Grammar

More Arcane Grammar

July 7, 2020 by Judy

Fused Participles Participle fusion, much like thermonuclear fusion, is a subject too widely dreaded to be approached lightly. ~ William Safire If you don’t know what a fused participle is, you can chalk it up to one of those grammar “rules” that really isn’t. Like: Never split an infinitive. Never end a sentence with a preposition. Never start a sentence with a conjunction. Back in the day, 1906 to be exact, Henry Fowler decided that sentences like the following are grammatically incorrect. He approved of Robert taking the job. Do you mind me asking a question? The neighbors hated …

Grammar Arcana–Part 2

June 25, 2020 by Judy

Hortatory Subjunctive If you’ve never heard the term and, therefore, think you have no idea what hortatory subjunctive refers to, you’re not alone. If, however, you’re of the generation that took Latin in high school (I’m of the generation, but not the course), you may at least recognize hortatory as Latin. And though the grammatical term may not be familiar, you’ll recognize its application. Hortatory is one of three Latin words that means encourage or incite. Subjunctive refers to the mood, which is not unique to Latin grammar. In addition to tense, verbs also indicate mood — “the manner …

Grammar Aracana – Part 1

June 18, 2020 by Judy

Or Grammar Tips You’ve Never Heard of But Use Anyway… One benefit of the global pandemic and shelter-in-place directives is greater access to online content. Before Zoom fatigue set in (about a month ago), I took advantage of several sessions that the Association of Copy Editors (ACES) offered in lieu of their annual conference. I couldn’t resist signing up for Grammar Arcana for its promise to cover Reduced Relative Clauses, Hortatory Subjunctives, Fused Participles, Double Genitives, Ditransitive Verbs, Nominative Absolutes, and Ablaut Reduplication. WHAT? I call myself an editor and I’ve never heard of these terms. What kind of imposter …

Say It Ain’t So

July 7, 2017 by jhagey

The day after my Better Half’s (BH) recent shoulder surgery, while still under the influence of pain pills, he made a verbal faux pas that will be one of those family jokes that lives on.

Grammar: I – Me

October 29, 2014 by Judy

Warning: You are entering a full-bodied grammar rant zone.

Word of the Week – homing in

April 21, 2014 by Judy

When he was young, our oldest son sang out “homey, homey,” whenever we pulled into the driveway from an out-of-town trip. I use that rather homely introduction to home in on the Word of the Week.

Say What?

March 4, 2014 by Judy

Hello. My name is Judy and I’m a grammar nerd.

Can We All Just Agree?

January 6, 2014 by Judy

I think we can all agree that subjects and verbs need to agree with one another.

Let’s Compare

December 3, 2013 by Judy

Tis the season…for comparison shopping. Thanks to the convenience of the Internet, we can still let our fingers do the walking and save ourselves from the crowds.

Bringing My Faux Pas to Light

July 10, 2013 by Judy

I don’t remember the erroneous sentence, but I well remember my embarrassment when it was pointed out to me that I had written illicit when I should have used elicit. To spare you a similar embarrassment, allow me to explain the difference between the two.