Waiting for Godot
The cable guy is supposed to come out anytime from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm today to install our internet and basic cable. It’s 3:30 right now.
I’ve been working on my Application for Employment for a local publishing company and cracking and eating pecans. They also gave me a copyediting and proofreading quiz that is due back on Monday. It isn’t terribly difficult, but I’m nervous about making stupid mistakes on it. I had my mother come for lunch and proof it with me. She noticed some things I didn’t, and I noticed some things she didn’t. The way she threw around words like “gerund” and “participle” amazed me. I can look at something and tell you if it is correct or not, but she can remember the actual term. She taught elementary school for over 15 years.
There’s a difference between old school and new school grammar. My mother suggested commas where I wouldn’t put them. Nowadays, we newfangled writers and teachers don’t like to see a lot of commas. But her way was probably technically correct. I decided I’d play it safe and go old school. You can really argue a comma in a lot of different situations. For instance, would you put a comma in the following sentence?
“For a settlement I will suggest either getting a new bicycle or having the old one repaired.”
Mom said a comma should technically go after “settlement”.
Let’s have some Friday afternoon fun. I’ll give you a few sentences from the test, and you see if you can figure them out. Correct all errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
1. The mechanic adjusted our carburator but it was only at out insistance that the distributor was examined by him.
2. Its bad if not worse than last year.
3. Facing a big-league pitcher with a bat on your shoulder and trying to hit his delivery, is another vital experience in gaining an understanding of the game about which you are trying to write vividly.
That last one’s a doozy. There are so many things wrong with it, I don’t know where to begin.
I’ve been working on my Application for Employment for a local publishing company and cracking and eating pecans. They also gave me a copyediting and proofreading quiz that is due back on Monday. It isn’t terribly difficult, but I’m nervous about making stupid mistakes on it. I had my mother come for lunch and proof it with me. She noticed some things I didn’t, and I noticed some things she didn’t. The way she threw around words like “gerund” and “participle” amazed me. I can look at something and tell you if it is correct or not, but she can remember the actual term. She taught elementary school for over 15 years.
There’s a difference between old school and new school grammar. My mother suggested commas where I wouldn’t put them. Nowadays, we newfangled writers and teachers don’t like to see a lot of commas. But her way was probably technically correct. I decided I’d play it safe and go old school. You can really argue a comma in a lot of different situations. For instance, would you put a comma in the following sentence?
“For a settlement I will suggest either getting a new bicycle or having the old one repaired.”
Mom said a comma should technically go after “settlement”.
Let’s have some Friday afternoon fun. I’ll give you a few sentences from the test, and you see if you can figure them out. Correct all errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
1. The mechanic adjusted our carburator but it was only at out insistance that the distributor was examined by him.
2. Its bad if not worse than last year.
3. Facing a big-league pitcher with a bat on your shoulder and trying to hit his delivery, is another vital experience in gaining an understanding of the game about which you are trying to write vividly.
That last one’s a doozy. There are so many things wrong with it, I don’t know where to begin.
posted by SHANNON & AARON TUCKER at 12:03 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home