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In informal writing rules are a little more lax. However, if we are going to correct each other's writing, might as well make it a teaching moment and explain why.
If I were younger, I would go.
If he weren't so mean, he would buy one for me.
I wish I weren't so slow!
I wish it were longer.
It's not as if I were ugly.
She acts as if she were Queen.
If I were you, I should tell her.
Informal
(The was form is possible in informal, familiar conversation.)
If I was younger, I would go.
If he wasn't so mean, he would buy one for me.
I wish I wasn't so slow!
I wish it was longer.
It's not as if I was ugly.
She acts as if she was Queen.
Note: We do not normally say "if I was you", even in familiar conversation.
People posting in the Writing Forum should at least, even if only for self-respect, use formal and correct grammar, especially if they're in this thread poking fun at people making errors.
A friend of mine used to pluralize female flight attendants as "stewardi".
Pace Shelley Berman!
"I just want to say just a few words about stewardii. They have... (he is interrupted by crowd shreik of laughter) Stewardii is plural for Stewardess. Uh...I think there are many incongruities in the English language as far as plurals are concerned. For example, it seems to me that the plural for Yo-yo should be Yo-yi. How about, one sheriff; several sheriffim. Um...one goof; a group of geef; uh...one Kleenex, several Kleenices; one Blouse, two Blice ........"
People posting in the Writing Forum should at least, even if only for self-respect, use formal and correct grammar, especially if they're in this thread poking fun at people making errors.
Then at least tell them why. It is a teaching moment. Just sayin'. Oh, wait, maybe I should have written, "I'm just saying."
Quote:
Originally Posted by jtur88
A friend of mine used to pluralize female flight attendants as "stewardi".
If we are going to be such sticklers for formal grammar, punctuation, and general writing style in this thread, if only for self-respect, we probably ought to make sure to put the period inside the quote.
Quote:
AP Style book:
Periods always go inside quotation marks. –p 361
Chicago Manual of Style:
Periods and commas precede closing quotation marks, whether double or single. This is a traditional style, in use well before the first edition of this manual (1906) –Section 6:8
Then at least tell them why. It is a teaching moment. Just sayin'. Oh, wait, maybe I should have written, "I'm just saying."
If we are going to be such sticklers for formal grammar, punctuation, and general writing style in this thread, if only for self-respect, we probably ought to make sure to put the period inside the quote.
I learned differently because I went to a secretarial school that had it's own style, although we were told that in the real world, we were to use the style our employers used.
I am still resistant to the idea of putting the period inside of the quote in a situation such as demonstrated above because it just doesn't make any sense. The period applies to the ENTIRE SENTENCE, not the quoted phrase. Illogical.
I learned differently because I went to a secretarial school that had it's own style, although we were told that in the real world, we were to use the style our employers used.
I am still resistant to the idea of putting the period inside of the quote in a situation such as demonstrated above because it just doesn't make any sense. The period applies to the ENTIRE SENTENCE, not the quoted phrase. Illogical.
Oh, I know. You are not alone. Was your secretarial school in England? In the United Kingdom, Canada, and islands under the influence of British education, punctuation around quotation marks is more apt to follow logic. Wouldn't it be great if logic ruled writing styles in the US? Sometimes it is simply for aesthetics. I suppose in this case tradition outweighs logic.
Filed under "if that is not confusing enough." The exception to this is if the thing in quotation marks is a single letter or number. Ex. One of our favorites was "Dancing in the Sweets." Ex. To continue, you must press the button labeled "Enter." Ex. The only grade that I will be happy with is an "A". Ex. On this scale, the highest ranking is a "1", not a "10".
The other rule that allows punctuation outside of quotation marks has to do with exclamation points and question marks. If the punctuation goes with what is being quoted, it goes inside the quotation marks. If it goes with the sentence as a whole, set it outside. Ex. Are we going to watch "American Idol"? Ex. I prefer to watch "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"
Oh, I know. You are not alone. Was your secretarial school in England? In the United Kingdom, Canada, and islands under the influence of British education, punctuation around quotation marks is more apt to follow logic. Wouldn't it be great if logic ruled writing styles in the US? Sometimes it is simply for aesthetics. I suppose in this case tradition outweighs logic.
Filed under "if that is not confusing enough." The exception to this is if the thing in quotation marks is a single letter or number. Ex. One of our favorites was "Dancing in the Sweets." Ex. To continue, you must press the button labeled "Enter." Ex. The only grade that I will be happy with is an "A". Ex. On this scale, the highest ranking is a "1", not a "10".
The other rule that allows punctuation outside of quotation marks has to do with exclamation points and question marks. If the punctuation goes with what is being quoted, it goes inside the quotation marks. If it goes with the sentence as a whole, set it outside. Ex. Are we going to watch "American Idol"? Ex. I prefer to watch "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"
I learned differently because I went to a secretarial school that had it's own style, although we were told that in the real world, we were to use the style our employers used.
I am still resistant to the idea of putting the period inside of the quote in a situation such as demonstrated above because it just doesn't make any sense. The period applies to the ENTIRE SENTENCE, not the quoted phrase. Illogical.
I agree, and have already stated this fact.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PanTerra
Oh, I know. You are not alone. Was your secretarial school in England? In the United Kingdom, Canada, and islands under the influence of British education, punctuation around quotation marks is more apt to follow logic. Wouldn't it be great if logic ruled writing styles in the US? Sometimes it is simply for aesthetics. I suppose in this case tradition outweighs logic.
Filed under "if that is not confusing enough." The exception to this is if the thing in quotation marks is a single letter or number. Ex. One of our favorites was "Dancing in the Sweets." Ex. To continue, you must press the button labeled "Enter." Ex. The only grade that I will be happy with is an "A". Ex. On this scale, the highest ranking is a "1", not a "10".
The other rule that allows punctuation outside of quotation marks has to do with exclamation points and question marks. If the punctuation goes with what is being quoted, it goes inside the quotation marks. If it goes with the sentence as a whole, set it outside. Ex. Are we going to watch "American Idol"? Ex. I prefer to watch "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"
Logic Schmogic. hehehe
The last example makes no sense. It is a statement, not a question. If the question mark goes with the title, shouldn't the sentence end in a period? (Outside the quotations.)
The last example makes no sense. It is a statement, not a question. If the question mark goes with the title, shouldn't the sentence end in a period? (Outside the quotations.)
So, is the word preventative really valid? I know it is now mainstream, but I was always taught it was preventive. Hearing preventative makes me cringe.
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Oh, wait, maybe I should have written, "I'm just saying." 
