From kindergarten through twelfth grade, I was never taught grammar. Never. The teachers had too many other worries---kids who didn't speak English at all, kids whose parents would ditch them for a dime, etc. The only reason I can put two words together at all is because I love books...read them like crazy as a youngster (still do!) and learned a little bit of grammar along the way. But missing a grammar education stinks. I barely know a split infinitive from a split end. Do I have to know this stuff in order to get a book published?
Years ago I saw a list of grammar rules some English teacher put together in which the rule was broken in the sentence which stated it. The rule against split infinitives contained a split infinitive. The rule against double negatives contained a double negative. The only rule I remember verbatim was my favorite of the lot:
"A preposition is not something to end a sentence with."
Can't remember the name of the author, but nobody has done it as well since.
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Me like! :)
ReplyDeleteI'll have to add a link to this blog on my own blog. It looks like -- I mean, as if it will be a very useful site.
Thanks, Janet!
From kindergarten through twelfth grade, I was never taught grammar. Never. The teachers had too many other worries---kids who didn't speak English at all, kids whose parents would ditch them for a dime, etc. The only reason I can put two words together at all is because I love books...read them like crazy as a youngster (still do!) and learned a little bit of grammar along the way. But missing a grammar education stinks. I barely know a split infinitive from a split end. Do I have to know this stuff in order to get a book published?
ReplyDeleteYears ago I saw a list of grammar rules some English teacher put together in which the rule was broken in the sentence which stated it. The rule against split infinitives contained a split infinitive. The rule against double negatives contained a double negative. The only rule I remember verbatim was my favorite of the lot:
ReplyDelete"A preposition is not something to end a sentence with."
Can't remember the name of the author, but nobody has done it as well since.
Thanks Janet! We're fans of your site too and we really appreciate the mention. We'll have more battles with our archnemesis very soon.
ReplyDelete- The Abbeville Manual of Style Team