Some funny English rules
Posted by Pat on April 29, 2018 in Uncategorized | ∞
Enjoy this list of “rules of writing” that share the
humor of being self-contradictory!
(After all, I was an English teacher in my first incarnation!)
- Don’t use no double negatives.
- A preposition is something never to end a sentence with.
- No sentence fragments.
- Don’t overuse exclamation marks!!!
- Verbs has to agree with their subjects.
- Take the bull by the hand and avoid mixing metaphors.
- Hyphenate between sy-llables and avoid un-necessary hyphens.
- Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.
- One-word sentences? Eliminate.
- Don’t string too many prepositional phrases together unless you are walking through the valley of the shadow of death.
- Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do.
Our language continues to change. Perhaps it’s evolving not just degenerating?
- Maybe it’s due to texting and the resulting mangling of our old spelling skills.
- Maybe it’s due to just plain laziness?
- Maybe it’s just that life continues to show us new ideas and possibilities that we don’t yet have words for?
Whatever the reason, it sure is fascinating!
I just keep my mouth shut when I don’t “get” what someone’s words mean! I wait and hope that there will be some clues for me to follow and, if not, I nod my head wisely and just let them talk.
There’s so much that is new, so much that seems incomprehensible, that I don’t want to risk my ignorance showing!
I think that could be called “Wisdom Enough” don’t you?
