Tuesday 13 November 2012

Words can be like X-rays...

“Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly -- they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced.”
Aldous Huxley, Brave New World

I think I made a breakthrough with commas this week. And it's only Tuesday. For my whole existance, up until now, comma's have evaded me. I drew a mental blank - but not anymore.

I hope you will notice that my punctuation has improved. As usual I am still always in a rush so maybe I wont check so much. But I now know I must take the time to do so. Maybe that means less blog posts and more grammatically correct sentences.

If you go back to my first blog post or there abouts you will see that I was anti- grammar and punctuation. My theory was that I didnt have time for commas. And I didnt have the inclination to learn about them eitehr. All that is largely true. I still dont have the patience for punctuation but if I keep at it and take time with my writing - then one day it will come to me as naturally as breathing. I now also understand why people get annoyed with grammatically in-correct statements. Of course you would if you knew the difference.

So there you go - I was wrong. I am hoping that by eating my words it makes me sound like I'm a better person. Quite frankly I am the same as before. I just now know what a comma splice is.

You may be reading this thinking that my grammar is all wrong. But yes I will still put full stops before the words But and And - because I believe that this is a point of style and that times have changed.

Anywa, if like me you struggle with punctuation have a look at the this site: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/arts/exercises/grammar/grammar_tutorial/page_41.htm#exindex , which is fantastic and definately get this book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Penguin-Guide-Punctuation-Reference-Books/dp/0140513663/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352809349&sr=8-1

I am still going to enroll in a grammar course next year but in the interim these resources have been super helpful.