My wife and I were talking about grammar, as you do. I mentioned that I always put a comma before a but; as there would be a pause there in speech.
"But implies a pause so you don't need a comma", she replied.
I wonder which other rules I'm breaking? I am a bladder-headed cock.
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Don't beat yourself up.
I don't know about the Scot's education system, but in Merry Olde England grammar hasn't been taught as a rigorous part of English language for generations.
Certainly not in my time. I remember family discussions turning into rows concerning my use of 'mother tongue'.
I think of it in terms of practicing visual art. You have to learn the rules of perspective to know when you are deliberately breaking them for your 'art'. Otherwise it's nonsense. Same with grammar, as far as I'm concerned.
So how many apostrophes have I put in the wrong place there? I rest my case.
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Whenever Jon and I 'collaberate' on a piece of writing he is merrily dumping apostrophes in all over the place whilst I am following up removing them. I write as I speak, he writes as he was taught. Apostrophe before but? Depends on what you are writing - like i before e it applys all the time except when it doesn't!New comment
I've stumbled into the perfect job - proof reading and QA for e-learning. I find the process of seeking a definitive answer fascinating and there are some terrific liitle helpers and guides online. Last week it was 'who or whose', though often it is killing the excess of commas; the trick is to read it out. A knowledge of the development of written language helps, afterall, punctuation, paragraphs and spacing all developed to aid communication. (I keep writing about it here; great reads on the development of english include Hitchins and Bill Bryson) THIS is what decides it for me - does it help or hinder? If it is unnecessary, don't put it in. Excess commas are the current issue - others put them in, while (most of the time) take them out. Then there are bulleted lists - commas, or full stops, and if so where? And the semi-colon? Fine in literature and handwritten letters, but not in corporate communications. What's you take on split infinitives? 'To boldly go' or 'to go boldly'.