Common Grammatical Errors

Have a challenge you'd like to see written? Have an idea that just won't get out of your head? Want to talk anything and everything fanfic or writer related? This is the place.

Moderators: ISLANDGIRL5, Forum Moderators

User avatar
Breathless
Addicted Roswellian
Posts: 254
Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2001 4:58 pm
Location: Somewhere in ficland

Post by Breathless »

Jen C wrote:
maxandliz4ever1357 wrote:Breathless: Thank you! I hava always wondered how to spell Vilandra and Kivar. Now what about Lerek?
At crashdown.com, it is spelled Larek.

Jen

Yes, Larek is correct.
Behr's Bitch
User avatar
maxandliz4ever1357
Obsessed Roswellian
Posts: 686
Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2005 5:40 pm
Location: Backpacking through Europe (ok so I'm not, but I wish I were)

Post by maxandliz4ever1357 »

Yes, Larek is correct.
Thanks, good to know. :D
<center> I was terrified and would you mind if I sat next to you and watched you smile? </center>
User avatar
Angel
Administrator
Posts: 258
Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2001 4:58 pm
Location: Kansas City

Post by Angel »

Well spank my ass and call me Charlie. I've been using Granolith and Khivar for years. Does this mean I have to go back and change them all? Man, I can't even manage to get a new part out in a timely manner let alone do that. lol
User avatar
behrlyliz
Addicted Roswellian
Posts: 184
Joined: Sat Aug 28, 2004 4:56 pm
Location: Atlanta
Contact:

Post by behrlyliz »

I never realized how important the grammar of a story is to a reader but this thread shows just that. Unless half of the story is one big grammatical error, I for one can tolerate grammatical mistakes. I figure everyone makes them (no one’s perfect, that’s just life).

For instance if I read:

The key is over their.

I know the writer meant:

The key is over there.

Or if I read:

He said “The key is over there.”

I know the writer means

He said, “The key is over there.”

Even in the case of using Isabelle instead of Isabel, I don’t have a problem with this. If I were reading a fic that followed the show’s canon, then I would expect a writer to use Isabel but if the fic is AU, I’m perfectly fine with Isabelle.

I know the purpose of this thread is to help with grammatical errors. Therefore, I apologize for giving my opinion. With my first post, I was merely trying to point out that Isabelle isn’t a misspelling but rather another way to spell Isabel. I’m in no way endorsing its use so please don’t flame me :lol: .

Now for my question, how do you handle writing dialogue? Does grammatical mistakes within the dialogue cause you not to read the fic? I tend to write a character’s dialogue based on how I speak and I for one do not speak proper/correct English (maybe that's the problem :lol: ). I’m Southern and tend to say ‘fixin to’, ‘finna’ ‘fin to’ & ‘yall’ and before I get flamed for this, I’m not stating that all people from the South say these things. I’m only stating that I do so certain sayings or slang may pop up in my story. Midwest Max, brought up a really good point concerning the use of try and. I must admit that I’m prone to say ‘I'm going to try and get us some tickets for the game’ and would write it that way. Anyway is it a no-no to write dialogue as such? Would this type of dialogue cause one not to read the story?

Also, thanks to Shiesty & Midwest Max for providing some very useful examples of common grammatical errors and to Kath7 & Breathless for providing the correct spelling of some Roswell names.
Team Framing Hanley
Image
My Fics~My Challenges~My Space
User avatar
Luvya
Addicted Roswellian
Posts: 257
Joined: Sun Jun 22, 2003 6:33 pm

Post by Luvya »

I feel for you! At least my spelling is generally the second guess! lol My best friend is also Catharine. The a in the middle is a FIASCO, let me tell you. And, yet, they're all perfectly legitimate spellings. lol
My sister in-law is named Rachel- life gets rather confusing :-), Mum has started to call us by our middle in it. Lol.

Anyway I am also one of the ones that has to stop reading when Isabel is spelt wrongly in a Roswell Fanfic. It just annoys me.

I love my beta's because they manage to spell and grammer check everything- And my spelling can be gastly at times.

Also what is the correct spelling of Serena?
Image
User avatar
maxandliz4ever1357
Obsessed Roswellian
Posts: 686
Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2005 5:40 pm
Location: Backpacking through Europe (ok so I'm not, but I wish I were)

Post by maxandliz4ever1357 »

Didn't someone say on the other thread that the writers spelled it something like Surina? Or was that just a rumor? In any case, I think most people use Serena. At least, I've never seen it written any other way.
<center> I was terrified and would you mind if I sat next to you and watched you smile? </center>
User avatar
Peachykin
Enthusiastic Roswellian
Posts: 35
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 3:20 pm
Location: Polarity
Contact:

Post by Peachykin »

Angel wrote:Well spank my ass and call me Charlie. I've been using Granolith and Khivar for years. Does this mean I have to go back and change them all? Man, I can't even manage to get a new part out in a timely manner let alone do that. lol
I'm with you Angel. I have been spelling those two the same way. I thought it was canon. Odds are I'll keep doing it, because its so automatic. But its good to know.
Polar, Xtremer, Drifter. Michael. Alec. Dean. Unapologetic. Flawed. And you know... real men.
User avatar
Breathless
Addicted Roswellian
Posts: 254
Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2001 4:58 pm
Location: Somewhere in ficland

Post by Breathless »

Luvya wrote:Also what is the correct spelling of Serena?

The correct spelling is Serina.
Behr's Bitch
User avatar
Shiesty23
Addicted Roswellian
Posts: 106
Joined: Mon Aug 11, 2003 8:03 am
Location: TX
Contact:

Post by Shiesty23 »

Maxandliz4ever:
Sheisty, wow! Both of your posts were really helpful, thank you.
Behrlyliz:
Also, thanks to Shiesty & Midwest Max for providing some very useful examples of common grammatical errors and to Kath7 & Breathless for providing the correct spelling of some Roswell names.
Anytime guys…I like helping fellow writers out…In fact, I see this thread as a way to help all of us Future Novelist grow… :wink: :D :lol:

And I can totally understand where you comin’ from behrlyliz about bein’ Southern and having your own dialect come out in your writing… I do it all tha time. :wink: :lol:

As for going back and fixin’ all your fics Angel and Peachykin… I wouldn’t change a thang :D … Hell, if we went this long in reading your wonderful fics the way they are now…we can just keep on doin’ so… :D :wink:






SHI
Last edited by Shiesty23 on Sun Aug 14, 2005 10:56 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Image
User avatar
Angel
Administrator
Posts: 258
Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2001 4:58 pm
Location: Kansas City

Post by Angel »

Peachykin wrote:
Angel wrote:Well spank my ass and call me Charlie. I've been using Granolith and Khivar for years. Does this mean I have to go back and change them all? Man, I can't even manage to get a new part out in a timely manner let alone do that. lol
I'm with you Angel. I have been spelling those two the same way. I thought it was canon. Odds are I'll keep doing it, because its so automatic. But its good to know.
Whew. I'm not the only one. I'll probably keep spelling them the same as well. It's just habit at this point to type them that way. Peachy, I'd say between the two of us we could get everyone to use OUR spelling. Then we won't be wrong. Hee!
Post Reply