random grammar moment
Question due to grammar and spelling discussion going on in another comm.
Can you acquire certain misspellings by exposure to them constantly? See, I have several now that I know for a fact came up *really* recently, as in spellcheck didn't autocorrect me, which slowly but surely I'm getting my more common added in. Here are the two main ones I remember right now. I don't mean typs--I mean, just weird *habit*.
1.) lose/loose
2.) past/passed
Okay, I've only caught myself on the first one once, but the second, I've had to correct it *semi-regularly* not at random in my last four fic.
I know my grammar gets screwed by what I read. Not always to the wrong side, though that too, but to the awkward side in phrasing something Like this:
He had never seen such a large penis.
He never had seen such a large penis.
The second one bothers me, the first one doesn't. I am going to sit here and examine why the second bothers me, if you don't mind.
Wait, I'm not actually sure--is one of these grammatically incorrect? The second just sounds wrong, but I'm not sure it's technically or even loosely incorrect.
It's that I feel strongly that when putting 'never' in front of 'had', it should create an emphasis that the sentence isn't carrying through. Basically, it's teasing me. I also hate the word penis, but that's because I'm pretty sure it's supposed to refer to a toe and somewhere in our past, someone messed up.
But that's *irritating*. It also throws off rhythm badly, which is why I've held a finished fic for weeks because I couldn't track down where I lost the rhythm. Yes, this is probably only something I'd notice, too, but I do. There's a long story that everyone probably has heard me tell here about sentence rhythm and how sometimes I get it right the first time (better than drugs) and sometimes I spend a month rewriting ten words (please don't ask) and sometimes it doesn't matter, but sometimes, I can't getpassed* past it.
While you're here, if so inclined, tell me your favorite lines from fic. The ones that stick with you. I keep a very old copy of my favorites here (originally posted to diaryland). I swear in 2002-2003 I did another one of favorite lines. I may have to look that up.
*see what I mean? I know it's a time/space issue, but it just goes out and if I don't re-read after spellcheck, I do this. I feel like I should invest in sleep learning.
Can you acquire certain misspellings by exposure to them constantly? See, I have several now that I know for a fact came up *really* recently, as in spellcheck didn't autocorrect me, which slowly but surely I'm getting my more common added in. Here are the two main ones I remember right now. I don't mean typs--I mean, just weird *habit*.
1.) lose/loose
2.) past/passed
Okay, I've only caught myself on the first one once, but the second, I've had to correct it *semi-regularly* not at random in my last four fic.
I know my grammar gets screwed by what I read. Not always to the wrong side, though that too, but to the awkward side in phrasing something Like this:
He had never seen such a large penis.
He never had seen such a large penis.
The second one bothers me, the first one doesn't. I am going to sit here and examine why the second bothers me, if you don't mind.
Wait, I'm not actually sure--is one of these grammatically incorrect? The second just sounds wrong, but I'm not sure it's technically or even loosely incorrect.
It's that I feel strongly that when putting 'never' in front of 'had', it should create an emphasis that the sentence isn't carrying through. Basically, it's teasing me. I also hate the word penis, but that's because I'm pretty sure it's supposed to refer to a toe and somewhere in our past, someone messed up.
But that's *irritating*. It also throws off rhythm badly, which is why I've held a finished fic for weeks because I couldn't track down where I lost the rhythm. Yes, this is probably only something I'd notice, too, but I do. There's a long story that everyone probably has heard me tell here about sentence rhythm and how sometimes I get it right the first time (better than drugs) and sometimes I spend a month rewriting ten words (please don't ask) and sometimes it doesn't matter, but sometimes, I can't get
While you're here, if so inclined, tell me your favorite lines from fic. The ones that stick with you. I keep a very old copy of my favorites here (originally posted to diaryland). I swear in 2002-2003 I did another one of favorite lines. I may have to look that up.
*see what I mean? I know it's a time/space issue, but it just goes out and if I don't re-read after spellcheck, I do this. I feel like I should invest in sleep learning.