interrupted By Dialogue Tag ~ Commas go at the end of the first quotation and at the end of the dialogue tag. This applies to splitting the dialogue into two sentences, but the dialogue tag would end with a period and the second sentence would begin with a capital letter.

One Line With A Dialogue Tag And Action ~ Dialogue is within quotation, tag follows and is separated from the action by a comma. This is also the case when the action and dialogue tag come before the dialogue, but the dialogue tag is always between the action and dialogue.

When A Dialogue Tag Is Before The Dialogue ~ A comma is put outside the quotation, between it and the tag.

Dialogue Tag After Dialogue ~ Line ends with a comma, then quotation mark, then dialogue tag, uncapitalized. This is because it is all one sentence.

Single Line Of Dialogue, No Tag Or Action ~ Line ended with terminal mark inside of quotations.

Direct & Indirect Dialogue ~ Direct dialogue is when someone is speaking, indirect dialogue is when someone is described as saying something. Indirect dialogue doesn’t require quotation marks, and an example would be: She told him that she was sorry.

If you want to learn more and get more detail about punctuation in dialogue, here is a helpful article where I got a lot of my information.

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toonpunk-game · 4 years

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Fluff Updates 3: Some characters

And finally for today, a few default setting NPCs for use by bored GMs.

High Noon

Accent: Hardened cowboy

Likes: Poems, ballads, whiskey, big hats

Prop: Cigar, revolver, journal/sketchbook

Dislikes: Society, civility, cities, government

Demeanor: Sullen, bitter, fits of manic energy

Hobby: Whittling, Guitar, Card games

Vocabulary: Folksy anarchist revolutionary

During the late 30s to mid 50s, one of the most popular adventure magazines in the comics industry was Wild West Adventures—a bi-weekly anthology devoted to Westerns of all varieties. The series featured several recurring characters based on existing folk tales, such as Daniel Boone or Paul Bunion; as well as new characters like Running Bull the Indian Brave, “Black” Jack Jackson the abolitionist, the enigmatic sorceress Billie Fish, and the mystical gunfighter, High Noon. Originally conceived as “the spirit of the wild west”, High Noon appeared in supernatural stories, frequently opposing notorious outlaws such as Black Bart, Jesse James, or John Wesley Hardin. While WWA was originally published by American Comics Co., the company’s bankruptcy in 1938 lead to their acquisition by the New England Press, which would become AC Comics just one year later. After this, WWA was re-launched as a monthly series.

In the 1940s, High Noon’s popularity with the GIs fighting in Europe lead to the book abandoning its anthology roots, and instead began focusing entirely on the serial adventures of High Noon and “the Longcoats”, a vigilante gang consisting of Running bull, Billie Fish, and several other characters. During this period, he often faced horror characters like vampires, werewolves, or Satanists; and simultaneously, his own supernatural abilities were downplayed in favor of more traditional gunfighting adventure material. By the time the war ended, though, superhero comics had begun to come into their own; and the introduction of the Comics Code Authority in 1954 made High Noon’s adventures entirely unsuitable for publication. WWA was unceremoniously cancelled 2 months after the CCA was installed; and High Noon would remain out of print for 30 years.

In 1987, fledgling writer Morris Allen produced The Dreamers, the legendary Eisner-winning graphic novel. In The Dreamers, High Noon received his first print appearance since the CCA’s founding, this time as an antagonistic figure. During the events of the comic, High Noon is shown to be immortal due to his status as a “spirit of the West”; however, he has grown disillusioned with America after serving in the Vietnam War, and carries out a string of elaborate bank robberies and assassinations to further a radical anarchist agenda. Ultimately, he is shot to death by his former companion—the superhero Captain Hope—following the assassination of Richard Nixon. His homepage comes from here, a scant few panels before his death.

High Noon was one of the first people to contextualize The Rabbit’s crime spree as a philosophical statement. He was also the first person to emulate it successfully, to the point that historians often remark him as the first “proper” toonpunk; even though he has never identified as such, and has actually expressed his distaste for the term at least once. Since I-day, High Noon has been more or less constantly active as a criminal element, with the average rest period between crimes being between three and nine months. The sole exception to this was a 20-year period during which he vanished entirely from the public eye; to date, he has never commented on this.

Usually, High Noon works with The New Longcoats: a group of similarly-motivated and similarly-skilled meat and inkmen, several of whom were originally parodies of or homages to him. These include High Moon the talking cow; Witching Hour, a horror-themed tongue-in-cheek send-up from Visage Comics’ Old Souls series; Chester Lillibridge, the psychotic antagonist from Darkness Over Deadwood; and the Illegitimate Lovechild of Calamity Jane and A Bear, who is usually just called “Lovely Jane”. The group is notorious for their politically-motivated crimes; rather than simply smash and grab, their crimes are often flashy and showboaty affairs, punctuated with the inclusion of pre-recorded messages or the on-site production of particularly outlandish graffiti. Most of these are meant to bring across a message—examples so far include “the fundamental immorality of late-stage capitalism”, “the self-defeating nature of society and law”, and “rock’s not dead”. Because of their ideological slant, they are often considered terrorists more than mere criminals.

Noon is an active fixer, planner, and perpetrator who works all around the world. In addition to the Longcoat gang, he frequently works with other gangs on a case-by-case basis—most commonly, he makes his services available to people with whom he shares ideological ground; and has been known to support or arrange multiple operations in a month, with several gangs at a time. Most commonly, he gravitates towards people who target governmental or megacorporate interests—which means that all you anarchists out there might just find a friend in him.

Alexxi ‘The Abattoir’ Penderghast

Alexxi is the most annoying kind of cop: a crazy one. The saying goes that Iron Man is the one you don’t want working your case, but Abattoir is the one you don’t even wanna meet. It is, to put it simply, a miracle that she is still employed: during her 220-year long career she has bounced around like a ping-pong ball between different cities, organizations, and planets: she’s worked on Earth, second Earth, Mars, Iarn, and the Chinese Ring—and she’s always left a long trail of bodies. With over 340 justified killings in the line of duty, 147 brutality complaints, and 134 miscellaneous internal affairs investigations, she has an underworld-spanning reputation as the dirtiest cop to never get caught…and worst of all, she does it just because she likes the work.

Penderghast began her life as the lead character in Delta Borealis, a promotional tie-in comic for an obscure line of novelty miniatures. As a “wyrd hunter”, she was responsible for hunting the distant corners of space for the servants of the Outer Gods—but in true antihero fashion, had forged a pact with each of those outer gods in order to use their own power against them. More shockingly still, despite affecting the air of a femme fatale, she was actually biologically male. In 1991, when DB was published, such a thing was more or less unheard of in the comics industry—and this move was daring enough to earn DB a small but devoted following. Either way, Alexxi’s characterization was simple enough to fit on a postcard: she does not like bad guys, but she does like performing gut-wrenching acts of violence upon them.

The comic also incorporated the excessive sex and gore which would come to be characteristic of poorly-made 90s comic books—but it so often appeared to be self-aware that contemporary critics were undecided on whether the comic was a work of clever parody or a truly brain-dead show of excess. Famously, Alexxi had highlight quotes from two different reviews of DB#3 tattooed on her shoulder blades: on her left, “a truly genius work of deconstruction, highlighting the absurdities and inherent folly of its source material” (att. Harold Green); and on her right, “a frankly appalling celebration of adolescent sexual repression, implying grotesquely stunted growth in both reader and writer” (att. Andrew Black).

Alexxi first incarnated in the Cork Inkish Incident, where she rapidly earned the gratitude of the Irish government by serving with the Thunderers. In the days after Bloody March, she continued to serve alongside the Irish Army—only leaving the country in 2048, after lasting peace was declared. As a courtesy, she—along with the other Thunderers—received an Irish/EU citizenship and an honorary BA in criminal justice from the UCC. Thus armed, she embarked upon a globetrotting tour of duty across Europe, Asia, and Africa…and a pattern soon emerged. When picking a new job, Penderghast didn’t seek out higher pay or greater prestige…she went specifically for high-crime low-income areas with underdeveloped government infrastructure. To put it simply, she went wherever she was going to be able to beat up a lot of people; and her track record meant she was more or less a shoo-in for any posting she wanted.

In 2298 she found her way to Saskatoon, on the tail end of two decades’ tour in Cob Country. She introduced herself in a suitably graphic way: her first ever beat walk ended with an octuple-arrest over a brawl in Lilliput, during which she reportedly “descended on the crowd like a bat out of hell”—breaking 2 peoples’ arms and concussing 4 others. She became a talking point among the locals after an incident in which she interrupted a rape in progress: the Saskatoon Tribune reported that she “disemboweled the perpetrator with her bare hands”; but an internal affairs investigation ultimately revealed that this was highly sensationalized: all of the perpetrator’s organs were still technically inside his body.

Outside of the field, Alexxi is known to be personable, polite, high-spirited, and ultimately a rather pleasant person. She is, however, distinctly unwilling to talk about her personal life before or after her homepage. Fate has afforded her a fair deal of privacy: due to a copyright dispute over the text of DB, it was cancelled after issue 3. The inventory of the last 2 issues was largely destroyed before publication, and only survived in extremely limited quantities. For now, only she knows what motivates her bloodlust…and you ought to be more concerned with avoiding her than with finding out what drives her.

Accent: Boarding School Received Pronunciation

Likes: Tea, stage magic, her 3rd ex, fashion

Prop: Various icons of nondenominational faith

Dislikes: Her first 2 exes, Welshmen, criminals

Demeanor: Posh, bubbly, outgoing

Hobby: Miniature soldier collecting/painting

Vocabulary: floral and colorful, many idioms

Criminal Record: Numerous IA investigations

Commissioner Walker Stone

Accent: Deep Southern Gentry

Likes: 1980s Arena Rock, his dog Skipper

Prop: Comically outdated service revolver

Dislikes: High society, weak-willed persons

Demeanor: Suspicious, intimidating, intense

Hobby: amateur war historian

Vocabulary: Folksy, modestly well-educated

Favorite TV Detective: Joe Friday

If Mayor Levitt is a hand stabbing at the throat of our industry, Walker Stone is the knife he’s using to do it. He is a driven, charismatic, and capable man: under his leadership, the SPD has reached record-high recruitment and conviction rates, with record low civilian casualties. His crowning achievement is undoubtedly the wholesale disassembly of the Gambino crime empire; though his ongoing prosecution of the Rasputins may one day supplant it. Perhaps most important of all is his incredible devotion to duty: despite being successfully assassinated 3 separate times, Stone has served an unbroken tenure as commissioner for the last 36 years. In fact, he aced the Bendis-Bagley Continuity Test all 3 times—making him the only certified static personality to hold public office in the city of Saskatoon.

Not everything about him is smiles and sunshine, however. Stone rose to office amidst controversy about his origins and character—controversy which persists to this day, and puts him under near-constant scrutiny: on his homepage Stone was a villain, and a particular nasty one at that. In Kings of America, Walker Stone was a corrupt county sheriff whose actions were often amoral or even cruel. In the series, the county police force is overstretched and underfunded, with violent crime spiraling out of control. Over time, Walker comes to believe that the limited order imposed by the area’s crime cartels was better than the lack of order presented by the civil government; and so allows several organized crime groups to reach prominence.

In the climactic act of the story, Ariel Levitt—the main character—discovers that Walker is secretly the King of Land, and has the power to telekinetically manipulate stone and rock. The two briefly engage in a super-powered duel, before the more experienced Stone overpowers and kills Levitt by impaling him through the heart with a spear of solid rock. In the series finale, Stone falsely eulogizes Levitt as a victim of gang violence, and uses his death to rally the people of Levitt’s hometown in support of increased police funding. In the closing monologue of issue #6, Stone remarks that “the real tragedy is that the world will always need more dead dreamers.”

Many people were understandably nervous at the prospect of this man being put in charge of the police force. However, despite being the antagonist of the picture, Walker Stone was never portrayed as villainous—only as pragmatic and impersonal, almost to the point of inhumanity. Prior to I-day, the efficacy of his system raised frequent debate among fans of the series about whether he was truly a villain or merely an anti-hero.

After I-day, he leveraged his reputation to his advantage during several civilian careers as a lecturer, security consultant, and talk show panelist—all of which were cut short by his deaths. His fourth incarnation briefly entertained returning to the talk show circuit, before ultimately partnering with Ariel Levitt during Levitt’s mayoral bid. During the campaign, he repeatedly stressed that his actions in Kings of America were the result of extreme duress; and the size of the Saskatoon PD would allow him to work fully within the confines of the law. As a show of good faith, he regularly submits to and cooperates with the RMBI; and his approach to internal misconduct is notoriously strict—often relying on punitive measures that far exceed other cities’.

As a person, Stone is known to be stern and pensive. He prefers to listen rather than speak, and he does not like to waste words. Despite being known as a pragmatist and a tight ship-runner, those subordinates of his who remain faithful to the law say that he is understanding and reasonable, if not necessarily kind. The phrase “firm but fair” is often applied to him—though a number of less charitable things are said by those who find his single-minded devotion to the law tiresome or inconvenient. Either way, he has done a fine job of getting results—he did more than his fair share to bring Saskatoon’s Onyx age to a screeching halt, and shows no sign of stopping.

Papa Malorn

Accent: Big-city Midwest Canadian

Likes: Whiskey, darts, decent people

Prop: Cigar, his robot hand

Dislikes: Wealthy people, cowards, Germans

Demeanor: Street tough, occasional kindness

Hobby: Antique film buff

Vocabulary: Meticulously articulate

Thomas Malorn, heir to the Malorn Shipping company, was born to respectable means. Beatrice and Thomas Sr. were, respectively, the majority shareholder and CEO; and under their leadership it had grown to be a major name in rail and air freight across North America. Thomas enjoyed a privileged childhood, wanting for nothing; but this abruptly ended on his fifteenth birthday, when the three of them were caught in a car bombing (which is now widely believed to have been an assassination attempt by Hackerschmidt Shipping). Thomas’s parents were killed in the blast, while he himself was badly burnt and paralyzed from the waist down.

As the son of a wealthy couple, Thomas was admitted to high-grade urgent care at Saint Josephine’s of Saskatoon, where he was outfitted with a set of quality-of-life augmentations which restored his ambulatory function and much of his appearance. He soon learned, however, that his parents had willed their entire fortune to rival shipping magnate William Hackerschmidt, which left Thomas penniless. Hackerschmidt confessed to the murders some 20 years later, but died in prison while awaiting trial.

Thomas spent the next few years moving through a series of temporary labor jobs, where he often put his augments to good use. When he was 19, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for home invasion, though he was released after only 5. From then up to his 30s, he was arrested and fined over a dozen more times on charges of public brawling. During this time he began associating with Francis Flanagan, Alex Grimaldi, and Jimmy the Corpse. The four of them would come to be known as the Malorn gang, and soon came under suspicion for all manner of crimes.

Fast forward 20 years. Thomas “Papa” Malorn is known around town for many things: his generous donations to the churches and universities of Saskatoon; his work with the city ink asylum and poorhouses; and for being the leader of a wickedly successful crime family. Like any good mobster, the accusations against him are so far insufficient for conviction; but he has been questioned in connection with over 200 counts of racketeering, arson, battery, and murder. Among the night life of Saskatoon he is known for being kind to his allies and merciless to his enemies; and many crime analysts have named him the heir apparent to organized crime in Saskatoon after the dissolution of the Gambino crime family in 2303.

So far, he has been content to keep his business to the waterfront districts. He is even known to tolerate the presence of Toonpunks in his territory, so long as they respect his properties and protectorates. He has survived thus far by keeping his head low, and cooperating with the police to a point…but there are rumors in the shadows of a full-fledged gang war on the horizon; and those who know Malorn expect him to be prepared, and ready to bring his rivals down in flames…

#cyberpunk writing #crime fiction

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minurvaaa · 5 years

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CHAPTER ONE.

the way of the program

It is important to remember that problem solving is the most important skill for a computer scientist to have, acquire, & develop. Without the ability to break down an issue to its simplest form and working one’s way through to a solution, a computer scientist would fail at their job the majority of the time. Thus, learning how to properly program & learning how to problem solve go hand in hand, serving two ends.

1.1 --- what is programming ?

As defined by the textbook, a program is a sequence of instructions that specifies how to perform a computation. That said, such computations can be either math - based or text - based. For example, a program could be given the job to solve an equation or be crafted in a way that it will search for & / or replace text. Though it seems complex, this is the reality of what a program is.

1.2 --- what is computer science ?

Computer science is a science that is entirely based on the execution of algorithms that, when compiled, make up a program. These algorithms are the steps that are taken in order to alleviate the problem that the program is attempting to solve. Of course, when designing these programs, one is bound to make errors. The action of finding these issues & fixing them is referred to as debugging. This serves as a great workout for the brain & may even help one figure out better ways to write algorithms in the future.

1.3 --- programming languages

The programming language that will be explored in this course is Java, a high - level language. As with all high - level programming languages, Java must be translated into machine language --- a low - level language. This, unfortunately, takes some time. For this inconvenience, however, there are two advantages to using this kind of programming language. Even if the translation process takes time, it takes less time to program in a high - level language, which more than makes up for it. They are also portable and able to be run on any computer they are moved to.

There are two ways of translating a program: an interpreter, a program that reads the high - level code and follows it, or a compiler, a program that reads the high - level code and completely translates it. By way of compiling, the Java source code can be made into object code or an executable. These programs run faster than interpreted ones because they do not need to be compiled to be run again. Byte code serves as the middle ground between the high - level language and the machine language as the Java compiler will instead translate high - level code into byte code before allowing that code to be interpreted ( through the use of the “ Java Virtual Machine ” ) into machine language. So, simply put, Java makes use of a compiler and an interpreter.

This can all be done without nearly as much thought, but it is always nice to understand the process.

1.4 --- the hello world program

This is the first program that most people write when they are first learning how to code --- a displayed message that says “ hello, world ! ”. Though the output is an underwhelming one, the depth of knowledge required to even have the system to even display it has more to it. The program is composed of classes and methods, and methods are, in turn, made up of statements that define them. These statements execute simple operations. The statement that is used here --- System.out.println(“Hello, World!”); --- is referred to as a print statement. Since Java is case - sensitive, this statement must be typed exactly the same each time or it will never run.

The method that this program is defined as main and contains all statements. Methods, additionally, are held in classes, collections of methods. Classes are usually defined with names starting with a capital letter. The class must always match the name of the file. If the file is named hello.java, the class must be named hello.

To group things in Java, curly braces ( “{” & “}” ) must be used. The methods of the program are contained within the curly braces of the classes they belong to while statements are contained within the curly braces of the methods they define. To add a line of text to the code that does not change it in any sort of way, two slashes ( // ) must be at the beginning of that line.

1.5 --- displaying strings

Any number of statements can be included in main. Meaning, one can display as many messages as they’d like. These messages, referred to as strings, can contain letters, punctuation marks, symbols, spaces, tabs, and others. System.out.println automatically sends code to the next line. If print is used in place of println ( ex: System.out.print ), the following code will not appear on the next line.

1.6 --- escape sequences

Using an special character such as “/n” will allow you to add another line to the string without the creation of another. This is what is referred to as an escape sequence. There should be no space between the escape sequence and the word following or preceding it unless one desires there to be an additional space when the statement is printed / displayed. By using a backslash before a quotation mark ( /” ), one can include a quote within the string without interrupting it.

1.7 --- formatting code

A lot of things can be left to the coder’s own discretion when formatting code, but other things are necessary for the code to run properly.

There must always be spaces between words, but any other sort of spaces are allowed. Newlines are optional as well. Even so, one must take into account the fact that their program’s code must not only be easy for the creator to understand but for anyone else who uses it to be able to understand it as well. Without allowing for others to comprehend the components and purpose of their code, the computer scientist will fail at a key element of their job. This also allows for easily pinpointing / debugging problems in the code.

Google has its own standards that can be found here.

1.8 --- debugging code

It’s a good idea to intentionally make mistakes when learning how to code so that those mistakes can be worked through and the method for fixing them can be understood. Debugging is a necessary part of programming & demands that a computer scientist is aware of how to carry out the process. In that same vein, the process can grow frustrating, so it is okay to ask for help from others that are more experienced.

1.9 --- vocabulary

problem - solving: The process of formulating a problem, finding a solution, and expressing the solution.

program: A sequence of instructions that specifies how to perform tasks on a computer.

programming: The application of problem - solving to creating executable computer programs.

computer science: The scientific and practical approach to computation and its applications.

algorithm: A procedure or formula for solving a problem, with or without a computer.

bug: An error in a program.

debugging: The process of finding and removing errors.

high-level language: A programming language that is designed to be easy for humans to read and write.

low-level language: A programming language that is designed to be easy for a computer to run. Also called “ machine language ” or “ assembly language ".

portable: The ability of a program to run on more than one kind of computer.

interpret: To run a program in a high-level language by translating it one line at a time and immediately executing the corresponding instructions.

compile: To translate a program in a high-level language into a low-level language, all at once, in preparation for later execution.

source code: A program in a high-level language, before being compiled.

object code: The output of the compiler, after translating the program.

executable: Another name for object code that is ready to run on specific hardware.

byte code: A special kind of object code used for Java programs. Byte code is similar to a low-level language, but it is portable like a high-level language.

statement: Part of a program that specifies one step of an algorithm.

print statement: A statement that causes output to be displayed on the screen.

method: A named sequence of statements.

class: For now, a collection of related methods. ( We will see later that there is more to it. )

comment: A part of a program that contains information about the program but has no effect when the program runs.

string: A sequence of characters; the primary data type for text.

newline: A special character signifying the end of a line of text. Also known as line ending, end of line ( EOL ), or line break.

escape sequence: A sequence of code that represents a special character when used inside a string.

#❛ . ✦ / ❝ ( text. )#❛ . ✦ / ❝ ( think java. )#❛ . ✦ / ❝ ( chapter one. )

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chesterexchange-blog · 5 years

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What Are Basic English Grammar Rules?

Some of the most basic and important English grammar rules relate directly to sentence structure. These rules specify that:

A singular subject needs a singular predicate.

A sentence needs to express a complete thought.

Another term for a sentence is an independent clause:

Clauses, like any sentence, have a subject and predicate too. If a group of words does not have a subject and predicate, it is a phrase.

If a clause can stand alone and make a complete thought, then it is independent and can be called a sentence.

If clauses do not express a complete thought, they are called dependent clauses. An example of a dependent clause, which is not a sentence, is "when I finish my work." A dependent clause needs an independent clause to make it whole.

So, what are the other basic rules for sentence structure?

Subjects and Predicates

Basic to any language is the sentence, which expresses a complete thought and consists of a subject and a predicate.

The subject is the star of the sentence; the person, animal, or thing that is the focus of it.

The predicate will tell the action that the subject is taking or tell something about the subject.

Basic Parts of Speech

Once you have a general idea of the basic grammar rules for sentence structure, it is also helpful to learn about the parts of speech:

A noun names a person, animal, place, thing, quality, idea, activity, or feeling. A noun can be singular, plural, or possessive.

A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun, like "I", "you", or "they."

A verb shows action and can be a main verb or a helping verb, like "were" or "has." Verbs also indicate tense and sometimes change their form to show past, present, or future tense. Linking verbs link the subject to the rest of the sentence and examples are: "appear" and "seem."

An adjective modifies a noun or a pronoun. It adds meaning by telling which one, what kind, or describing it in other ways.

An adverb will modify a verb and tell more about it, like how much, when, where, why, or how.

A preposition shows a relationship between nouns or pronouns. It is often used with a noun to show location, like "beside," "in," or "on". It can also show time, direction, motion, manner, reason, or possession.

Conjunctions connect two words, phrases, or clauses. Common conjunctions are "and", "but", and "or."

Mention needs to be made about other types of words that are considered by some to be parts of speech.

One of them is the interjection. It shows emotion and examples are "hurray", "uh-oh", and "alas."

Articles are very useful little words. Indefinite articles are "a" and "an" and "the" is a definite article.

Punctuation

To fully understand basic grammar rules, you also need to look at punctuation rules.

Capitalization is important. All sentences must start with a capital, or upper-case, letter. Titles of people, books, magazines, movies, specific places, etc. are capitalized. Organizations and compass points are capitalized.

Every sentence needs a punctuation mark at the end of it. These include a period, exclamation mark, or question mark.

Colons are used to separate a sentence from a list of items, to introduce a long, direct quote, or between two sentences (or clauses) when the second one explains the first.

Semicolons can take the place of a conjunction and are placed before introductory words like "therefore" or "however." They are also used to separate a list of things if there are commas within each unit.

There are a lot of rules for commas. The basic ones are that commas separate things in a series and go wherever there is a pause in the sentence. They surround the name of a person being addressed, separate the day of the month from the year in a date, and separate a town from the state.

Parentheses enclose things that clarify or numbers and letters that are part of a list.

Apostrophes are used in contractions to take the place of one or more letters and also to show possession. An apostrophe and "s" is added if the noun is singular and an apostrophe alone is added if the noun is plural. Get the more information about English Teacher in Livermore , if you want to learn the English efficiently please send me your questions in the comment section below.

#knowledge #english learning #online education #online teacher #academic

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cityutopiadystopia · 8 years

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Abstract

The city has taken on so many permutations in our course: Ruskin’s Ducal Palace and his six gothic principles, the cheap paintings of young men post-Grand Tour standing in front of desks with the city coasting the horizon behind them, the futurists’ explosive, keen-sighted work on moonlight-hate/displaced women-hate and Venice as a commodification of the past, the eroding of received Venice myths and binaries, the Columbian Exposition as laboratory for exchange of commodities, the plan of Chicago’s broad boulevards made for walking and cinematic window-shopping, the under-workings, the naturalist versus modernist coping strategies to barely deal with the crowd, the flaneur’s surfing capital without participating, Simmel’s blasé philosophy of money replacing historical heritage and morals, Hausmann’s artist-demolitionist, the phantasmagoric experience, bodies cracking open the limitations to social mobility (Brooks) and hypermobility, the grotesque!

Ce grand malheur, de ne pouvoir être seul.

La Bruyère.

IT was well said of a certain German book that “er lasst sich nicht lesen “ —

In my paper, I want to physically map a short story (“Man of the Crowd”)* – concentric circles, trees branching, editing/sampling/winnowing down processes, traffic “jams of past, present, future that blocks existences calcified in the illusion of movement” (99), as Calvino writes. Instead of seeing a city as a page, I want to inspect scenes of reading (reading signs, book metaphors, interrogations at the level of the word) as instructions for a plan of the story. With very close map-reading for high-context idioms, punctuation, strategic opacity, deconstructions of organized conceits, pivots in tone, double locutions blocking time, and mutation, I will argue that the man of the crowd is a case of ventriloquism, and, raising the stakes further, that the text is the writer’s own outsourced confessionalism, a larger, paranoid fear of being trapped in an amber view projected on other things, of writing unaware of how it will be used (a Satin-Legs Smith site). This is ultimately a fear of wrongly expressing the human self and failing to connect.

We will notice that the text depersonalizes its subject. He is stuck in the shadow of what is going on, a paralyzed ant the camera zooms out on in the face of prodigious macro-processes. Self-expression as a writer seems very oblique in this paranoid container. In the conclusion, I will offer up the proposal what the writing does is break the illusion of hypermobility while also allowing movement of the mind, not just a grotesque opening of the container of the body, but an arabesque in thought.

*I may also pull quotes from “Old Mary” and Invisible Cities or bring in some illustrations of “Man of the Crowd”

-Karyn

#karynpeyton #final #abstract #manofthecrowd

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theaudioglow · 4 years

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"Folklore" by Taylor Swift Goes for Indie Rustic With Perfectly Manufactured Cabin Music

Let me start this review of “Folklore” off with some T-Swift blasphemy. I’ve never listened to an entire Swift album. I don’t even know if I can name five songs. Let me see… Kodak Yellow, Old Town Road, Thank u Next, Without Me…This…this isn’t right. Moving on.

What I do know is the album is stacked, and it’s probably named “Folklore” to account for its depth of mythical Indie frontmen storytellers. Aaron Dessner of the National helped write and produce 11 tracks. Bon Iver was in the studio. Jack Antonoff is quoted as being around the “Folklore” production unofficially, so that means he probably just stopped in to blow in the microphones and whisper future Grammys into the mixing boards.

As a snob who was too cool for Harry Potter in 5th grade because everyone else was reading it (I was in the LOTR clique),

I understand why I never gave T-Swift a chance. It’s time.

This is a real-time reaction review to “Folklore” by up and coming lo-fi songwriter Taylor Swift. If shared experiences turn you on, use the Spotify link or listen with big headphones like you’re in Garden State.

Sound good?

Headphones in. Volume UP. Enjoy.

Track One – the 1

Is it making a statement if T-Swift curses 7 words in? I think so. Will this be a bad girl album? I don’t know. I’m more expectant of a “screw the haters – this is about me” vibe.

If I had to throw a wild guess in the production wishing well, I’d say Bon Iver helped produce this track and not, say, DJ Khaled.

Track Two – cardigan

It’s notable to see dialogue around this album and see people say “Oh, she sounded hipster during the RED era versus political in the ‘Lover’ era”. I wasn’t around in the sixties but is Taylor Swift on a Bob Dylan level of fame plateau at age 30?

If I had to call it, I’d say her next couple eras are probably a Great Gatsby-style theatrical Pop Queen hostess era, and then around age 38, she escapes to Sweden to dabble in minimalist piano.

Track Three – the last great American dynasty

As a professional editor, the casual lowercase song titles just make me feel like an old man yelling at the seagull shitting on his French fries. I get it, capitalization is hard. Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande made it cool to be grammatically illiterate and it stuck.

Anyway, the song’s unique in that its lyrics follow the actual story of an oil heiress. Swift now owns the decadent mansion of said oil heiress.

Swift wrote an album with an Indie nature aesthetic from a mansion in Los Angeles. Makes sense.

Track Four – exile featuring Bon Iver

Justin Vernon’s voice in the opening verse honestly sounds closer to Aaron Dessner of The National than his normal dramatically high vocal resonance. It’s heavy, weighted with the words. I was hoping this track would be heavily influenced by the Bon Iver sound, and now that I want to crawl into the shower and lay in the fetal position, I’m not disappointed.

Track Five – my tears ricochet

RiCochet TeaRs. A perfume by T-Swift.

Musically, they did beautiful work, setting layers of building strings, ebbing and flowing choral voices, and space to breathe. Her words end and the keyboard lingers before it fades. It’s not punctual because the thoughts she expresses are not a punctuation – they are a lingering reflection, and the keys follow her down that path.

Track Six – mirrorball

The purest “indie-folk” feel on the album thus far. Swift reflects on her relationship with the industry and the public, her confidence now against her confidence in the past, and…well maybe she just likes to wear shiny things.

Track Seven – seven

This song belongs in a coming-of-age tale, a la “The Spectacular Now”. It’s beautiful – I mean that sincerely. It’s also the song the 17-year-old awkward-yet-heartthrobby guy plays on a midnight porch on guitar just before she tells him she has cancer.

Track Eight – august

I see what you did there, Taylor, August being the 8th month of the year. It speaks to Jack Antonoff’s skill as a producer when you can make a song sound Pop but it could also fit in on a coffeehouse singer/songwriter album from 1998.

Track Nine – this is me trying

Aaron Dessner’s fingerprints are on this track. Prominent background strings with a little reverb attached to her voice. Basically a song by The National with T-Swift’s voice.

Track Ten – illicit affairs

She uses the phrase “dwindling, mercurial high” to describe what it’s like to carry on a secret romance. If we’re going by the folky theme of this album, that scandalous high takes place in a wooded glen in late October underneath a frayed rope tire swing.

Track Eleven – invisible string

There’s a dramatic irony quality to a song about fate, and the fate discussed is one of the biggest stars in history meeting her boyfriend in a dive bar. What line did he open with?

“Hi Taylor, would you like a shot of Fireball?”

Track Twelve – mad woman

“mad woman” is heavy on the “screw the haters” vibe. And by “haters”, I mean her shit ex-labelmate, Scooter Braun. And she said the F-word for the first time! It’s like she’s human or something!

Track Thirteen – epiphany

Ummm, is this Frau Frau? Music supervisors, take note: this song is a slam dunk to feature on an “appreciate front line workers” commercial with a nurse sitting on a hospital bench alone, exhausted.

Track Fourteen – betty

Really nice use of harmonica throughout. Not overwhelming, but a firm presence. I fully expect Neil Young to make a guest appearance by the end of the song.

Track Fifteen – peace

An intimate aspect of being a Pop star, Swift laments how she can never really give a lover a peaceful life because of the public scrutiny. To be fair, most of her boyfriends are already familiar with public scrutiny, except, well, the dive bar guy.

Track Sixteen – hoax

It’s the type of debate Greek philosophers used to initiate, as they bathed nude and oiled in their eunuch saunas: Who talks toxic relationships best, Ellie Goulding or T-Swift?

***

I appreciated Folklore. Elite production. Lyrics worth analyzing. Three F-words! I hope T-Swift sits in this era for an album or two, instead of feeling like she needs to reinvent again in two years.

If we had another 16 tracks produced by The National, Bon Iver and Taylor Swift, would that be so bad?

***

Artist Links:

website for Taylor Swift The T-Swift Instagram

Songs by Taylor Swift to get you bothered:

It’s already been viewed 32 million times, but the “cardigan” video is a magical thing. It’s like if you dropped Enya in the Jumanji rainforest. Watch it here.

Enjoy the buzz? Leave a tip. Share it with a friend.

#Taylor Swift #Folklore #Pop Music #Indie Aesthetic #Indie Music #Pop Stars #Bon Iver #Justin Vernon #Aaron Dessner #The National #Jack Antonoff #New Albums

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avriliscious-blog · 5 years

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A Fuel in Someone’s Lamp

“If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it.” This famous quote of Margaret Futter really impacted my way of viewing the significance of having knowledge in a certain field. We study, we learn and thus we must share. Learning does not serve its purpose until it is transmitted to others. As an English Major having the privilege in the said language, imparting the knowledge in grammar, as the highlight of this program does not only benefit others but it also serves as a measurement of one’s learning. The task in EL 103: Structures of English about proofreading and editing the works of other students serves as an avenue to impart and thus challenge one’s erudition of the topics discussed beforehand.

While entering the classroom, I saw piles of paper perfectly divided using black folders on the table. I suddenly felt a bit nervous, thinking that we’ll be doing an activity again. The classroom went full as my classmates arrived. Our teacher then grouped us and I can say that I was lucky because I became group with students I could say are responsible. We formed into circles while Sir Tex was explaining the task. We are told to edit and proofread the works of selected College of Arts and Sciences students and thus we must choose an editor-in-chief who will check the edited manuscripts. Leevi, who was the former editor-in-chief in their school paper and the one who is more knowledgeable in terms of proofreading and editing takes the position.

After the instruction was given and the questions being raised were answered, we then proceed to the division of tasks. We divided the papers into five and assigned topics for the making of the concept paper. Later that night, I started proofreading and to be honest it was hard and it’s giving me total headache. Some sentences are hard to comprehend because the words used were inappropriate. I had to read it over and over until I could finally get what the author was trying to tell. Some still don’t know how to make a paragraph and their ideas were unorganized. They were also fond of adding unnecessary words to their sentences that adds up to the confusion of the readers. Some mistakes were just easy to spot like misspelled and commonly confused words but others were quite confusing as well. What was saddening was that some of students do not even know the basic grammar, correct punctuation, and even the rules in capitalization.

The task was stressful but it was fulfilling at the same time. Seeing myself grow and learning by how I was able to spot mistakes in grammar are really something. The task did not only bring me joy that I was able to help and share my knowledge through the corrections I made and the suggestions I had written, but it also made me realized and be proud of the program I chose. These made me more eager to become an English teacher and build a strong foundation of the language to my future students. It is not enough to just be able to express thoughts and ideas alone. Mediocre has no room to someone who is aspiring to become great. In order to be more competitive, one must have the ability and skill in using the language to its extent. And in order to make this possible, we must hold unending thirst for learning. The task did not only teach me things about myself but it also made me realize the importance of having unity in a group and lending a helping hand in order to successfully finish the task and meet the deadline. Proofreading and editing are enjoyable; we just need to be packed with needed knowledge because we can never give what we don’t have.

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micaramel · 6 years

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While we all slip up from time to time, there are some basic punctuation mistakes you should never make in formal writing.

For example, don't confuse "it's" and "its," don't use an apostrophe to pluralize nouns, and don't use semicolons and commas interchangeably.

National Punctuation Day is celebrated every year in the US on September 24.

Founded by Jeff Rubin in 2004, the day was created to celebrate the correct usage of all punctuation, from the "lowly comma" to the "ever-mysterious ellipsis."

In honor of National Punctuation Day this year, INSIDER rounded up nine basic punctuation mistakes you should never make in formal writing.

Watch out for these errors in your cover letters, academic essays, professional emails, and more.

1. Don't confuse "it's" and "its."

The mistake: Apple will announce it's new iPhone soon. Its a big year for the company.

Why it's wrong:"It's" is a contraction for "it is" or "it has." "Its," without an apostrophe, is a possessive pronoun.

Here's a tip: If you're unsure about which word to use, just substitute the word with "it is" or "it has." If the sentence makes sense with the substitution, use "it's." If it doesn't, use "its."

2. Don't use an apostrophe to pluralize nouns.

The mistake: Those home's were built in the 1960's.

Why it's wrong: Apostrophes are used to indicate possession and create contractions. They're also used to pluralize single uppercase or lowercase letters, depending on which style guide you follow.

Here's a tip: Don't use apostrophes when you pluralize nouns, numbers, symbols, or multiple letters, such as VIP.

3. Don't write run-on sentences.

The mistake: I left work early but I missed my train and I waited in the station for 40 minutes until the next one finally came so I didn't get home until 8 p.m.

Why it's wrong: Without commas, sentences become a confusing, grammatically incorrect block of text.

Here's a tip: When linking two independent clauses, use a comma before any coordinating conjunction that connects two independent clauses. An independent clause is a sentence that can stand alone.

Use the acronym FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) to remember every coordinating conjunction.

Also, don't just say your sentence out loud and add commas whenever you pause — you may be inserting comma splices. Instead, memorize these 13 rules for using commas correctly.

4. Don't overuse commas.

The mistake: I went home, and ate dinner.

Why it's wrong: Using too many commas can also be grammatically incorrect. For example, a comma splice occurs when you connect two independent clauses with only a comma instead of a comma followed by a coordinating conjunction.

Here's a tip: Use a comma to link two independent clauses or to connect a dependent clause with an independent clause. A dependent clause is a group of words with a subject and a verb that cannot stand on its own.

In the sentence above, "and ate dinner" doesn't have a subject so you don't need to insert a comma before "and."

5. Don't use dashes and hyphens interchangeably.

The mistake: I'll buy the iPhone 8 - if I save up enough money.

Why it's wrong: A dash ( — ), or em dash or long dash, is most commonly used to indicate a meaningful pause in text or abrupt change in thought.

A hyphen ( - ) is a short line that connects words. Use it to avoid ambiguity or to create compound modifiers before a noun. Compound modifiers consist of two or more words that express a single concept, such as "know-it-all" or "full-time."

Here's a tip: Only use a hyphen when you're connecting two or more words. Also, memorize these rules for using dashes correctly.

6. Don't use semicolons and commas interchangeably.

The mistake: The traffic was crazy today; but I arrived at work on time.

Why it's wrong: Semicolons are most commonly used to separate two independent clauses that are closely related in meaning or subject matter. Compared to a comma or a period, a semicolon emphasizes the relationship between two clauses. For example: I can't go out tonight; I'm running a marathon tomorrow.

Never use a semicolon to connect two independent clauses that aren't related.

Here's a tip: In general, only use a semicolon in places where you could also use a period. You should also never use a semicolon in place of a comma before a coordinating conjunction — that's what commas are for.

The only exception to these rules is when you're writing long sentences or complex lists that already have several commas.

For example:

If I want to buy the iPhone 8, I'll have to start saving today; but if the iPhone 7 gets cheaper, I'll consider that option, too.

Today's commute was unbearable: first, I missed my train; then, I waited in the station for 40 minutes; and finally, the train broke down halfway through my trip.

7. Don't use semicolons and colons interchangeably.

The mistake: I ate three things for lunch; a sandwich, an apple, and a bag of chips.

Why it's wrong: Don't use a semicolon to do a colon's job. Anything you write after a colon should be a summary, interpretation, or elaboration of what came before the colon. Colons can also be used to add emphasis and introduce dialogue or quotes.

Here's a tip: Generally, the first word after a colon is not capitalized. Only capitalize the first word if it is a proper noun, the start of a complete sentence, or the start of at least two complete sentences or a direct question, depending on which style guide you follow.

8. Don't place periods and commas outside quotation marks (in the US).

The mistake: "The train was delayed for 40 minutes", the anonymous source told INSIDER.

Why it's wrong: According to style guides in the US, periods and commas must be placed inside quotation marks. If you follow British style guides, punctuation is placed outside quotation marks.

Here's a tip: Always place periods and commas inside quotation marks. Place all other punctuation — colons, semicolons, question marks, etc. — outside quotation marks, unless they are part of what is being quoted, such as a quoted question.

9. Don't overuse exclamation marks.

The mistake: The iPhone 8 will reportedly cost $999! I can't believe it! I also can't afford it!

Why it's wrong: You should avoid overusing exclamation marks in formal writing, especially in academic essays. Using too many exclamation marks can overwhelm the reader and undermine the emotion behind each individual mark.

Here's a tip: If you want to be taken seriously in an academic or professional setting, scale (all the way) back on your use of exclamation marks. It's always better to let your writing, and not your punctuation, evoke emotion.

SEE ALSO: 18 jokes that will make you seem smarter

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Two moms designed a one-piece swimsuit that makes going to the bathroom easier for kids

from Design http://bit.ly/2BBQH5j

#micaramel

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learningpundits · 7 years

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Tips on Punctuation & Spelling

Grammar Rules and Tips for using Punctuation & Spelling

What is Punctuation?

Punctuation is a set of rules to place certain marks in a sentence to indicate division or pauses in that sentence, particularly in written communication.

Types of Punctuation Marks:

(1) Comma ,

(2) Full Stop or Period.

(3) Semicolon ;

(4) Colon:

(5) Question Mark?

(6) Exclamation Mark!

(7) Dash and Parentheses (-)

(8) Hyphen -

(9) Inverted Commas or Quotation Marks “ ”

Tips on using Punctuation:

Tip 1: Use of Comma 1. To separate words in a list:

He lost lands, money, reputation and friends.

2. To write a Noun or a Phrase in Apposition:

Pandit Nehru, the first prime Minister of India, died in 1964.

3. To separate an Adverb clause when it is followed by a main clause:

When the bus arrives, we will board it.

4. for co-ordinate clauses:

His story was, in several ways, improbable.

Sportsmen, who are generally superstitious, prefer to wear same jersey.

5. To indicate the omission of a word, especially a verb:

Rama received a fountain pen; Hari, a watch.

6. To separate Nominative Absolutes:

The wind being favorable, the squadron sailed.

7. To address people:

How are you, Mohan?

8. To separate initials and titles:

Please call on Mr. Sethi, B.A, LLB.

9. To write dates:

He arrived on July 10, 2008 (but no comma required when we write 10th July 2008).

NO USE of COMMA:

a) When the reported speech is interrogative

“Are you coming today?” she asked.

b) When the Adjective clause is restrictive in meaning

This is the house that Jack built.

c) Before the word preceded by ‘and’

It was a long, dull and wearisome journey.

Tip 2: Full Stop 1. To mark the end of a declarative or an imperative sentence

We are leaving for Delhi Tomorrow.

2. After abbreviation and initials of names

He lives in the U.S.A

Mr. A.K. Sharma is our new English teacher.

3. after fractions, amounts, time and date

He leaves at 8.30 a.m

He was born on 4.09.2013

4. after end of address

10, Karol Bagh, New Delhi.

Tip 3: Semicolon & Colon Semicolon:

1. To separate the clauses of Compound sentence, when they contain a comma

He was a brave, large-hearted man; and we all honored him.

2. In place of ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘because’ to mark end of one thought and continuation to another.

Man proposes; God disposes.

Colon:

1. before enumeration, examples, etc; as,

The principal parts of a verb in English are: the present tense, the past tense, and the past participle.

2. before a long list, quotation or speech

Wordsworth wrote: Child is father of man.

Tip 4: Questions & Exclamation Marks Question Mark

1. after a direct question:

Have you written your exercise?

2. after question tag:

They can do it, can’t they?

NO QUESTION MARK after an indirect question

He asked me whether I had written my essay.

Exclamation Mark

1. After Interjections and after Phrases and Sentences expressing joy, sorrow, pride etc

Alas! -- Oh dear!

What a terrible fire this is!

Tip 5: Hyphen 1. To make a compound adjective qualifying a noun

She is a well-known actor.

2. after prefixes to separate two vowels

Co-ordinate the meeting for me.

3. To write prefixes

He is the ex-principal of the college

4. To make compound numbers between 21 and 99

He is gone for twenty-four days

5. To separate or connect the parts of a compound word

They conducted a door-to-door campaign.

Tip 6: Quotes & Dash Quotes

1. To enclose the exact words of a speaker, or a quotation

The king said “Free the prisoners”.

2. To enclose names of books, poems, essays etc.

I have bought “The Mahabharata” series.

3. If quotation occurs within a quotation, it is marked by single inverted commas

"You might as well say," added the March Hare, "that 'I like what I get' is the same thing as 'I get what I like’.”

Dash

1. To indicate an abrupt stop or change of thought

They are – I am sure – genuine people.

2. To resume a scattered subject

Friends, companions, relatives - all deserted him.

Tip 7: Apostrophe 1. To show possession (used with s)

Give me Rohan’s bag.

2. After plural nouns of proper Nouns apostrophe is used without ‘s’

She lives in a Girls’ hostel.

3. To show the omission of a letter or letters

I don’t need water.

4. To form the plural of letters and figures.

You must learn the P’s and Q’s of a language

NO APOSTROPHE

1. In case of non-living things

The table’s wood wood of the table is shining

2. With pronouns, only ‘s’ is used.

Our’s Ours is a big house

Tip 8: Capitals 1. To begin a sentence.

We are going to watch a movie tonight.

2. for all nouns and pronouns which indicate the Deity or even man in broader sense

He is the God. We worship Him.

3. To begin all Proper Nouns and Adjectives derived from them

He went to Chennai to learn more about Deccan literature.

4. To write interjections

Oh! We are lost.

5. To write a reported speech

She said, “I am not going.”

6. To write first person of the pronoun

She hates me but I don’t hate her.

Tip 9: Numerals 1. If sentence contains one series of numbers, all numbers should be written in figures

She has bought 4 tables and 2 chairs.

2. If sentence contains two series of numbers, one series should be written in figures and another in words

Five students have secured 90%marks and two have secured 60%

3. When one number follows another immediately, the first one should be written in words and the second in figures

The plumber asked for five 4-feet long pipes

4. When a sentence begins with a number, it should be written in words

Fifty people are missing following landslide in Uttarakhand.

5. Compound numbers between 21 and 99 are written in words

There are fifty-three pages in this book.

Spot the Errors:

Each of the following sentences will contain a/some Punctuation mistake/s. See if you can spot that mistake.

#1: Maldives is a beautiful country, the beaches are warm sandy and clean. (Incorrect)

Maldives is a beautiful country; the beaches are warm, sandy and clean. (Correct)

#2: Prof RK Mishra will be meeting the local MLA tomorrow at 10-30 am (Incorrect)

Prof. R.K. Mishra will be meeting the local M.L.A tomorrow at 10.30 a.m. (Correct)

#3: Its cloudy-it may rain. (Incorrect)

It is/it’s cloudy; it may rain. (Correct)

#4: Please send us the following food items; Biscuits Cakes Chips, and Wafers (Incorrect)

Please send us the following food items: Biscuits, Cakes, Chips and Wafers. (Correct)

#5: He will succeed: you never. (Incorrect)

He will succeed; you, never. (Correct)

#6: “Can you help me”, he asked? (Incorrect)

“Can you help me?” he asked. (Correct)

#7: This house is her’s and she has chosen the wall’s colours. (Incorrect)

This house is hers and she has chosen the colours of the walls. (Correct)

#8: "O! God," he screamed, I have left the keys inside the car. (Incorrect)

"O God!," he screamed, “I have left the keys inside the car." (Correct)

#9: He is going to mumbai for 31 days. (Incorrect)

He is going to Mumbai for thirty-one days. (Correct)

#10: The shopkeeper asked me whether I needed 3 2-feet long rulers? (Incorrect)

The shopkeeper asked me whether I needed three 2-feet long rulers. (Correct)

Tips on Spelling:

Tips on Spelling-Double Consonant:

1. When words end with single vowel + single consonant, double the consonant. beg + ed = begged---run + ing = running

2. When words of two or three syllables end with single vowel + single consonant, double the final consonant if the last syllable is stressed.

begin + ing = beginning -- occur + ed = occurred

3. Double the consonant, while adding ‘er’ or ‘est’ to make comparatives and superlatives. thin-thinner-thinnest--- fat—fatter—fattest

4. Double the consonant, when making noun from a verb. cut-cutter--run-runner

5. Double the consonant, when adding ‘Y’ to make an adjective of a noun.

mud-muddy---fun-funny

6. Double the consonant when the stress is on the first syllable of words ending with ‘at, el, ip, op, il’. Travel-travelled-travelling---worship-worshipped-worshipping.

NO Double Consonant:

1. If the second syllable is stressed and not the last syllable. listen-listened-listening---benefit + ed = benefited -- suffer + ing = suffering

2. When there is a suffix with a consonant. Sinful, Sadness, Childhood

Tips on Spelling-Ending with ‘Y’:

1. Verbs ending with ‘y’ with a consonant before it, change from ‘y’ to ‘i’ before a suffix (ed, er) except ‘-ing’. marry-married- marrying—try-tried-trying

2. Words ending with ‘y’ with a vowel before it, do not change. Obey-obeyed-obeying—pray-prayed-praying

Exception-: words like Say, Pay, Lay, etc. change only when ‘id’ ‘ly’ are added. Say-said—lay-laid—day-daily.

3. Nouns and Adjectives ending with ‘y’ with a consonant before them, change from ‘y’ to ‘i’ before a suffix (est, er, full, ly, ness, etc). sunny-sunnier-sunniest—tidy-tidier-tidiest

4. On reverse, verbs ending with ‘ie’, change to ‘y’ when suffix ‘ing’ is added. lie-lying—die-dying

Tips on Spelling-Ending with ‘e’:

1. Words ending in silent ‘e’ drop the ‘e’ before a suffix beginning with a vowel. live + ing = living -- move + ed = moved

2. Words ending in silent ‘e’ drop the ‘e’ when suffix like ‘ing’, ‘able’, ‘ary’ and ‘ous’ are added. fame + ous = famous, stare + ing = staring

3. Silent ‘e’ is dropped when ‘y’ is added after a noun. taste-tasty—noise-noisy

4. Silent ‘e’ after the consonant‘t’ is dropped when the suffix ‘tion’ is added at the end. deplete + tion =depletion—pollute + tion + pollution

5. Adjectives ending with ‘le’, drop the ‘e’ when added with suffix ‘y’. subtle-subtly—sensible-sensibly

6. Silent ‘e’ is changed to ‘i’ if the word ends with ‘ce’ and the suffix ‘ous’ is added to it. malice + ous + malicious – space + ous = spacious

7. Words ending in ‘ce’ and ‘ge’ keep the ‘e’ when adding ‘able’ and ‘ous’. notice + able = noticeable--- courage + ous = courageous

8. Words ending in ‘ee’ do not drop an ‘e’ before a suffix. see + ing = seeing---agree + ment = agreement

Tips on Spelling-Ending with ‘ll’, ‘n’, ‘c’:

1. When words ending with ‘ll’ are compounded with suffix ‘full’, the second ‘l’ is dropped both from the word and the suffix . skill + full = skilful -- will + full = wilful

2. When words ending with ‘ll’ are compounded with ‘un’, ‘dis’, ‘in’ or other words, ‘l’ is dropped . all + together= altogether—un + till= until

3. Adjectives ending with ‘l’ are written with ‘ll’ when suffix ‘y’ is added at end. final-finally—real-really

4. In words ending with ‘n’, the ‘n’ is retained when suffix ‘ness’ is added at the end. Keen-keenness, mean-meanness

5. When ie or ei is pronounced like ‘ee’ in ‘keep', ‘i’ comes before ‘e’. But after the letter ‘c’, we always write ‘ei’. believe – receive—relieve—conceit

6. Words ending with letter ‘c’ are changed to ‘ck’ when adding ‘ed’, ‘er’, ‘ing’. panic-panicked—picnic-picnicker

Tips on Spelling-Making Plurals:

1. The Plural of nouns is generally formed by adding -s to the singular. Boy-boys---pen- pens.

2. Nouns ending in -s, -sh, -ch (soft), -o or -x form the plural by adding -es to the singular. class—classes—box-boxes– buffalo-buffaloes

3. Few nouns ending in -o merely add –s. dynamo-dynamos—ratio - ratios;

4. Nouns ending in -y, preceded by a consonant, form their plural by changing -y into –I and adding –es. Baby—babies---lady—ladies.

5. Words ending in -f or -fe form their plural by changing ‘v’ and adding –es. Thief—thieves—wife—wives.

Exception: cliff--cliffs—handkerchief—handkerchiefs– chief—chiefs

6. Few nouns form their plural by changing the inside vowel of the singular. man—men---foot—feet

7. Some nouns form their plural by adding -en to the singular. Ox—oxen—child--children.

8. Words ending with ‘y’ with a consonant before it, change from ‘y’ to ‘ies’ for plural but retain the ‘y’ if it is preceded by a vowel. country—countries—play—plays

Spot the Errors:

Each of the following sentences will contain a/some Spelling mistake/s. See if you can spot that mistake.

#1: It was the sadest day of my life when I recieved tragic news. (Incorrect) It was the saddest day of my life when I received tragic news. (Correct)

#2: It occured to him last week that he was sufferring from jaundice. (Incorrect) It occurred to him last week that he was suffering from jaundice. (Correct)

#3: The elder sister had an arranged marryage and the younger one is marriing by her own choice. (Incorrect) The elder sister had an arranged marriage and the younger one is marrying by her own choice. (Correct)

#4: He sayed that they praid every day for his speeddy recovery. (Incorrect) He said that they prayed every day for his speedy recovery. (Correct)

#5: They will be tieing the knot in a beautyful destination wedding next month. (Incorrect) They will be tying the knot in a beautiful destination wedding next month. (Correct)

#6: Finaly he could fullfill his mother’s wish. (Incorrect) Finally he could fulfil his mother’s wish. (Correct)

#7: He has loveing personality with some noteable qualities. (Incorrect) He has a loving personality with some notable qualities. (Correct)

#8: Please give me three boxs of handkerchieves. (Incorrect) Please give me three boxes of handkerchiefs. (Correct)

#9: Theater groups from various countrys are coming to present their playes in the festival. (Incorrect) Theater groups from various countries are coming to present their plays in the festival. (Correct)

#10: She paniced after seing the video of the car accident. (Incorrect) She panicked after seeing the video of the car accident. (Correct)

(contd..) Tips on Spelling & Punctuation - https://learningpundits.com/module-view/26-spelling-and-punctuation/1-tips-on-spelling-&-punctuation/

LEARNING PUNDITS (https://learningpundits.com/) Learning Pundits help Job Seekers make great CVs, master English Grammar & Vocabulary, ace Aptitude Tests, speak fluently in a Group Discussion, apply for jobs, participate in online contests.

#interview #interview-tips #interview-questions

1 note · View note

micaramel · 7 years

Link

While we all slip up from time to time, there are some basic punctuation mistakes you should never make in formal writing.

For example, don't confuse "it's" and "its," don't use an apostrophe to pluralize nouns, and don't use semicolons and commas interchangeably.

National Punctuation Day is celebrated every year in the US on September 24.

Founded by Jeff Rubin in 2004, the day was created to celebrate the correct usage of all punctuation, from the "lowly comma" to the "ever-mysterious ellipsis."

In honor of National Punctuation Day this year, INSIDER rounded up nine basic punctuation mistakes you should never make in formal writing.

Watch out for these errors in your cover letters, academic essays, professional emails, and more.

1. Don't confuse "it's" and "its."

The mistake: Apple will announce it's new iPhone soon. Its a big year for the company.

Why it's wrong:"It's" is a contraction for "it is" or "it has." "Its," without an apostrophe, is a possessive pronoun.

Here's a tip: If you're unsure about which word to use, just substitute the word with "it is" or "it has." If the sentence makes sense with the substitution, use "it's." If it doesn't, use "its."

2. Don't use an apostrophe to pluralize nouns.

The mistake: Those home's were built in the 1960's.

Why it's wrong: Apostrophes are used to indicate possession and create contractions. They're also used to pluralize single uppercase or lowercase letters, depending on which style guide you follow.

Here's a tip: Don't use apostrophes when you pluralize nouns, numbers, symbols, or multiple letters, such as VIP.

3. Don't write run-on sentences.

The mistake: I left work early but I missed my train and I waited in the station for 40 minutes until the next one finally came so I didn't get home until 8 p.m.

Why it's wrong: Without commas, sentences become a confusing, grammatically incorrect block of text.

Here's a tip: When linking two independent clauses, use a comma before any coordinating conjunction that connects two independent clauses. An independent clause is a sentence that can stand alone.

Use the acronym FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) to remember every coordinating conjunction.

Also, don't just say your sentence out loud and add commas whenever you pause — you may be inserting comma splices. Instead, memorize these 13 rules for using commas correctly.

4. Don't overuse commas.

The mistake: I went home, and ate dinner.

In the sentence above, "and ate dinner" doesn't have a subject so you don't need to insert a comma before "and."

5. Don't use dashes and hyphens interchangeably.

The mistake: I'll buy the iPhone 8 - if I save up enough money.

Why it's wrong: A dash ( — ), or em dash or long dash, is most commonly used to indicate a meaningful pause in text or abrupt change in thought.

Here's a tip: Only use a hyphen when you're connecting two or more words. Also, memorize these rules for using dashes correctly.

6. Don't use semicolons and commas interchangeably.

The mistake: The traffic was crazy today; but I arrived at work on time.

Never use a semicolon to connect two independent clauses that aren't related.

The only exception to these rules is when you're writing long sentences or complex lists that already have several commas.

For example:

If I want to buy the iPhone 8, I'll have to start saving today; but if the iPhone 7 gets cheaper, I'll consider that option, too.

Today's commute was unbearable: first, I missed my train; then, I waited in the station for 40 minutes; and finally, the train broke down halfway through my trip.

7. Don't use semicolons and colons interchangeably.

The mistake: I ate three things for lunch; a sandwich, an apple, and a bag of chips.

8. Don't place periods and commas outside quotation marks (in the US).

The mistake: "The train was delayed for 40 minutes", the anonymous source told INSIDER.

Why it's wrong: According to style guides in the US, periods and commas must be placed inside quotation marks. If you follow British style guides, punctuation is placed outside quotation marks.

9. Don't overuse exclamation marks.

The mistake: The iPhone 8 will reportedly cost $999! I can't believe it! I also can't afford it!

SEE ALSO: 18 jokes that will make you seem smarter

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