I had the day off today so a bit more time to post than I usually would. I thought I'd continue my homonym rant. To, too and two. Here's the 411 on them.
Two - the number 2 - ex: I have two parents, I need two socks.
To - preposition, more specifically, preposition of movement. ex: I am going to the store. He would like to come with me.
Too - it means 'also'; it is also used in reference to quantity. ex: Me too!, I would like to go too. That's too much.
Used alltogether - Would you two like to come too?
Again, the nanosecond of thinking required to pick the right homonym could stop you from looking like an idiot in front of everyone!
Friday, 27 February 2009
Your and You're
People who confuse these two homonyms drive me nuts. Here's how we differentiate between the two.
Your - is posessive. Meaning, something belonging to you. ex: your coat, your car, your friend, your bad grammar.
You're - is a contraction of 'you are'. Meaning, any time you mean to say 'you are', you can use you're. ex: you're nice, you're pretty, you're a good friend.
Yes, it's just that easy. The one time this is most misused is when people write "Your welcome". Your welcome what? Your welcome mat? It's "You're Welcome". YOU ARE WELCOME.
Please, take a nanosecond the next time you use 'your' and decide if that's really the word you want to use. You'll look like less of an idiot.
Your - is posessive. Meaning, something belonging to you. ex: your coat, your car, your friend, your bad grammar.
You're - is a contraction of 'you are'. Meaning, any time you mean to say 'you are', you can use you're. ex: you're nice, you're pretty, you're a good friend.
Yes, it's just that easy. The one time this is most misused is when people write "Your welcome". Your welcome what? Your welcome mat? It's "You're Welcome". YOU ARE WELCOME.
Please, take a nanosecond the next time you use 'your' and decide if that's really the word you want to use. You'll look like less of an idiot.
Pet Peeves
Ma and I went to see a family friend in a wonderful community musical theatre production of Anne of Green Gables last night. On the way there, the woman in front of me was driving like a total tool and I said, "My pet peeve is people who..." and I don't really remember exactly what was bugging me at that moment. What I do remember is Ma saying ,"Man, you have the most pet peeves of anyone I know!"
And it's true. I get ticked at a LOT of things. Like the old ladies behind us at the theatre last night who felt the need to give the "Described Video for the Blind" version of everything last night. And the fact that, when it snows, four lane roads somehow turn into two and nobody chooses to drive outside of the tire tracks, even when the lines dividing the lane are in the middle of those tracks. (I think that's what the lady in front of me was doing.)
I try hard to live a complaint free life. Actutally, many people comment on how I always find the positive side of things. The things above I can let go of. I mean, maybe the lady didn't have good tires and was being safer driving in the tire tracks. And maybe one of the old women really was blind and her friend was doing her a service so she could enjoy her community. But there are three things I can't get over...and they're all part of the same tragic phenomenon. The rampant misuse of homonyms. I'll post each of them in a separate post but let me say this: If you can fix these three things in your writing, you'll stop sounding like an idiot when you write.
And it's true. I get ticked at a LOT of things. Like the old ladies behind us at the theatre last night who felt the need to give the "Described Video for the Blind" version of everything last night. And the fact that, when it snows, four lane roads somehow turn into two and nobody chooses to drive outside of the tire tracks, even when the lines dividing the lane are in the middle of those tracks. (I think that's what the lady in front of me was doing.)
I try hard to live a complaint free life. Actutally, many people comment on how I always find the positive side of things. The things above I can let go of. I mean, maybe the lady didn't have good tires and was being safer driving in the tire tracks. And maybe one of the old women really was blind and her friend was doing her a service so she could enjoy her community. But there are three things I can't get over...and they're all part of the same tragic phenomenon. The rampant misuse of homonyms. I'll post each of them in a separate post but let me say this: If you can fix these three things in your writing, you'll stop sounding like an idiot when you write.
Thursday, 26 February 2009
Quick Post
Okay...so I know I've neglected this blog for the past two years (wow...can't believe it's been that long!). I had amazing intentions when I started it...and we all know where that road leads!
I've got a tonne of thoughts in my head and I recently learned the hard way that my facebook status is not the best place to communicate my opinions! So, I think I'll rediscover the joys of writing them here. I know I feel better when I write (whether it be songs, stories, papers, or just random letters to nobody) so I think this will help get my opinions out in a more appropriate forum.
I've got a tonne of thoughts in my head and I recently learned the hard way that my facebook status is not the best place to communicate my opinions! So, I think I'll rediscover the joys of writing them here. I know I feel better when I write (whether it be songs, stories, papers, or just random letters to nobody) so I think this will help get my opinions out in a more appropriate forum.
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