The Grammar Police among us???

[indianabob]

It is never too late to grow in grace and knowledge.
This may be important to frequent forum contributors because of the wide, international audience of this forum. We do appear to write for God in a manner of speaking, so let's try to be careful and correct.
Kindly offered, Indiana Bob 
= = =
AUGUST 23, 2013  As more companies create customer-targeted content for their websites, the grammar police seem to be out in greater force. And that can create writer's block: Many business owners stress about writing anything at all, for fear of using incorrect grammar that will be made fun of across the Web.
Last month, a post in the OPEN Forum community provided this advice on writing and grammar:

"As a writer, I was told that I should simply write and write some more. I was afraid my grammar was bad, and I had made an F on a theme in college I never forgot, and had no confidence that I could write a sentence. As an attorney I wrote briefs but I felt they were no good. But I kept writing, and soon lost my fear, realizing that this next piece wasn't going to win a Pulitzer ... Get [the writing] out of you. It can always be fixed to perfection later. Few artists give birth to their work in perfect form. If you cannot write it for one reason or another, get it written by a professional. Don't delay. You are unique, and your idea will perish with you if you don't preserve it."

Part of creating your own content is to do exactly that: Write. Just write. After all, you can't become a better writer if you don't practice your craft.

But there also are some basic grammar mistakes almost everyone makes, no matter how good (or bad) a writer he or she is. If you can learn to get these right, you're off to a good start.

Affect vs. effect. The easiest way to remember the difference between the two is that "affect" means "to influence." So if you're going to influence something, you will affect it. If it's the result of something, it's an effect.

Impact. Impact is a noun, not a verb. A plane can crash on impact. You can have an impact on something. But you cannot impact something. (When you are tempted to use "impact" as a verb, use "affect" instead; see #1.)

Their, they're and there. You'd think everyone would have learned this rule in fourth grade, but it's a very common mistake. Use "there" when referring to a location, "their" to indicate possession, and "they're" when you mean to say "they are."

Care less. The dismissive "I could care less" is incorrect. If you could care less about it, then you're saying you could care less about the topic, and you've lost the impact you meant to have. To use this phrase correctly, insert the word "not" after the word "could," as in, "I could not care less."

Irregardless. This word doesn't exist. The word you should use is "regardless."

Your and you're. Another mistake you'll often see in people's social media profiles or other content they create is the incorrect us of "your" and "you're." If you mean to say "you are," the correct word is "you're." Use "your" when referring to something that belongs to "you," as in "your business."

Fewer vs. less. Another common mistake, "less" refers to quantity and "fewer" to a number. For instance, Facebook has fewer than 5,000 employees, but I got less sleep than you last night.

Quotation marks. Among the great debates, people ask all the time whether or not punctuation belongs inside or outside of quotation marks. Let's set the record straight. The period and the comma always go inside quotation marks. The dash, the semicolon, the exclamation mark and the question mark go inside when they apply to the quoted matter (if it's not the entire sentence) but outside when they apply to the whole sentence.

People make so many grammar mistakes today that The Elements of Style is on its fourth edition. If you keep a copy of it on your desk and practice your craft, you'll never have to worry about the grammar police paying you a visit.

[Rhys 🕊]

Seriously do we have to get our grammar right before we write on this forum or is this a joke.

As this section is Just for fun and lighthearted banter I shall have a laugh 

Can you imagined being judged by others by not getting your their, they're and there right.....sounds terrible 

If people miss what's in the heart then they miss the whole point.

Nothing wrong with improving your skills but I would rather listen to someone who God's truth is setting them free than someone with correct grammar.

What's in the heart of man is what is important.

hahahaha....this is a joke isn't it.........surely 

Otherwise let's discourage others from contributing and make sure your perfect before you write a word.

Also do we write for God and is that how the bible was written or perhaps it was God writing through us. Perhaps God can't write.

I do have to say I have read posts from people on this forum who speak from the heart and some with not correct grammar (a terrible sin indeed) but the message that comes through them is what touches me and not there great use of the English language. If you don't get that then your missing everything.

Anyway........nice joke 

Rhys

[dodrill]

Autocorrect and spell check make me write things I didn't nintendo 

[Rene]

Good try, Bob, but we ain't buying it! (grammatical faux pas intended)

René

[microlink]

I suspect that the importance of proper grammar is more important to us (we ) "older" folks than (then ) to "younger" types.
In elementary school proper grammar was a major subject. Not so today. With fast communication via the technological world, people just don't care about that any more. Know what i (I ) mean!

[indianabob]

Folks,

Everything on this section of the forum is "light hearted" and is intended to fill our day with joy.
So what is heavy hearted about being careful to speak with clarity and a distinct voice?
The poets of old entertained us with verse and were careful with their beautiful words.
Kindly offered, Indiana Bob

1 Corinthians 13

Love Is the Greatest

13 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it;[a] but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing.

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! 9 Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! 10 But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.

11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12 Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.[c] All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

[onelovedread]

My beloved brother,
Poets are well, .... poets  - 'wordsmiths'.   
Many of us are just regular 'joes' with varying levels of learning and skill in language.
It's already difficult to arrange one's thoughts and you have to be brave to express your views in a thread.
If we in addition, start policing grammar, how many would-be posters might we totally discourage?
Just sayin'

[indianabob]

Alright my friends, I take your point and will retreat from my friendly advice.

My thought had been that all of us on the forum are here to learn and improve our skills in communication. I certainly have had to do that. We do I believe offer to advise others of our acquaintance that their grasp of the Bible may be a little skewed from what God intended the Bible to teach. We mostly offer this advice in love and for their good, not to build up our own reputations. Isn't that the purpose of the forum?

So with that in mind I thought to offer some interesting and helpful information from a recognized authority rather than commenting in my own words. I did after all stumble upon this article while looking for something else. No fault finding intended.

Sorry that the article seemed unfriendly or unnecessarily critical to present on the forum.

The intent of my heart was according to scripture as far as I understand.  Peace to all.

Hebrews 12:11
King James Version (KJV)
11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

[walt123]

Hello,all

After reading this post,this came to mind.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23
Living Bible (TLB)
19 And this has a real advantage: I am not bound to obey anyone just because he pays my salary; yet I have freely and happily become a servant of any and all so that I can win them to Christ. 20 When I am with the Jews I seem as one of them so that they will listen to the Gospel and I can win them to Christ. When I am with Gentiles who follow Jewish customs and ceremonies I don't argue, even though I don't agree, because I want to help them. 21 When with the heathen I agree with them as much as I can, except of course that I must always do what is right as a Christian. And so, by agreeing, I can win their confidence[a] and help them too.

22 When I am with those whose consciences bother them easily, I don't act as though I know it all and don't say they are foolish; the result is that they are willing to let me help them. Yes, whatever a person is like, I try to find common ground with him so that he will let me tell him about Christ and let Christ save him. 23 I do this to get the Gospel to them and also for the blessing I myself receive when I see them come to Christ.

WALT.

[indianabob]

Hi Walt,
Thanks for your message. That is good advice to follow. Much appreciated. 
Along similar lines of thought here is a forward from a friend that may fit the situation.
Bob
- - -


When I was a kid, my Grandma liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day.

On that evening so long ago, she had placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of my Granddad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed!

Yet all my Granddad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my Grandma and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that ugly burned biscuit. He ate every bite of that thing... never made a face nor uttered a word about it!

When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my Grandma apologize to my Granddad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said: "Honey, I love burned biscuits every now and then."

Later that night, I went to kiss Grandaddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned.  He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Grandma put in a hard day of work today and she's real tired. And besides a little burned biscuit never hurt anyone!"

As I've grown older, I've thought about that many times. Life is full of imperfect things and imperfect people. I'm not the best at anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else.

But what I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each other's faults, and choosing to celebrate each other's differences, is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.

And that's my prayer for you today...that you will learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet of God. Because in the end, He's the only One who will be able to give you a relationship where a burnt biscuit isn't a deal-breaker!

We could extend this to any relationship. In fact, understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship!

So, please pass me a biscuit, and yes, the burned one will do just fine.

And PLEASE pass this along to someone who has enriched your life. Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[onelovedread]

Thank you brother Bob
I love that story and I appreciate you. May God bless you and all that concerns you.
JC

[indianabob]

John,
It would be my honor to have you as my brother.
I understand that this is being arranged as we speak, by elder brother the Lord Jesus.
Thank you for your kind remarks.
Ole Indiana Bob
Plymouth, IN, USA

[microlink]

Very good John from Kent. You must be a well read person (like in reading many books) 

[se7en]

Excellent tips Bob!

I had a boss at one time that  instructed me to write in "active writing" format. I try to do this as much as I can.  I think "active writing" is in the The Elements of Style book.

On a side note..... check this out....

Cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

[Rhys 🕊]

Excellent tips Bob!

I had a boss at one time that  instructed me to write in "active writing" format. I try to do this as much as I can.  I think "active writing" is in the The Elements of Style book.

On a side note..... check this out....

Cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Spellcheck must of had a nervous breakdown on that one or should I say Speilcheque 

Rhys

[se7en]

HAHA!!!

[Duane]

I am a "wordsmith" and am guilty of the same "weaknesses" as our Grammar Police!  It seems that I can detect a misspelled word instantly--that is why I do proof-reading for a few authors.

As much as people misuse and misspell words--the correct usage of punctuation is a lost art.

There are also expressions that can be "laid to rest"--

* "at the end of the day"
* "the bottom line is---" (Did anyone ever see the TOP line?"
*  for a while everything was "like--"
*  back in the 80's everything had to be/feel COMFORTABLE, COMPFERTABUL, COM-FORT-ABLE etc.
*  In prayer: "our Revenly Father"

Hope this gotta few SMYLES!
*  Get a life--